Living in Paris: arrondissements, flat prices and moving in 2026

Living in Paris in 2026 means the most expensive housing in France, but also jobs in the capital, schools with international sections and the AP-HP public hospitals. The median flat price in 2025 was €9,745 per m², from €8,043 in the 19th arrondissement to €14,211 in the 6th. Most people move on a Talent Passport or a visiteur visa.

Below is Paris as seen by someone moving with a family and capital: all 20 arrondissements with purchase prices and rents, the costs of buying a €1–2 million flat, owners’ taxes, rent controls, schools, healthcare, transport and residence status. The overall picture of the country, with its pros and cons, salaries and a comparison of cities, is in our article on living in France. This one covers Paris alone, in more depth.

Paris: what to know before you move

Paris is both a commune and a département, number 75. On 1 January 2023 it had 2,103,778 residents, according to INSEE. The city is divided into 20 arrondissements, numbered in a spiral from the centre: the 1st is the Louvre and the Palais-Royal, the 20th is the eastern edge near Belleville. The arrondissement number is part of the postcode: 75007 is the 7th, 75016 the 16th. Since 2020 the first four arrondissements have shared a single town hall, “Paris Centre”, but postcodes and statistics still count them separately.

• The city is small and dense. Almost every arrondissement is on the metro, so choosing a neighbourhood is a choice of lifestyle and budget rather than commuting time.
• The population is shrinking. Between 2017 and 2023 it fell by 0.65% a year, the second-steepest decline among French cities with more than 100,000 residents. Families leave for the suburbs because of the price per square metre.
• Parisians live longer than the national average. Life expectancy in the Paris département in 2025 was 82.4 years for men and 87.1 for women; for France as a whole, 80.3 and 85.9.
• The region is bigger than the city. Île-de-France adds 7 more départements around Paris. La Défense business district, the international lycée in Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the airports lie outside the city limits but within the same transport network.

Paris arrondissements: purchase prices and rents

The table gives three official indicators for each arrondissement. Purchase price is the median of actual 2025 sales in the DVF database of the DGFiP tax authority (our calculation, single-flat sales only, excluding notaire costs). Advertised rent comes from the Ministry of Housing’s “Rent Map” for Q3 2025 and includes service charges. The rent cap is the loyer de référence majoré from the prefect’s arrêté in force since 1 July 2026: an unfurnished 2-room flat in a building constructed before 1946, excluding service charges. Where an arrondissement has several sectors, the range is shown.

How to read the table. The median sale price is the middle of the market: half the flats in the arrondissement sold for more, half for less. A flat with a view, a lift and in excellent condition in the 7th will be well above €14,057 per m². Advertised rent includes service charges and the rent cap does not, so the two cannot be compared directly. Over the year from 2024 to 2025, the Paris median rose by 1.2%, from €9,625 to €9,745 per m².

Where to live with children

Families should look first at the 15th, 16th, 17th, 12th and 14th arrondissements. These are residential areas with large flats, parks and woods at the city’s edge: the Bois de Boulogne by the 16th, the Bois de Vincennes by the 12th. The 15th is the largest market in Paris, with 3,018 sales in 2025, so it offers the widest choice of flats at a median of €9,500 per m². The 16th is more expensive at €10,941 per m², but closer to the western suburbs and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, home to the international lycée with a Russian section.

For a family, the school matters most. State schools are assigned by address, so choosing a flat also means choosing a school. If your child needs an international section, first check where it is and how admission works, and only then sign a lease. More in the section on schools.

Where to live if your work or business is in the centre

The traditional business districts are the 8th, 9th and 2nd arrondissements, and the region’s largest business district, La Défense, sits just beyond the city’s western boundary. For work in La Défense, the 16th and 17th are convenient. For work in the centre, the 8th and 9th: medians of €12,082 and €10,874 per m², advertised rents of €36.09 and €33.55 per m².

Where to live on a smaller budget

The most affordable arrondissements are the 19th, 20th, 13th and 18th: from €8,043 to €8,868 per m² to buy and from €27.70 to €30.36 per m² in advertised rent. Compared with the 6th, the difference is 77% for purchases and 37% per m² for rent (44% for flats of 70 m² with three or more rooms, as in the chart). Neighbourhoods within these arrondissements vary a great deal, so look at the specific street, not just the arrondissement number.

