Head to head
Buying property in France vs Italy
Answer first: on our reviewed figures, buyer-side closing costs run about 2 percent of the price in Italy against about 7.65 percent in France, so Italy is the cheaper side to transact. The table below shows what sits behind each number, from the same dataset that powers our country guides.
France and Italy draw many of the same cross-border buyers, and the question of which one is cheaper to actually transact in has a data answer. This page puts the two side by side using the reviewed figures behind our full France and Italy country guides: what the buyer pays at closing, which taxes apply and who pays them, who signs off on the deal, and what it costs to sell again later.
The machinery differs less than the bill does. The professional in charge in France: Notaire, with the deal recorded at the Service de la publicite fonciere (SPF). In Italy: Notaio, recorded at the Catasto (Agenzia delle Entrate). Both systems exist to make a sale between strangers safe and final, including foreign ones.
Side by side
How do France and Italy compare on transaction costs?
| Cost or rule | France | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer-side closing costs | About 7.65% of the price | About 2% (primary home, on cadastral value) |
| Typical agent commission | 4 to 7% | 2 to 4% |
| Who oversees the transfer | Notaire | Notaio |
| Land registry | Service de la publicite fonciere (SPF) | Catasto (Agenzia delle Entrate) |
| Main purchase taxes | Transfer duties (droits de mutation a titre onereux, DMTO), paid by the buyer Transfer duties (DMTO) breakdown, paid by the buyer | Registration tax (imposta di registro) - paid by buyer Registration tax base - the prezzo-valore rule (private-to-private sale) |
| Currency | EUR (€) | EUR (€) |
Behind the figures
What do the numbers mean?
The buyer-side figure bundles the transfer tax, the notary or registration fees, and the filing costs into one reviewed percentage per market. It is a typical figure, not a quote: each country's own rules move it up or down, and the notes from our dataset spell out how.
- France: Buyers in France pay 7 to 8% in transfer duties, notaire fees, and registration costs; sellers pay nothing on primary-residence sales beyond optional mortgage discharge. Rates vary slightly by department after 2025 reforms.
- Italy: Buyers in Italy pay 2% registration tax (prima casa) on cadastral value plus fixed taxes; mortgage discharge is seller's main direct cost if applicable.
Both markets price in EUR, so the percentages give a sense of scale on a €300,000 home: about €22,950 in France, and about €6,000 in Italy, though Italy charges the 2 percent on the lower cadastral value, so the real bill is typically smaller. Treat both as ballpark figures; the notes above explain what moves them.
Closing costs are half the answer. Asking prices differ too, and our house prices by country table puts both markets on the same footing there.
Selling later
What happens when you sell in France or Italy?
The market you buy into is also the market you will one day sell in, and the exit cost is mostly the agent. Commission typically runs 4 to 7% of the price in France and 2 to 4% in Italy. On a €300,000 sale that is roughly €12,000 to €21,000 in France and €6,000 to €12,000 in Italy. The commission table shows how both compare with every other market we track.
Commission is negotiable in both countries, and owners can sell without an agent in either, which keeps the exit cost in your hands rather than baked into the market. Our roundup of the best FSBO sites in France shows where owners list there. For the other side, see the best FSBO sites in Italy.
The verdict
Which is the better market to buy in, France or Italy?
Both purchases run through a mandatory notary, so what differs is the bill, not the process: France's transfer duties and notaire fees are charged on the full price, while Italy's primary-home registration tax uses the lower cadastral value.
Neither answer replaces the full picture. The France and Italy country guides cover the transfer professional, the registry, and the taxes in detail, and our buying abroad guide walks through financing, money transfer, and remote purchases for any market.
Official sources for the visa and eligibility claims on this page
Common questions about buying in France vs Italy
Is it cheaper to buy a house in France or Italy?
Measured by buyer-side closing costs, Italy: on our reviewed figures the buyer's side of the transaction runs about 2 percent of the price there against about 7.65 percent in France. Italy's figure assumes a primary home taxed on the cadastral value; the French figure bundles transfer duties, the notaire's regulated fee, and registration costs. Purchase prices are a separate question.
Who oversees the property transfer in France and Italy?
In France: Notaire, with the transfer recorded at the Service de la publicite fonciere (SPF). In Italy: Notaio, with the transfer recorded at the Catasto (Agenzia delle Entrate). In both countries the oversight comes with the transfer itself, so it applies whether or not an agent introduced the parties.
What are the main purchase taxes in France and Italy?
The headline purchase tax in France is the Transfer duties (droits de mutation a titre onereux, DMTO), paid by the buyer. In Italy it is the Registration tax (imposta di registro) - paid by buyer. Each country guide covers the full list, including the smaller registry and filing charges.
What does it cost to sell a home later in France or Italy?
Agent commission typically runs 4 to 7% of the price in France and 2 to 4% in Italy, and commission is negotiable in both markets. Owners can also sell without an agent in either country, which turns the commission into a choice rather than a fixed exit cost.
What is the practical difference between the French notaire and the Italian notaio?
Both are mandatory, and both execute the deed that transfers ownership. The French notaire manages more of the file: the purchase money sits in the notaire's client account at the Caisse des Dépôts, a state financial institution, and the notaire collects the taxes and registers the title. In Italy the notaio executes the rogito and files it for registration, with the registration tax for a primary home calculated on the cadastral value under the prezzo-valore rule.