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Property Taxes on the Côte d'Azur: What Owners Actually Pay
Short answer
A Côte d'Azur property owner typically pays €3,000–€12,000 per year in combined taxes — among the highest in France. The main charges are taxe foncière (TFB), THRS (the second-home surcharge, applied at 20–60% in many coastal communes), and TEOM (waste collection).
In detail
The Côte d'Azur straddles two départements — Alpes-Maritimes (06) and Var (83) — and both sit near the top of national property-tax tables. High cadastral values, dense urban communes, and widespread application of the THRS surcharge combine to produce annual tax bills that are 50–100% higher than inland Provence or the Dordogne for comparable properties.
The tax landscape at a glance
| Tax | Who pays | Typical Côte d'Azur range | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxe foncière (TFB) | All owners | €1,500–€6,000 | Annual (Oct) |
| THRS (second-home surcharge) | Second-home owners only | €800–€4,500 | Annual (Nov) |
| TEOM (waste collection) | All owners (added to TF bill) | €300–€800 | Annual (with TF) |
| CFE | Only if renting commercially | €400–€1,500 | Annual |
How the two départements compare
| Metric | Alpes-Maritimes (06) | Var (83, eastern) |
|---|---|---|
| Median TFB combined rate | 48–58% | 42–52% |
| THRS surcharge (where applied) | 20–60% | 20–60% |
| Cadastral values (VLC) | High — urban reassessments | Moderate-high |
| Typical TFB for 150 m² villa | €2,200–€5,500 | €1,600–€4,000 |
Alpes-Maritimes is consistently more expensive: Nice, Antibes, and Cannes have some of the highest combined TFB rates in France, driven by high commune rates layered on top of already elevated cadastral values. The Var coast (Fréjus, Saint-Raphaël, Sainte-Maxime) is slightly lower but still well above the national average.
What this means in practice: If you are buying a €800,000 villa near Antibes as a second home, budget €5,000–€8,000 per year in combined property taxes alone — before utilities, insurance, or maintenance. That is roughly double what the same property would cost in the Dordogne or rural Burgundy.
Typical combined annual tax bills by property value
| Property value | Primary residence | Secondary residence |
|---|---|---|
| €400,000 (arrière-pays house) | €1,800–€3,000 | €2,800–€4,500 |
| €800,000 (coastal villa) | €3,000–€5,500 | €5,000–€8,500 |
| €1,500,000 (premium villa with pool) | €5,000–€8,000 | €7,500–€12,000 |
The jump from primary to secondary residence is significant on the Côte d'Azur because THRS is applied at elevated rates in almost every coastal commune. Nice applies the maximum 60% surcharge; Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, and Mougins all apply surcharges of 40–60%.
The arrière-pays discount
Move 20–30 km inland from the coast and the picture changes. Villages like Tourrettes-sur-Loup, Bar-sur-Loup, Gourdon, and the Vallée de la Roya have lower cadastral values, lower commune rates, and in some cases no THRS surcharge at all. A 180 m² stone farmhouse valued at €400,000 in the arrière-pays typically generates €1,800–€2,800 in annual taxes as a primary residence — less than half the equivalent coastal bill.
What this article does NOT cover
Each of the taxes above has specific calculation mechanics and Côte d'Azur-specific nuances. For the detail on how taxe foncière is calculated commune by commune, see the dedicated sub-article on taxe foncière linked below. For climate-driven costs (AC, pool, wildfire insurance), see the climate costs article.
Based on DGFiP, REI DGFiP 2025, DGCL commune data
Last reviewed: Feb 2026
