Chamonix and Megève are among the most expensive markets in the French Alps. On sales completed in 2024-2025, the median price of an apartment is 9 583 € per m² in Chamonix and 9 615 € in Megève, against 3 384 € in Passy and 3 694 € in Sallanches. For an owner the question comes naturally: can the capital tied up in a small apartment buy far more space a few kilometres lower down the valley? Here is the calculation, with its limits.
Median prices, commune by commune
| Commune | Apartment (per m²) | House (per m²) | Sales a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Megève | 9 615 € | 14 706 € | 214 |
| Chamonix | 9 583 € | 13 810 € | 338 |
| Les Houches | 7 407 € | 8 788 € | 123 |
| Saint-Gervais-les-Bains | 5 109 € | 7 209 € | 252 |
| Sallanches | 3 694 € | 4 474 € | 295 |
| Passy | 3 384 € | 4 262 € | 134 |
Source: DVF register (French tax authority), median prices per m² on sales completed in 2024 and 2025; sales a year = yearly average of apartments and houses. Data checked in October 2026.
What a 45 m² apartment in Chamonix is worth elsewhere
At the median apartment price in Chamonix, 45 m² comes to 431 235 €. Set against the median house price in other communes, that budget equals:
| Commune | Equivalent house size |
|---|---|
| Passy | ≈ 101 m² |
| Sallanches | ≈ 96 m² |
| Saint-Gervais-les-Bains | ≈ 60 m² |
Calculation: 45 × median apartment price in Chamonix ÷ median house price in the commune (DVF 2024-2025). It is an order of magnitude: a real property departs from the medians, and notary fees and tax are not included.
Three ways to go about it
1. Sell the apartment, buy a chalet or a house
This is the simplest case: the sale proceeds fund a far larger property, with a garden or a garage, in a commune where the square metre costs much less. The calculation above gives the order of magnitude.
2. Keep a small foothold and buy lower down
You can also keep a studio or a one-bedroom in Chamonix, Les Houches or Megève, and buy a chalet lower down the valley as well. Example at median prices: selling a 100 m² house in Chamonix (1 381 000 €) and buying back a 25 m² studio (239 575 €) leaves 1 141 425 €, or about 268 m² of house in Passy. Before costs and tax, and subject to what is actually available.
3. Move down the valley to live
According to the 2023 INSEE census, 80 % of dwellings in Sallanches and 83 % in Passy are main homes, against 30 % in Chamonix. These are communes where people live all year.
What to check before you sell
- Capital gains tax. Selling a second home is taxed according to how long you have owned it. Our guide sets out the calculation: capital gains tax on selling a second home.
- Buying costs. Notary fees and financing are explained on our financing page.
- Short-term letting. In Chamonix and Les Houches the change-of-use permit is limited to one per owner; in Saint-Gervais and Combloux a simple declaration at the town hall is enough (the valley communes’ official portal, checked on 28 September 2026). This is not legal advice: have your own case confirmed at the town hall. The detail is on our investor page.
- The energy certificate. At altitude the thresholds differ: energy performance certificates for a chalet.
Why the valley floor is not a second-tier market
In Chamonix, 69 % of dwellings are second homes; in Sallanches, 12 %. Sallanches records about 295 sales a year, against 338 in Chamonix: it is an active market, carried by people who live there. These figures describe prices and volumes; they say nothing about future price movements, which we do not present here.
Source: INSEE, 2023 census, dwellings by category; DVF register (French tax authority), 2024-2025 sales.
What next?
We have an adviser on each side of the sale: in Chamonix and Les Houches, in Megève, and down the valley. The full calculation, with a calculator based on your floor area, is on our page Own in Chamonix or Megève: sell, buy lower. To find out what your property is worth, ask for a free written valuation; and for the international buyer weighing Chamonix against the rest of the valley, see international buyers.