With a median price of €1,503 per m² for an apartment, direct TGVs to Paris and Barcelona and a university of more than 8,000 students, Perpignan offers high gross yields, provided you choose the right street. Prices, rents, neighbourhoods, budgets and yield: what you need to know before buying in Perpignan from abroad.
The public indicators that matter before buying to let in Perpignan, each with its source.
Perpignan has 121,616 inhabitants according to the 2023 INSEE census. 56.8% of main residences are occupied by tenants and 49.1% of households have only one person: favourable ground for small flats and house shares.
The rent map of the Ministry of Housing and ANIL gives an advertised rent of around €13.6 per m² including charges for a 1 or 2-room apartment in Perpignan, against €10.2 for a 3-room apartment or larger.
Sales recorded in DVF show the average price per m² of apartments virtually stable (+0.3%) between July 2025 and June 2026 compared with the previous twelve months, with 1,611 apartments sold.
Vacancy stands at 14.6% of homes according to INSEE. This overall rate includes run-down older homes or homes under renovation: a renovated, well-located property at the right rent generally lets faster.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median price per m² of apartments sold | €1,503/m² (8,882 sales) | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2021 to June 2026 |
| Average price per m² over the last 12 months | 1 618 €/m² | DVF, statistics (data.gouv.fr), July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Population | 121,616 inhabitants | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Average annual population change | +0.2% per year (2017 to 2023) | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Young people aged 18 to 24 in education | 5,575, or 47.3% of 18 to 24-year-olds | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Pupils, students and trainees among 15-64 year olds | 10,7 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Main residences occupied by tenants | 56,8 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Single-person households | 49.1% of households | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| One-room main residences | 6,4 % | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Vacant homes | 14.6% of the housing stock | INSEE, census, 2023 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 1 or 2 rooms | €13.6/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Advertised rent, apartment of 3 rooms or more | €10.2/m² including charges | 2025 rent map (Ministry of Housing, ANIL), 3rd quarter of 2025 |
| Change in the average price per m² of apartments sold | +0.3% (July 2025 to June 2026, compared with the previous 12 months) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr), average weighted by number of sales |
| Apartment sales over 12 months | 1,611 sales (July 2025 to June 2026) | DVF, monthly statistics (data.gouv.fr) |
| Students at the Université de Perpignan Via Domitia | 8,296 enrolled in 2024-2025 | Ministry of Higher Education, enrolment by institution |
| Staff of the Perpignan hospital centre | 320 doctors and 3,010 other professionals, 1,100 beds and places | Perpignan hospital centre, key figures |
| Passengers at Perpignan station | 2.05 million in 2024 | SNCF Gares & Connexions, station footfall |
| Unemployment rate in the Perpignan employment area | 12.8% in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (8.3% in France) | INSEE, unemployment rate by employment area |
| Vacant homes in Saint-Mathieu and La Réal | 30.9% (calculated from the area's IRIS), against 14.6% for the municipality | INSEE, 2023 census by IRIS area |
Three ImmoPourExpat members who live abroad are investing in Perpignan, one of them with a project under way.
Three typical properties, at the median sale price and the town’s advertised rent: enough to place your budget before you start searching.
1 room of 26 m², the median floor area of studios sold
Market benchmark: 49.1% of households in Perpignan live alone, which supports demand for small flats (INSEE, 2023 census).
2 rooms of 43 m², the median size of two-room apartments sold
Market benchmark: 56.8% of main residences are rented in Perpignan (INSEE, 2023 census).
4 rooms or more, 85 m², the median size sold
The advertised rent is an average for the town: depending on the neighbourhood, the condition of the property and its features, the rent you obtain may be higher or lower.
Median DVF sale prices from January 2025 to December 2025 in Perpignan. Rents estimated at the advertised rent from the 2025 rent map, including charges (€13.6 per m² for a 1 or 2-room home, €10.2 for a 3-room home or larger). Notary fees estimated at 8% of the price (7 to 8% for existing homes according to the notaires de France). Gross yield compares the annual rent with the purchase price, excluding fees and charges.
Perpignan offers very contrasting neighbourhoods, from the old centre around the Castillet to the residential neighbourhoods in the east and the university campus in the south.
Around the Castillet, the Loge and Place de la République, the old centre has many small homes: according to INSEE, 40% have one or two rooms, 67% of households are tenants and more than one in four moved in less than two years ago. But nearly one home in four there is vacant, and Saint-Jacques, to the east, requires a rental permit. Within the Action Cœur de Ville perimeter, a let must be declared within 15 days: aim for a renovated home on a lively street.
To the south of the centre, Saint-Mathieu and La Réal are heavily rental: according to INSEE, 80% of households there are tenants and 56% of homes have one or two rooms. But nearly one home in three there is vacant, the highest share of the six neighbourhoods on this page. A rental permit is compulsory there before each new lease: only buy after seeing the building and costing the works.