If you are buying to let

A rough guide to yield is annual advertised rent divided by the median price. For flats with 3 or more rooms, this gives from 3.1% in the 7th and 3.2% in the 6th to 3.9% in the 13th and 19th. That is a gross figure before tax, void periods and costs, and the advertised rate includes service charges, so the real yield is lower. The conclusion is simple: in the most prestigious arrondissements you pay for capital preservation and status, not rental income. On top of that, Paris has a rent cap, and short-term letting to tourists is tightly restricted.

How to buy a flat in Paris

A foreigner, including a Russian citizen, can buy a flat in Paris: there are no nationality restrictions. France does not grant residence permits for buying property, so the purchase and your status are two separate tasks. The general purchase process, mortgages, SCIs and tax on sale are covered in our article on buying property in France. Below is what matters specifically in Paris.

Stages of the purchase

1. Offer (offre d’achat). Once the seller accepts in writing, they are bound to sell. The law forbids paying the seller anything at this stage: such a payment makes the offer void.
2. Preliminary contract (compromis or promesse de vente). The buyer pays a deposit, usually 5–10% of the price. The money is held by the notaire, not the seller, and counts towards the price.
3. 10 days to withdraw. A non-professional buyer of a home can withdraw within 10 calendar days of receiving the contract, without giving reasons and without losing the deposit.
4. About 3 months of waiting. According to the Paris Chamber of Notaires, this is the usual gap between the preliminary contract and the final deed: the town hall checks its right of pre-emption, the notaire gathers documents and the bank issues the loan.
5. Final deed (acte authentique) at the notaire’s office. On signing day you pay the price and the costs. Payments of €3,000 or more must be made by bank transfer.

Buying costs: frais de notaire and transfer tax

The largest part of what are called “notaire fees” is not the notaire’s fee at all but the property transfer tax (droits de mutation). Since 1 June 2026, Paris has applied the higher departmental rate of 5.00% instead of the previous 4.50%. Together with the 1.20% municipal rate and the collection charge, this comes to 6.3185% of the price. On top of that come the 0.10% registration levy (contribution de sécurité immobilière) and the notaire’s regulated fee plus 20% VAT.

Our calculation, at rates as of 1 June 2026; the notaire’s minor outlays for extracts and formalities (débours) are not included. Two important caveats:

• First purchase of a main home. The increase to 5% does not apply if you have not owned a main home for 2 years before the purchase and are buying the flat to live in. For €1,000,000, the costs would then be €69,131.20, which is €5,118.50 less.
• New build. If the home is less than 5 years old and sold by the developer, 20% VAT is already included in the price and the transfer tax is only 0.71%. Buying costs fall to roughly 2%, but there are few new builds in Paris.

What buyers from Russia should consider

• Bank account. EU Regulation 833/2014 prohibits EU banks from accepting deposits of more than €100,000 per bank from Russian citizens. The ban does not apply if you hold a temporary or permanent EU residence permit, including a Spanish one. The regulation contains no ban on buying property.
• Source of funds. The notaire must verify where the money comes from and, if in doubt, report to the financial intelligence unit TRACFIN without telling the client. Prepare documents on your income and asset sales in advance.
• Mortgage. French lending rules are the same for residents and non-residents: repayments on all loans may not exceed 35% of income, and the term is up to 25 years. Whether a bank will lend to a Russian citizen is up to the bank.

Taxes for flat owners in Paris

Once you own a flat, you pay local taxes every year and, with substantial capital, a real estate wealth tax as well. Income tax, the regime for newcomers and inheritance are covered in detail in our article on taxes in France.

The property tax cannot be stated in euros in advance: the cadastral value is set by the tax office and differs greatly from market value. Paris raised the rate in 2023 from 13.50% to 20.50% and left it unchanged in 2024 and 2025. The tax on main homes (taxe d’habitation) was abolished from 2023, but according to the city hall, second homes in Paris carry a 60% surcharge. If your Paris flat will not be your main home but a pied-à-terre for visits, budget for this tax.

IFI: what you pay on a €2–3 million flat

• Main home worth €2,000,000, no debt, no other property. With the 30% main-home allowance, €1,400,000 is taxable. The tax is €3,200 a year.
• Main home worth €3,000,000. €2,100,000 is taxable; the tax is €8,100 a year.
• A €1,500,000 buy-to-let flat as your only property. No allowance; the tax is €3,900 a year.

