How far €150,000, €300,000 or €500,000 really goes, department by department — based on the prices houses have actually sold for (official French Land Registry data, DVF), not on asking prices.
DVF real recorded sale prices
Normandy is one of the most affordable regions in northern France for a house with land or a period property near the coast — but prices swing widely between the rural interior and the sought-after seaside. The table below shows the median price per square metre for houses actually sold in each department, and what that means for three common budgets.
| Department | Median €/m² (houses) | €150,000 buys | €300,000 buys | €500,000 buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orne | €1,587/m² | ≈ 95 m² | ≈ 189 m² | ≈ 315 m² |
| Manche | €1,896/m² | ≈ 79 m² | ≈ 158 m² | ≈ 264 m² |
| Eure | €2,062/m² | ≈ 73 m² | ≈ 145 m² | ≈ 242 m² |
| Seine-Maritime | €2,227/m² | ≈ 67 m² | ≈ 135 m² | ≈ 225 m² |
| Calvados | €2,713/m² | ≈ 55 m² | ≈ 111 m² | ≈ 184 m² |
The Orne is the most affordable department we track: at a median of €1,587/m², a €300,000 budget stretches to roughly 189 m² of house — a large stone home with room to spare. The Manche and Eure follow, still comfortably under the regional average, with the Manche offering the bonus of a long coastline once you step back from the resorts.
The priciest ground is coastal Calvados and the city of Caen: at a median of €2,713/m², €300,000 buys closer to 111 m². Seaside towns push higher still — Granville in the Manche reaches €3,610/m², Mont-Saint-Aignan near Rouen €3,581/m². If you want the coast or a city, expect less floor area for the same money; if you want space, look inland.
Source: French Land Registry open data (Demandes de valeurs foncières, DVF). Prices reflect houses actually sold and are indicative — your own search will vary with condition, land and exact location.
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