While in 2024, the study by Wüest Partner France, an independent real estate consulting and expertise company of Swiss origin, revealed that renting was often more advantageous in large cities, the 2025 edition highlights a significant reversal: ownership is now once again becoming advantageous in many medium-sized cities in the country.
In Marseille, owning a home now allows you to save €550 per year compared to renting. In Toulon, the gap is even wider, with savings of €750 per year in favour of buying. This shift can be explained by several factors: the continued fall in interest rates, a correction in property prices in many regions and an increase in rents, particularly in large cities. These developments are strengthening the competitiveness of property as a capital investment, although some regional disparities persist.
In cities like Bordeaux or Annecy, for example, renting remains more advantageous due to high acquisition costs. However, favorable economic conditions, such as a further decline in interest rates or a slight drop in prices, could quickly reverse this trend in the short term.
In 2025, economic and real estate conditions offer a new lease of life to potential buyers. Supported by falling credit rates and a slowdown in prices, these prospects make it possible to consider real estate purchases as an opportunity not to be missed in a generally favorable economic context. Decryption…
Big cities: the gap between ownership and rental is narrowing
A contrasting situation in 2023
In the study of the end of 2023, Wüest Partner had revealed that in the 10 largest cities in France, the costs of ownership exceeded those of rental. For ownership to become more attractive, it was then necessary to count on annual increases in real estate values of around 0,5 to 1,5%.
2024: a narrowing of the gaps
Current results (end of 2024) show a more nuanced situation. Certainly, in cities like Paris, Lyon, Toulouse or Nice, ownership remains more expensive than renting. However, the gap between these two options has narrowed considerably. From now on, a minimal appreciation in the value of the property (of the order of 0,2 to 0,5% per year) would be enough to make ownership more advantageous.
Paris: a spectacular drop in the gap
In Paris, the annual cost of owning a home is estimated at €33.560, compared to €31.590 for renting. The difference is limited to €1.970 per year, compared to €7.840 the previous year. This tightening can be explained by several factors:
- The fall in interest rates,
- The decrease in real estate prices,
- The increase in rents,
- Reduction of the property tax rate.
Marseille: property takes the advantage
In Marseille, the situation has even reversed this year. Renting is now more expensive than owning property. In fact, becoming a homeowner would be more advantageous even without an increase in the value of the property.
Mid-sized cities confirm the advantage of ownership
In many medium-sized cities, such as Toulon, the annual costs of owning property amount to €11.830 per year, compared to €12.580 for renting. A slight annual depreciation in the value of the property (less than 0,4%) would not be enough to reverse this advantage. Many other cities, such as Le Havre, Grenoble, Villeurbanne, Le Mans, Brest or Amiens, also show a clear advantage for owning property.
Saint-Étienne: a striking example
Saint-Étienne stands out for its particularly low prices: a typical apartment there costs around 78.200 euros, almost half the prices in cities of comparable size such as Reims or Le Havre. Despite also very affordable rents, the advantage of ownership is significant, allowing annual savings of 2.270 euros. In Roubaix, Argenteuil, Vitry-sur-Seine, Mulhouse and Le Mans, ownership also allows you to save more than 2.000 euros per year compared to renting.
Bordeaux and Annecy: renting remains advantageous
Other cities, such as Boulogne-Billancourt, Aix-en-Provence, Annecy, Montreuil or Bordeaux continue to present an advantage in favor of renting. In these locations, renting allows you to save more than 2000 euros per year. Nevertheless, becoming an owner is not necessarily a disadvantageous choice: the increases in value necessary to make the property profitable remain modest, of the order of 0,6 to 0,8% per year. Such assessments seem realistic in the long term.
A historical look to qualify the trends
Over the past 20 years, apartment prices in France have increased by an average of 3% per year, despite periods of correction, such as the financial crisis of 2008 or the rise in interest rates in 2023.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.