Debts on the properties, including mortgages, reduce the base. And the key point for those just moving: a new tax resident who has not been resident in France for the previous 5 years pays IFI only on French property for the next 5 years. A flat in Moscow or a villa in Spain is outside the base during that period. That is why it makes sense to plan your asset structure before the move, not after.

Can you let your flat to tourists?

In Paris, only under strict limits. Since 1 January 2025, a main home may be let as furnished tourist accommodation for no more than 90 days a year, with a fine of up to €10,000 for exceeding it. A flat that is not your main home can only be let to tourists after obtaining a change-of-use permit with compensation: you must convert non-residential space of the same area into housing, usually in the same arrondissement. The fine for letting without a permit is up to €100,000. Every listing must show a town hall registration number.

Renting in Paris and the rent cap

Most people who move rent first and choose a flat to buy once they understand the neighbourhood and the school. Advertised prices are in the table above. For a family of 3–4, a rough guide: a 70 m² flat with 3 or more rooms costs about €1,824 a month in the 19th arrondissement, €2,152 in the 15th and €2,632 in the 6th, based on listings and including service charges.

How rent control (encadrement des loyers) works

• The cap. Rent excluding service charges may not exceed the loyer de référence majoré, a rate set by the prefect for 80 neighbourhoods according to the number of rooms, the year the building was built and whether the flat is unfurnished or furnished. The cap currently ranges from €18.1 to €45.8 per m² for unfurnished flats and from €20.6 to €52.2 for furnished ones.
• Where to check. The prefecture publishes an interactive rate map; the landlord must state the cap and any supplement directly in the listing.
• Supplement (complément de loyer). Allowed only if the flat has exceptional features, such as a view, a terrace or its location, and it is written into the lease with a justification. If the flat has an energy rating of F or G, damp or sanitation problems, a supplement is prohibited.
• Penalties. A landlord who breaches the cap faces a fine of up to €5,000, or up to €15,000 for a company. The tenant can obtain a rent reduction.
• Duration. The experiment ends on 24 November 2026, as set out in the prefect’s arrêté of 12 June 2026. An extension is being discussed in parliament but had not been adopted as of the date checked. If you are signing a lease in autumn 2026, check whether the cap applies on the signing date.

Practical tips. Do not transfer money before viewing the flat and signing the lease: fraud in France rose by 7% in 2025, and more than half of cases were online. Paris landlords ask for a dossier: proof of income, your latest tax notice, sometimes a guarantor. For a newcomer without French documents, proof of capital and income translated into French helps, as does renting for the first year and then moving into a flat you have bought.

Schools in Paris: international and Russian sections

State schools are free, education is compulsory from 3 to 16, and places are assigned by address. The education system, nurseries and universities are covered in detail in our article on studying in France. For families who want to keep a child’s second language, France has international sections (sections internationales): some lessons are taught in the section’s language, and at lycée level graduates receive the French international baccalaureate (BFI).

• 18 languages, including Russian. The section adds 4 hours of literature and language and 2 hours of history and geography in the section’s language.
• The Russian section in Paris covers primary school and collège. According to Paris education authority documents, these are the école Littré primary school and the collège Jacques Prévert in the 6th arrondissement. Admission to the collège is by dossier and written and oral tests.
• There is no lycée with a Russian section in Paris itself. According to the Ministry of Education list as of 29 December 2025, the nearest is the Lycée international in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris. Lycées with Russian sections also exist in Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Valbonne near Nice.
• Deadlines are strict. For the 2026/2027 school year, applications to the international sections of Paris collèges were accepted from 12 January to 10 March 2026, written tests took place on 18–19 March and oral tests from 7 April to 13 May. If you are moving in summer, plan admission six months ahead.
• Proof of address. Two proofs are required, one of which must be your latest tax notice. A family that has only just arrived needs to resolve this separately, through the lease and the education authority.

Besides the state sections, Paris and its suburbs have private bilingual and international schools teaching in English and following American and British curricula. Their fees and admission terms vary and need to be checked on the schools’ websites: there is no official summary, and we do not make one up.

Healthcare in Paris

The system is the same as in the rest of France: the health insurance fund refunds most costs, and top-up insurance (mutuelle) covers the rest. A newcomer who works is covered from their first hour of work; one who does not work, after 3 months of residence. Until then, private insurance is needed. Step by step, see the healthcare section of our article on living in France.

