Real estate. In Grenoble, Lyon… Is it more interesting to buy or rent in 2022?

Is it more interesting to remain a tenant or to become an owner in 2022? A study by Meilleurtaux.com, mortgage broker, reveals the number of months or years of detention necessary for the purchase of a principal residence to cost less than the rental.

The analysis, which relates to a property with an average surface area of ​​70 m² in 32 cities, takes into account various criteria. With regard to the purchase: the price per m², the amount of property tax and average charges (per m² and per month). And for the rental: the amount of the rents and the return on the money invested which would have been devoted to the personal contribution in the event of a purchase.

13 years and 8 months to make your purchase profitable this year

In 2022, you must hold your main residence for 13 years and 8 months to make your purchase profitable on national territory (+ 8 years compared to 2021 and + 10 years and 4 months compared to 2020).

This means that if one owns a property of 70 m², at the end of this period, buying is more interesting than renting. Beyond that, those who decide to remain tenants of this type of property, begin to really lose money.

There are very significant differences depending on the metropolis, but of the 32 cities studied by Meilleurtaux.com, all have seen their holding period necessary to make the purchase profitable increase in one year.

Prices are still rising fairly sharply in the vast majority of the territory, while at the same time rents have generally remained stable. “These are the two main reasons that explain the lengthening of the time needed to make the purchase profitable to the detriment of the rental”, underlines Maël Bernier, director of communication and spokesperson for Meilleurtaux.com.

Nîmes: among the lowest lengths of detention

Nîmes is the city with the lowest average. In 2022, it becomes more interesting to buy from 2 years old. This is 8 months more than in 2021, when it only took a year and 4 months. In 2020, it even only took a year and 1 month, and this despite one of the most expensive property taxes in France.

Grenoble, Saint-Étienne, Mulhouse: up to almost 5 years longer than in 2021

In Grenoble and Saint-Étienne, the purchase becomes profitable after 6 years in 2022, against 1 year and 6 months in 2021 and 1 year and 5 months in 2020. While in Mulhouse, it becomes interesting after 3 years and 6 months, compared to 1 year and 8 months in 2021 and 1 year and two months in 2020.

Strasbourg, Dijon, Besançon, Metz: up to almost 13 years longer compared to 2021

The city of Strasbourg goes from 9 years and 2 months in 2021 to profitability for the purchase after 22 years in 2022, i.e. + 12 years and 8 months. In 2020, profitability was obtained after 4 years.

Dijon goes from 2 years in 2021 to profitability after 14 years in 2022, Besançon from 2 years and 1 month to 11 years and Metz from 2 years and 6 months to 11 years.

Southern cities, victims of their own success

Compared to 2021, three cities saw their length of detention increase significantly. This is the case for Nice, Marseille and Toulouse. Nice goes from 3 years and one month to 22 years old, Marseille from 3 years and 6 months to 20 years old and finally Toulouse from 5 years and 7 months to 24 years old.

These cities have on average multiplied by 6 their holding period before it becomes profitable for buyers.

“Cities in the south are still attractive, the mild weather favors the desire to settle in these big cities. However, the price of stone remains high and has increased in recent months. The French want to combine work and quality of life, even if they have to put (much) more in the wallet”, specifies Maël Bernier.

In Paris and Lyon, you have to wait 28 years…

In 2020, Parisians had to wait 18 years on average. In 2022, as in 2021, it takes 28 years before the purchase becomes economically interesting.

The Lyonnais must also wait 28 years like last year, compared to 18 years in 2020.