REVEALED: The part of southern France with the most affordable properties

"The southern French département of Lozère, known for its bucolic views, the Parc national des Cévennes, and plenty of wide, open space, is home to the cheapest estate in southern France, with prices hovering around €1,200 per square metre, as of August 2025. As such, in many parts of Lozère it is still possible to purchase a single-family home for around €100,000, according to a report in Le Figaro's property magazine."

"In comparison, at the national level, as of September 2025, apartments sold for an average of €3,677 per square metre, while single-family houses sold for €2,377 per square metre. Overall, prices in Lozère are 12 percent lower than they were a year ago, but 24 percent higher than five years ago. In some areas, like the commune of Saint-Chély-d'Apcher, home to just 4,000 inhabitants, prices have dropped significantly by 21 percent over the past year, with the median price per square metre at €1,091."

"Lozère does seem to be rising in popularity, at least marginally, with 7.4 percent year-on-year increase in sales (comparing July 2024 and July 2025), Gilles Bourgine, a real estate advisor who knows Lozère well, told Le Figaro, "For the past seven years, I've seen people arriving in our area looking to invest in Lozère to set up their second home there. "Many are escaping the Mediterranean coast, where the heat is more intense and oppressive," he added."

Lozère is France's most sparsely populated département and has the cheapest estate prices in southern France, around €1,200 per square metre as of August 2025. In many parts, single-family homes remain purchasable for around €100,000. Urban areas Mende and Bourgs-sur-Colagne show higher medians of €1,640 and €1,627 per square metre. National averages in September 2025 were €3,677 per square metre for apartments and €2,377 per square metre for single-family houses. Prices in Lozère fell 12 percent year-on-year but rose 24 percent over five years. Some communes, like Saint-Chély-d'Apcher, recorded a 21 percent annual drop to €1,091 per square metre. Sales rose 7.4 percent year-on-year, and interest from second-home buyers has grown as some seek relief from Mediterranean coast heat.

Read at The Local France