Around the station, which welcomed 2 million passengers in 2024 according to the SNCF, 56% of households are tenants, according to INSEE, and fewer than a quarter of homes have one or two rooms: an area of family homes. The Pulséo B line serves the Saint-Assiscle estate, and five bus lines serve the Gare TGV stop. Two priority districts bear the names of the station and Saint-Assiscle: choose the street with care.
East of the centre, Saint-Martin and Saint-Gaudérique form a large residential area of 15,564 inhabitants: according to INSEE, 64% of households there are tenants and 29% of homes have one or two rooms. Vacancy there is 13.5%, below the city average and well below the old centre. An area for a two-room flat or a family home let year-round.
North of the Têt, Le Vernet has 28,261 residents according to INSEE: 57% of households there are tenants, only 16% of homes have one or two rooms, and tenants have lived there for ten years on average. The Pulséo D line starts from Bas-Vernet. Bas-Vernet and the Vernet diagonal are priority districts, the diagonal with an urban renewal project: reserve this area for a family home, and choose street by street.
South of the city, Moulin-à-Vent is home to the main campus of the Université de Perpignan Via Domitia and three Crous residences, on avenue Alfred-Sauvy. According to INSEE, 17% of residents there are aged 18 to 24, 21% of households moved in less than two years ago, and vacancy there is only 11.6%. The Pulséo C line serves the campus: an area for a furnished studio let to a student.
The neighbourhood profiles come from the 2023 INSEE census by IRIS (INSEE statistical areas), grouped by neighbourhood according to their name (approximate groupings); the bus lines come from the Sankéo network. Official sale prices (DVF) are only published at municipality level: no purchase price is therefore given by neighbourhood.
Students, healthcare workers and working people of the centre: in Perpignan, more than one household in two is a tenant, and demand is concentrated on renovated small flats.
The Université de Perpignan Via Domitia has 8,296 students enrolled in 2024-2025, according to the Ministry, and the Crous houses students on avenue Alfred-Sauvy, near the campus. According to INSEE, 19.2% of 15 to 24-year-olds live alone.
The Perpignan hospital centre employs 320 doctors and 3,010 other professionals, according to its key figures. Unemployment in the employment area stands at 12.8%, against 8.3% in France: aim for a renovated home at a fair rent.
With direct TGVs to Paris, Barcelona and Montpellier, Perpignan also attracts employees on assignment or transferred: a furnished rental or a mobility lease suits them.
According to INSEE, 17% of households moved in less than two years ago, rising to 26.5% in the historic centre and in Saint-Mathieu and La Réal: small flats there change tenant more often.
Sources: Ministry of Higher Education (2024-2025 enrolment); INSEE, 2023 census; Perpignan hospital centre; SNCF Gares & Connexions (2024). Unemployment reaches 12.8% in the Perpignan employment area in the 2nd quarter of 2026, against 8.3% in France (INSEE).
In Perpignan, rent is set freely at each new lease: the type of let is chosen according to the neighbourhood, the condition of the property and the target tenant.
Investing in a house share from abroad →| Option | In Perpignan | Our view |
|---|---|---|
| Unfurnished rental | Three-year lease, suited to families and to the large homes of the residential neighbourhoods, with three months' notice for the tenant outside a high-demand zone. | For a large home |
| Furnished | Furnished studios and two-room flats meet the demand from students and single professionals, near the campus, the station or the centre. | To prioritise |
| House share | Possible for a large apartment close to the Moulin-à-Vent campus; student demand remains more limited than in large university cities. | Case by case |
| Mobility lease | From 1 to 10 months, furnished, for a tenant in higher education, on a work placement, in training, being transferred or on a temporary assignment. | For a few months |
| Short-term rental | No local change-of-use regulation was found: a furnished tourist rental is declared at the town hall. Compare the expected income with a year-round let. | Possible, to be costed |
In Perpignan, rents are not capped, but three neighbourhoods of the centre require a rental permit and the old centre has its own constraints. Check the rules below before costing your project.
Perpignan is not in a high-demand zone: rent is set freely at each new lease, and the notice period for a tenant in an unfurnished let remains in principle three months. No resolution introducing the new vacancy tax for 2027 was found, and no residence tax surcharge applies to second homes.
In Saint-Jacques, Saint-Mathieu and La Réal, each first let or change of tenant requires prior authorisation: the answer arrives within 30 days of a complete application, and no reply counts as approval. Within the Action Cœur de Ville perimeter, it is enough to declare the lease within 15 days. Letting without authorisation exposes you to a fine of up to €5,000, €15,000 for a repeat offence or despite a refusal.