• Hospitals. The public hospitals of Paris are grouped under AP-HP (Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris).
• Registered GP (médecin traitant). Choose one as soon as you gain cover: of a €30 GP visit, the fund refunds €19, but without a registered GP only €8.40.
• Doctor’s sector. Sector 2 doctors may charge more than the fund’s rate, and the fund does not refund the difference. Check the sector and the fee in the directory on ameli.fr before booking.
• Carte Vitale. Ordered in your ameli account, it arrives within 2 weeks; until then, you show the doctor a certificate of entitlement.

Transport: life without a car

In Paris a car is more of a burden than a necessity: the metro, RER, buses and trams cover the whole city and region. Île-de-France Mobilités fares from 1 January 2026:

If you are an employee, your employer must pay half of your travel pass and in 2026 may pay up to 75% tax-free for you. Children and students are entitled to reduced fares.

Which residence permit suits life in Paris

Buying a flat does not give you the right to live in France. Status has to be obtained separately, and the same grounds apply in Paris as in the rest of the country. All the options are reviewed in our article on French residence permits, and the step-by-step moving process in how to move to France.

The Talent Passport is issued for up to 4 years, immediately gives cards to family members and does not require French at A2 at the outset. The visiteur card is renewed every year and has no multi-year version. All Talent Passport categories and thresholds are in our article on the French Talent Passport, and the conditions and documents for the visa to live on your own means are in our article on the French visiteur visa.

Russians in Paris

There is no official figure for “Russians in Paris”: French statistics do not count people by native language. What is known for certain:

• at the start of 2023, 77,000 immigrants born in Russia lived in France, according to a provisional INSEE estimate;
• immigrants from European countries outside the EU, like immigrants in general, are more likely to live in the Île-de-France region, meaning in and around Paris;
• the Paris state education system has a Russian international section at primary school and collège, and at lycée level in the suburbs;
• France allows dual citizenship, and French citizenship can be obtained after 5 years of residence.

Paris has Russian-speaking communities, Saturday schools and Russian-speaking doctors, but there is no official register, so check recommendations yourself.

Downsides of living in Paris

• Price per square metre. The median is €9,745 per m²: a 100 m² family flat costs about €800,000 even in the most affordable arrondissement, plus 7.4% in costs.
• Uncertainty over rent control. The experiment ends on 24 November 2026 and no extension has been adopted. For tenants, this means a risk of rising rents; for owners, uncertainty about income.
• Taxes on second homes. A flat that is not your main home is subject to the second-home tax with a 60% surcharge, and letting it to tourists is almost impossible.
• Language. The prefecture, the tax office, schools and the health insurance fund all work in French. The resident card and citizenship require B1 and B2 respectively.
• Competition for schools and doctors. Places in international sections are limited, and admission is by test and once a year.
• The city is losing residents. Between 2017 and 2023 the population fell by 0.65% a year, largely because of housing costs for families.

If Paris is too dense and expensive for your family but France suits you, compare it with the south of the country: prices, neighbourhoods and life by the sea are covered in our article on Nice and the Côte d’Azur.

Key points about living in Paris

• The median flat price in 2025 was €9,745 per m²: from €8,043 in the 19th arrondissement to €14,211 in the 6th.
• Buying costs on resale property are about 7.4% of the price: since 1 June 2026, the transfer tax in Paris has been 6.3185%.
• Buying a flat does not grant a residence permit: the options are a Talent Passport for work and business or a visiteur card for living on your own means.
• For families, the 15th, 16th, 17th, 12th and 14th arrondissements make the most sense; the 19th, 20th, 13th and 18th are more affordable.
• Rents are capped until 24 November 2026; no extension has been adopted yet.
• For the first 5 years, a new resident pays IFI only on French property, so capital structure should be planned before the move.
• Paris has a Russian international section at primary school and collège, with the lycée section in Saint-Germain-en-Laye; applications are made in winter, six months before the school year.

Moving to Paris with capital involves three linked decisions: status, tax residence and housing. Getting the order wrong is costly: you buy a flat but have no grounds for a residence permit, or you move and your foreign assets have already fallen into the tax base. If you want to know which status suits your family and where to start, describe your situation and we will go through the options free of charge.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to live in Paris?

Housing is the main expense. A 70 m² flat with 3 or more rooms costs about €1,824 a month in the 19th arrondissement and €2,632 in the 6th, based on Q3 2025 listings and including service charges. An all-zones Navigo pass costs €90.80 a month in 2026. If you buy rather than rent, add property tax and, with substantial capital, IFI.

