The neighbourhoods of Saint-Paul, from the seaside coast to the Hauts, with the rents recorded, the move-in budget and the timelines to rent.
In Saint-Paul, the neighbourhood counts as much as the home. The west-coast municipality brings together very popular seaside areas, like Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, Boucan Canot and La Saline-les-Bains, a historic town centre facing the bay, and residential neighbourhoods on the mid-slopes or in the Hauts: Plateau Caillou, Saint-Gilles-les-Hauts, Bois de Nèfles, La Plaine and Savanna. The seafront, the services of the centre and the quiet of the heights are not priced the same.
The rental market there is tight. Saint-Paul has 108,088 inhabitants at the 2023 census, and 35% of households are tenants, 10.6% of them in social housing, according to INSEE. The municipality is among those in Réunion classed as a tight-market zone. On prices, the 2025 rent map from the Housing Ministry puts an unfurnished apartment at around 18.9 euros per square metre, charges included, based on third-quarter 2025 listings.
Here are the main neighbourhoods, what they offer day to day, the rents to expect and how to run your search.
This is the most in-demand area of the municipality. Beaches, shops, restaurants and nightlife are on foot. The trade-off is twofold: rents are consistently at the top of the municipal range, and studios or T2s let very fast, sometimes within days. If you are aiming for this neighbourhood, have your application ready before the first viewing.
Quieter than Saint-Gilles, Boucan Canot is a residential seafront area. Rental supply there is limited and rents are high. It suits those who want the sea without the bustle of the resort's centre.
A seaside atmosphere and beaches at the end of the street, but fewer local shops than in Saint-Gilles. Rents are mid-range to high. Plan on a car for shopping and trips to the centre of Saint-Paul.
The historic centre brings together the town hall, public services and shops, with the open-air market on the seafront. The supply of apartments is more varied and rents moderate to mid-range, often more affordable than in the seaside area. It is a good choice if you work on the spot or want to limit travel.
Plateau Caillou is a quiet neighbourhood of detached houses and green spaces, well served by the expressway. Higher up, Saint-Gilles-les-Hauts and L'Éperon offer an open view and quick access to the coast. In both cases, rents remain mid-range and the supply of houses is wider than by the sea.
These mid-slope areas, between 100 and 400 metres above sea level for La Plaine and Savanna, have a semi-rural character. They are mostly houses, at more accessible rents than on the coast, with the Le Port industrial zone and the expressway nearby. Bois de Nèfles, a developing neighbourhood, mixes houses and apartments at moderate rents. La Saline-les-Hauts, on the heights, plays the same card of quiet with ocean views.
The ranges below, excluding charges, are those recorded on the Saint-Paul market:
These levels are consistent with public data. The 2025 rent map gives €18.9 per square metre including charges for an apartment and €15.6 for a house. The network of local rent observatories, in its 2026 publication, puts the median rent excluding charges for a three-room apartment at €12.8 per square metre in the Territoire de la Côte Ouest, against €11.3 in CINOR (Saint-Denis): this is the highest level of the five Réunion territories observed. Charges generally add €50 to €150 per month.
At signing, count the first rent, a security deposit of one month's rent excluding charges for an unfurnished home (two months for a furnished one) and, if you go through an agency, fees capped by law. For a T2 at around €850, the move-in budget is between €1,700 and €2,500; for a house at €1,400, between €3,500 and €4,500.
Landlords generally require that the rent not exceed a third of your net income. Good news for the exit, however: in a tight-market zone, the notice period for an unfurnished home can be reduced to one month, provided you state it in your notice letter, as Service-Public reminds readers. For a furnished home, it is one month everywhere.
Count three to eight weeks between the first listings and signing. Small homes go very fast in the seaside neighbourhoods, while a house in Savanna, Plateau Caillou or Bois de Nèfles takes more like four to ten weeks. A complete application from the start, with proof of income and a guarantor or a DossierFacile file, often makes the difference.
Searching from mainland France or from another part of the island makes visits difficult, while the best offers go in a few days. Remoters provides a home finder based in La Réunion: they search according to your criteria, visit in your place, put your application together and review the lease before signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.
Short answers to the questions our readers ask, written to stand on their own.
Sources cited in this article
A Remoters home finder on site visits for you, negotiates, and secures the lease. No commitment.
Finding housing in Saint-Paul4.8 / 5 · 1,100+ Google reviews
Français
English
Español