No local change-of-use regulation was found in Perpignan: a furnished tourist rental is declared at the town hall, under the national rule. Seasonal lets of less than four months a year are exempt from the rental permit.
Vacancy stands at 14.6% of homes according to INSEE, and nearly one home in three in Saint-Mathieu and La Réal. In the older neighbourhoods, have the condition of the building and the co-ownership checked before buying: a renovated home at the right rent lets far better.
The old centre is a safeguarded sector, covered by a safeguarding plan last amended on 18 May 2022: works there go through the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (the state heritage architect). Property restoration operations also require works on designated buildings, on rue Cabrit or rue de l'Avenir among others.
A natural risk prevention plan has applied since 2000, and its revision for floods of the Têt is under public inquiry until 18 November 2026, with rules already applicable since October 2025. The municipality is in seismic zone 3, moderate, and the floods of 17 to 19 January 2026 were recognised there as a natural disaster. Read the risk statement for each property.
Your rents are taxed in France, whatever your country of residence. What changes is how they are treated at home and the rate of social contributions.
BelgiumFor a property held directly and let unfurnished, Belgium exempts these rents but uses them to set your tax rate. Social contributions: 7.5% if you are affiliated to Belgian social security and not dependent on any compulsory French scheme.
Investing from Belgium →
United KingdomThe United Kingdom also taxes your rents, with a credit for French income tax. The British tax authority (HMRC) includes in this credit the 7.5% solidarity levy, which is due if you are affiliated in the United Kingdom. Only the CSG and CRDS are excluded from it by the tax treaty.
Investing from the United Kingdom →
SwitzerlandSwitzerland exempts your French rents, but takes them into account for your tax rate. The 7.5% rate requires you to be covered by Swiss compulsory health insurance (LAMal) and not to be dependent on any compulsory French scheme.
Investing from Switzerland →The reduced rate depends on your affiliation, not your country: without affiliation in the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, or if you are dependent on a compulsory French scheme, you pay the full rate.
Tax treaties by country →Rules taken from our country pages and our tax page, for 2025 income. Your exact situation depends on your affiliation and on your country’s tax treaty.
Your rents and your capital gain are taxed in France, even if you live abroad.
On resale, the tax on the capital gain is withheld by the notary, with allowances for length of ownership from the 6th year: exemption from tax after 22 years, and from social contributions after 30 years.
Depending on your situation, our strategies and the way your purchase is structured can reduce, or even neutralise, the tax: we look at them with you from the very first call.
Taxation for the expat investor →Property tax and household waste tax apply to half the cadastral rental value of the home: ask the seller for their latest notice to know the amount. Sources: collectivites-locales.gouv.fr, impots.gouv.fr, notaires.fr.
Here is a simple example, for illustration purposes: a 40 m² two-room flat, at the median sale price and the average advertised rent.
| Furnished letting, micro-BIC regime | Affiliated in the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom | Other cases (full rate) |
|---|---|---|
| Rents over one year | 6 528 € | 6 528 € |
| Taxable income after the 50% allowance | 3 264 € | 3 264 € |
| Income tax at the 20% minimum rate | − 653 € | − 653 € |
| Social contributions | − 245 € (7,5 %) | − 607 € (18,6 %) |
| Left after tax | 5 630 € | 5 268 € |
| Yield after tax | ≈ 9,4 % | ≈ 8,8 % |
Assumptions: furnished letting under the micro-BIC regime, 50% allowance, 20% minimum rate for non-residents (2025 income), rents received counted in full. The 7.5% rate also requires you not to be dependent on any compulsory French scheme: a retired person who receives only a French pension pays the full rate. Charges, property tax, notary fees and loan interest are not deducted: under the actual regime (régime réel), the tax can be significantly lower.
An advertised rentThe rent from the map is an advertised rent including charges, so it is higher than the rent excluding charges that you will receive.
The rent at your addressThe advertised rent is an average for the town: depending on the neighbourhood, the condition of the property and its size, the rent you obtain may be higher or lower.
Costs and chargesNotary fees, renovation works, property tax, insurance and management then reduce the net yield.
This calculation helps compare cities or properties; it does not guarantee any result.
Do you live abroad and are you looking at Perpignan? In 45 minutes, we tell you what is feasible with your budget, your down payment and your country of residence.
Book a call →Perpignan is 5 h 01 from Paris by direct TGV, 1 h 25 from Barcelona and 23 minutes from Figueres, according to the SNCF timetable. Its airport, linked to the station by bus line 6, serves Paris-Orly, London, Brussels-Charleroi and Dublin, among others.
6 direct TGVs a day between Paris-Gare de Lyon and Perpignan, on Thursday 12 November 2026.
