Overview
Nice is the largest city on the Riviera: 357,737 residents at the 2023 census on 71.92 km² between the Var and Mont Boron. Unlike the villages and capes elsewhere on this site, it offers a full city life within a few minutes of the sea: an international airport on the edge of town, a tramway, museums, a university, hospitals and daily markets.
In July 2021 Nice was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the winter resort town of the Riviera. The inscribed area runs along the whole seafront, from the Promenade des Anglais past the port to Mont Boron, crosses the city centre and the Libération district and climbs into the hills of Cimiez. Much of what buyers look for in Nice lies inside it.
The three addresses
The Promenade des Anglais and the Carré d'Or
The Promenade was laid out along the shore in 1824 for the English winter visitors who gave it its name. The apartment buildings that face it, together with the streets just behind in the Carré d'Or, are the classic choice for a flat with a sea view and everything within walking distance: the Old Town, the Cours Saleya, the Jardin Albert Ier and the shops of the centre. The trade-off is city noise and, for the front row, traffic on the Promenade itself.
Cimiez
Cimiez is the best known of the hills above the city. The Romans built Cemenelum here; its arena and baths remain, beside an archaeological museum opened in 1989. Next to them, the Musée Matisse occupies the Villa des Arènes, a seventeenth-century Genoese villa among the olive trees of the Parc des Arènes; it opened in 1963 and holds close to 600 of the artist's works. Matisse lived in Nice from 1917 until his death in 1954. The quarter's large Belle Époque residences and its detached villas on quiet avenues attract buyers who want space, gardens and calm while staying close to the centre.
Mont Boron
Mont Boron rises at the eastern edge of the city, between the port and Villefranche. Its forest park covers 57 hectares with 11 km of marked paths. The Fort du Mont Alban, a listed monument, stands in the middle. The hill was replanted in the 1860s after centuries of clearing. Villas and small residences on the boulevard du Mont Boron and the lanes above look over the Baie des Anges on one side and the Rade de Villefranche on the other. Mont Boron is the nearest Nice comes to the feel of a cape while remaining inside the city.
Other hills
Buyers who want a house with a garden also look at the hills to the west and north: Fabron, Saint-Pancrace, Gairaut, Rimiez and the vineyard hills of Bellet.
Property and prices
| Sales recorded | Median price per m² | Median price | Sales of €1m or more | Sales of €2m or more | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | 544 | €6,490 | €630,000 | 146 | 40 |
| Flats | 13070 | €4,760 | €235,000 | 247 | 22 |
Source: DVF sales records (DGFiP, data.gouv.fr), sales from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025; single-house and single-flat sales of at least €50,000 and 20 m². Median price per m² of built area.
The figures cover sales registered from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 for the whole commune. Nice is above all a flat market: DVF records 13,070 flat sales against 544 house sales. The median flat sold for €235,000 at €4,760 per m²; 247 flats exceeded €1 million. Houses had a median of €630,000 at €6,490 per m², with 146 above €1 million and 40 above €2 million.
These are city-wide figures. DVF does not separate Mont Boron, Cimiez or the Promenade from the rest of Nice. A seafront flat or a villa on the eastern hills can sell far from the commune median in either direction depending on view, floor and condition. A valuation for a particular street needs the individual comparable sales; our guide to how a valuation is reached explains the method.
Planning and letting
Nice applies the Plan Local d'Urbanisme métropolitain of the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, approved in October 2019. Anyone planning to let a flat to holiday visitors should read our guide to holiday letting rules before buying.
Who buys here
Nice draws people who want a city address rather than a village one: those who work in the city or travel often by air, retirees who want everything on foot, families who need schools and hospitals close by and second-home owners who prefer a flat they can close up. Buyers drawn to Mont Boron often also compare Villefranche-sur-Mer next door.
Schools and services
The International School of Nice, at 15 avenue Claude Debussy, teaches pupils aged 3 to 18 through the IB Primary Years and Middle Years programmes, IGCSEs and the IB Diploma. The city has a full range of French state collèges and lycées. Our international schools guide covers the wider choice. The flower, fruit and vegetable market on the Cours Saleya runs from Tuesday to Sunday mornings; on Mondays the square hosts an antiques and second-hand market from 7.00 to 18.00.
Getting around
Nice Côte d'Azur airport is on the western edge of the city. Tram line 2 links both terminals with the city centre at Jean Médecin in under 30 minutes and continues to Port Lympia, with a tram every seven to eight minutes on weekdays. By road the airport is about 10 km from the middle of the Promenade, about 13 km from Cimiez and about 16 km from Mont Boron, typically 25 to 35 minutes. Our page on getting here has the flight connections.
Homes for sale
Homes in Nice that Amber Connections is presenting are listed below. Agnieszka Hancock works in English, French and Polish; if nothing suitable appears, she can search the Nice market for you under a search mandate.
No home in this selection is presented publicly at the moment. Many of the finest houses on this coast change hands without public advertising.
Join the off-market registerFrequently asked questions
What is the average price per m² in Nice?
Across the whole commune, DVF gives a median of €4,760 per m² for flats and €6,490 per m² for houses on sales from January 2024 to December 2025. DVF does not break these figures down by quarter, so Mont Boron, Cimiez and the seafront need street-level comparables.
Is the Promenade des Anglais part of the UNESCO listing?
Yes. The area inscribed in July 2021 runs along the whole seafront from the Promenade des Anglais to Mont Boron and reaches up into Cimiez.
How do I get from Nice airport to the city centre?
Tram line 2 runs from both terminals to Jean Médecin in under 30 minutes and on to Port Lympia.
Are there many houses for sale in Nice?
Houses are a small part of the market. DVF records 544 house sales against 13,070 flat sales over the two years; the city's houses are found mainly on its hills, such as Cimiez, Mont Boron, Fabron and Gairaut.
Is there an international school in Nice?
The International School of Nice, at 15 avenue Claude Debussy, takes pupils aged 3 to 18 and teaches the IB programmes and IGCSEs.
Can I let my Nice flat to holiday visitors?
Furnished holiday lets are regulated and the rules have tightened. Read our holiday letting guide and check the building's règlement de copropriété before you buy.
Last updated: 11 October 2026