Most people are aware that their dream pied à terre in Paris is going to come to with a heftier price tag than an apartment in any other city in France but it can be difficult to know exactly which French city suits your budget. 

 

Luckily, a new survey compares what you can buy in France's 20 largest cities with a budget of 212,000 euros. 

 

This amount, which was used as the measure by the company behind the study, online property brokers meilleurtaux.com equates to a monthly payment of 1,000 euros over 20 years which is equal to the borrowing power of a couple earning 1,500 euros (net) per month — slightly lower than the average wage in France. 

 

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And it won't come as a surprise to anyone that Paris is by far the most expensive city in France to buy in, with a budget of 212,000 euros equating to a 22 m2 apartment in the French capital.

 

 

 

The south west city of Bordeaux (see below), which has experienced a boom in recent years, came in as the second most expensive French city, with property buyers able to get 46m2 for €212,000 – so double the size of apartment that you could buy in Paris.

 

 

But don't despair, there are a lot of French cities where property prices aren't through the roof. 

 

For example for the price of a 22m2 flat in Paris you could buy a modest two-room 50m2 apartment in Nice and a whopping 151m2 property in the central city of Saint-Etienne if you're willing to move there of course.

 

The city has seen a decline in its population in recent years and has an unemployment rate of more than 20 percent.

 

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Due to this lack of appeal, property price have fallen by 30 percent between 2008 and 2017.

 

Meanwhile in the north west city of Le Mans, famous for its Gothic-style cathedral and 24 hour race, you could buy a 118 m2 property.

 

Hot on the heels of the two most affordable city's in France in terms of property are Le Havre in Normandy (111 m2), the picturesque western French city of Angers and Nîmes in southern France, famed for its well-preserved Roman ruins. 

 

With a budget of €212,000 in both Angers and Nîmes buyers can get 95 m2.

 

Here's the full list (from cheapest to most expensive):