2 direct TGVs a day to Barcelona-Sants, with a stop at Figueres, 23 minutes away, and at Girona, 40 minutes away.
13 direct trains a day, TGV and TER, and 24 to Narbonne.
Including Paris-Orly, Lille, Nantes, Brussels-Charleroi, Dublin and four British cities, according to the airport; some in season only.
By Sankéo bus line 6, to the Gare TGV stop, in 26 to 32 minutes depending on the day, about one bus an hour.
7 direct TERs a day between Perpignan and Toulouse-Matabiau.
Timetables taken on 10 November 2026 from the official SNCF timetable (Thursday 12 and Tuesday 17 November); they vary from day to day. Renfe trains do not appear in this timetable. Flights and buses: Perpignan airport website and the Sankéo line 6 timetable.
Yes, in certain neighbourhoods. In Saint-Jacques, Saint-Mathieu and La Réal, prior authorisation is required before each first let or change of tenant: the answer arrives within 30 days of a complete application, and the authorisation lapses if the home is not let within two years. Within the Action Cœur de Ville perimeter, it is enough to declare the let within 15 days of signing the lease. Elsewhere, no such step is required. Check the address on the City's rental permit website.
No. Perpignan is not among the areas that apply rent control, and it is not a high-demand zone: you set the rent freely at each new lease. In a city where vacancy stands at 14.6%, a rent that is too high is paid for in months without a tenant: align with the rent map and local listings.
No: Perpignan appears on none of the high-demand zone lists, neither the one in force nor the one that will apply in 2027. The tenant of an unfurnished home must therefore in principle give three months' notice. The new vacancy tax is only due if the municipality has adopted it: no Perpignan resolution to that effect was found for 2027.
Because purchase prices are low, at a median €1,503 per m² according to DVF statistics, while advertised rents for small flats reach €13.6 per m² including charges. This gross yield says nothing about risk: vacancy affects 14.6% of homes according to INSEE, and unemployment reaches 12.8% in the employment area, against 8.3% in France. The real yield therefore depends above all on the street, the condition of the property and the quality of management.
It is possible, with the sea and Spain nearby. No local change-of-use regulation was found: a furnished tourist rental that is not your main residence is declared at the town hall. Lets of less than four months a year are exempt from the rental permit. Compare the expected income with a long-term let, which is simpler to manage from a distance.
Entrust the property to a property management agency that knows the permit to let and the local market. It selects the tenant, collects the rents, carries out check-in and check-out inspections and handles minor works. Rent guarantee insurance is strongly recommended. Also arrange a power of attorney with the notary so you can sign the purchase without travelling, and a trusted tradesperson for emergencies.
Yes. The old centre is covered by a safeguarding and enhancement plan, last amended on 18 May 2022: works there go through the Architecte des Bâtiments de France, and property restoration operations require works on certain buildings.
Yes. The municipality is in seismic zone 3, moderate, and a natural risk prevention plan has applied since 2000; its revision for floods of the Têt is under public inquiry until 18 November 2026. Read the risk statement for each property before buying.
According to the sales recorded in DVF from January 2025 to December 2025, a studio sold for a median price of €45,000, a two-room flat sold for a median price of €72,000, a large home sold for a median price of €112,000. Allow around 8% notary fees on top for existing homes, and a works budget if the energy performance certificate is poor.
In 2026, the municipal property tax rate is 47.15%, plus 2.00% for the intermunicipality. These rates apply to half of the home's cadastral rental value: ask the seller for the latest property tax notice to find out the amount.
For a furnished 40 m² two-room flat bought for €60,120 and let for €544 a month, about 9.4% of the price remains after tax if you are affiliated in the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom without being covered by a compulsory French scheme, and 8.8% otherwise, under the micro-BIC regime and at the minimum rate of 20%. Charges, property tax and purchase fees are not deducted.
The capital gain is taxed in France at 19%, plus social contributions, and the notary withholds this tax at the time of sale, with an exemption from tax after 22 years and from social contributions after 30 years of ownership.
MontpellierInvesting in Montpellier
GaillacInvesting in Gaillac
ToulouseInvesting in Toulouse
ToulonInvesting in ToulonTo go further: investing in France from abroad, remote property management, the taxation of expatriate investors, our members’ projects.
Investing from abroad has never been so simple
ImmoPourExpat supports expats and non-residents from A to Z who want to invest in property in France: financing, property search, renovation works, taxation and remote management.
TrustpilotTrustScore 4,8 | 276 reviewsSubscribe to our newsletter, the latest in property investment for expats and non-residents
By subscribing, you accept our privacy policy
Get our bank ranking for expats and non-residents, updated for 2026, and find out which banks to submit your application to.
Thank you! Your ranking is ready.
Download the PDF ↓
Lives in the United States
Lives in Spain