How much does a flat in Paris cost?

The median of actual 2025 sales in the DVF database is €9,745 per m². The most expensive arrondissements are the 6th and 7th, at around €14,000 per m²; the most affordable are the 19th and 20th, from €8,043 to €8,364 per m². Add about 7.4% on top for transfer tax and notaire costs.

Which area of Paris is best for living with children?

Families should look first at the 15th, 16th, 17th, 12th and 14th arrondissements: residential neighbourhoods, large flats, and the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes nearby. The 15th is the largest market, with 3,018 sales in 2025 at a median of €9,500 per m². Schools are assigned by address, so choose the flat and the school together.

Can a foreigner buy a flat in Paris?

Yes, there are no nationality restrictions, including for Russian citizens. EU rules prohibit Russian citizens without an EU residence permit from holding deposits of more than €100,000 in any one EU bank, and the notaire must verify the source of funds. There is no ban on the purchase itself.

Does buying a flat in Paris give you a residence permit?

No. France does not grant residence permits for property. To live in your flat for more than 90 days, you need a separate status: a Talent Passport if you work, run a business or invest, or a visiteur card if you live on your own means of at least €1,477.93 net a month.

How much does it cost to rent a flat in Paris?

According to the “Rent Map” for Q3 2025, from €27.70 per m² a month in the 19th arrondissement to €37.89 in the 6th, including service charges. Since 1 July 2026, the rent cap excluding service charges has ranged from €18.1 to €45.8 per m² for unfurnished flats, depending on the neighbourhood, the number of rooms and the year the building was built.

What taxes does a flat owner in Paris pay?

Property tax is 20.50% of half the cadastral rental value in 2025. A second home also carries a 20.32% tax with a 60% surcharge. If all your property is worth more than €1,300,000, IFI is added: a €2,000,000 main home with no debt means €3,200 a year.

How do you move to Paris from Russia?

First choose your grounds: a Talent Passport for work and business or a visiteur card for living on your own means. The D visa is applied for through VFS Global visa centres in Russia, and the consular fee is €99. After arrival, the visa is validated online, and after a year it is exchanged for a card. It is better to rent for the first year.

Is there a Russian school in Paris?

The Paris state system has a Russian international section: the école Littré primary school and the collège Jacques Prévert in the 6th arrondissement. The lycée Russian section is at the Lycée international in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Tuition is free, admission is by test and applications are made in winter.

Can you let a flat in Paris on Airbnb?

A main home can be let for no more than 90 days a year since 1 January 2025, with a fine of up to €10,000 for exceeding the limit. A flat that is not your main home can only be let to tourists after obtaining a change-of-use permit with compensation, otherwise the fine is up to €100,000. A town hall registration number in the listing is mandatory.

Official sources

• DVF property transactions, 2024–2025 — DGFiP, data.gouv.fr
• Rent Map 2025 by commune — data.gouv.fr
• Arrêté on the Paris rent cap from 1 July 2026 — DRIHL, Île-de-France prefecture
• Prefect’s press release on the rent cap, 30 June 2026
• Rent control — service-public.gouv.fr
• Transfer tax rates by département as of 1 June 2026 — DGFiP
• Buying resale property: taxes — impots.gouv.fr
• Buying a new build: taxes — impots.gouv.fr
• Notaire fees — service-public.gouv.fr
• Preliminary contract and the 10-day withdrawal period — service-public.gouv.fr
• Final deed of sale — service-public.gouv.fr
• Property tax — service-public.gouv.fr
• Paris local tax rates for 2025 — Ville de Paris
• Second-home tax surcharge — Ville de Paris
• Real estate wealth tax (IFI) — service-public.gouv.fr
• IFI for new residents — service-public.gouv.fr
• Rules for tourist rentals in Paris — Ville de Paris
• International sections at lycées — Ministry of Education
• International sections at Paris collèges — Paris education authority
• Russian international section — Paris education authority
• Paris hospitals, AP-HP
• Registered GP and refunds — ameli.fr
• Public transport fares in 2026 — Île-de-France Mobilités
• Employer contribution to travel passes — service-public.gouv.fr
• Talent card — service-public.gouv.fr
• Visiteur card — service-public.gouv.fr
• Population of communes on 1 January 2023 — INSEE
• Life expectancy by département, 2025 — INSEE
• Immigrants born in Europe, 2023 — INSEE