The best places to live where housing costs the least for their size
The lowest price per m² size for size — housing without breaking the bank.
Towns of more than 5,000 residents.
Each criterion is scored on its actual figures, across all of France.
Sources: DVF 2023-2025.
Updated 2 November 2026.
1Marseille 15e ArrondissementBouches-du-Rhône · 1,407 €/m²94.0/100
2Marseille 14e ArrondissementBouches-du-Rhône · 1,530 €/m²91.0/100
3TarasconBouches-du-Rhône · 1,466 €/m²83.0/100
30 towns the first of 83 ranked
- 1
Marseille 15e94.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône1,407 €/m² - 2
Marseille 14e91.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône1,530 €/m² - 3
Tarascon83.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône1,466 €/m² - 4
Marseille 3e82.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône1,767 €/m² - 5
Port-de-Bouc71.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône1,831 €/m² - 6
Marseille 13e66.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,545 €/m² - 7
Arles62.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,493 €/m² - 8
Marseille 11e61.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,589 €/m² - 9
Miramas60.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,316 €/m² - 10
Marignane60.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,417 €/m² - 11
Sénas59.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,075 €/m² - 12
Marseille 10e58.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,642 €/m² - 13
Berre-l'Étang55.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,306 €/m² - 14
Fos-sur-Mer54.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,405 €/m² - 15
Martigues54.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,726 €/m² - 16
Aubagne53.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,728 €/m² - 17
Noves52.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,292 €/m² - 18
Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône52.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,321 €/m² - 19
Châteaurenard52.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,500 €/m² - 20
Salon-de-Provence51.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,787 €/m² - 21
Istres51.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,820 €/m² - 22
Marseille 4e51.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,844 €/m² - 23
La Roque-d'Anthéron49.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,353 €/m² - 24
Marseille 9e49.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône3,047 €/m² - 25
Cuges-les-Pins46.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,476 €/m² - 26
Vitrolles45.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,986 €/m² - 27
Marseille 16e44.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,746 €/m² - 28
Marseille 1er40.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône3,145 €/m² - 29
Saint-Chamas38.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,752 €/m² - 30
Rognac38.0/100Bouches-du-Rhône2,893 €/m²
Of the 83 towns in Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and the Bouches-du-Rhône département with more than 5,000 residents, 83 have all the data this profile needs; the top 30 are listed above. The median flat price there is 3,259 €/m² (actual DVF sales).
The ranking rests on 1 criterion — the one that defines this profile. Each row names its measure; the town page gives the 7 others, dated and sourced — so that the rank does not hide the rest of life there.
What this ranking costs. The median price of the top 30 is 2,497 €/m², 23% less than all the towns considered. The cheapest in this ranking is Marseille 15e Arrondissement (1,407 €/m², no. 1) — where this profile costs least.
What this ranking does not say. A low price is not always a bargain: it can signal a market without buyers, buildings to renovate or a job market emptying out. Cross-check with housing vacancy and population change, both on each town’s page.
Method
Each town is scored on its actual figures, across all of France (prices and rents against towns of a similar size), on the criteria of the “where housing costs the least for their size” profile. Median prices come from DVF (France’s record of actual sale prices). Only towns with more than 5,000 residents are listed. Icioola hosts no listings and takes no commission.
Frequently asked questions
Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and the Bouches-du-Rhône département — “Most affordable” profile: which town comes first?
Marseille 15e Arrondissement comes first (79,161 residents), with a median price of 1,407 €/m². This rank holds for this profile (housing prices): another town may come first on another profile.
What exactly does the “Most affordable” profile cover?
A single criterion: housing prices. Each is scored on its actual value across all of France (0 to 100), then the values are ranked. A single-criterion ranking is easier to read but more fragile: one missing or unusual figure is enough to move a rank. No payment influences the result, and no property listing is hosted.
Why is a town I know not listed?
Three possible reasons: it has fewer than 5,000 residents (the ranking threshold), or it ranks beyond the top 30. Its page exists all the same: every town in France has one.
Does this ranking take my budget and commute into account?
No — it is a general ranking. Budget and door-to-door commute are personal filters: they rule towns out rather than score them. The app recalculates this ranking with your own constraints, free and without an account.
Where do the figures come from?
The rank is computed from a single source: the DVF database (property sales actually recorded). The price shown on each row comes from the DVF database and is not part of the calculation — except here, where it IS the criterion. All these data are open and reusable; each figure’s year is shown on each town’s page. This page was regenerated on 2 November 2026.