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Head to head

Megève vs Chamonix: what does a villa really earn?

Two markets owners weigh against each other constantly, and nobody publishes the numbers side by side. Here they are. Every figure below is built on nights actually sold, never on an occupancy percentage, and every figure is shown in euros on both sides so the comparison means something.

What we measure Megève Chamonix
Nightly rate, high season €1,300 €900
Nightly rate, low season €430 €390
Nights sold, high season 45 55
Nights sold, low season 35 55
Total nights sold per year 80 110
Gross annual income €73,600 €71,000
What an agency takes 35% 30%
Net, self-managed on a platform €62,100 €60,000
Net, through an agency €47,800 €49,700

All figures on this page are shown in euros, on both sides, so the two columns can be compared. The individual market pages show local currency.

The verdict, in one line

They are within 4% of each other. On income alone there is nothing to choose between them: Megève grosses about €73,600 and Chamonix about €71,000. The decision should be made on purchase price, running cost and how often you want to be there, not on rental revenue.

The two markets do not earn their money the same way

Megève sells 45 nights at €1,300 and 35 outside the peak. Chamonix sells 55 at €900 and 55 outside it. Megève is the fragile one. A year that rests on 80 sold nights has no margin for error: lose the two or three weeks everyone wants and the year is gone, and no amount of clever pricing in the shoulder season will bring it back. A market that sells many nights at a moderate rate is a structurally different asset, even when the annual total lands in the same place.

Why we refuse to give you an occupancy percentage

Because it is the most misleading number in this business, and it is the one every other site quotes. An occupancy rate of 50% sounds moderate. Multiply it by 365 and you have implied 182 nights sold. A seasonal villa does not sell 182 nights. It sells the weeks people want and stands empty the rest of the year, and nobody is even trying to rent it in November. The occupancy model overstates seasonal markets by roughly a factor of two. We count nights actually sold, and nothing else.

The number that actually changes the answer

This is where the comparison turns. An agency takes about 35% in Megève and about 30% in Chamonix. Manage the villa yourself on a platform and you lose about 15.5% in either. The commission gap can be worth more than the difference in gross, which is why comparing headline revenue alone is how owners get this decision wrong.

€73,600
Megève · gross per year
€71,000
Chamonix · gross per year
€47,800 – €49,700
Net, through an agency
If the agency also lists on a platform, the platform fee is deducted as well. Total commissions of 40% and above are common in this segment.

What we know here, and what we are still estimating

Both benchmarks on this page are our estimates, built from comparable markets and public rate data. They are not yet confirmed by an operator who set the prices and paid the staff in Megève or Chamonix. We label them that way rather than pretend to a certainty we do not have. If you own in either market and tell us what you actually earned, this page gets better and you get to see where you truly sit.

These figures are our benchmark, built from regional data. They have not yet been confirmed by an operator on the ground in this market, and we say so rather than pretend to a certainty we do not have.

Which of the two is your villa in?

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Questions owners ask about these two markets

Does a luxury villa earn more in Megève or in Chamonix?

They are close enough to call it level. A 4-bedroom villa grosses roughly €73,600 a year in Megève and €71,000 in Chamonix, a difference of about 4%, which is smaller than the difference between a good operator and a bad one in either market. Choose on purchase price and on how much you want to use it.

How many nights a year does a villa actually rent in Megève and Chamonix?

About 80 in Megève and 110 in Chamonix, on our benchmark. Nights sold, not occupancy. We never quote an occupancy percentage because multiplying one by 365 flatters a seasonal market by roughly a factor of two: the villa is not on the market for most of the year, and nobody is trying to sell it in November.

Is Megève or Chamonix the better investment?

This page cannot tell you, and anyone who claims it can is selling you something. Rental income is one half of a yield. The purchase price is the other half, and it varies more between two streets than it does between two countries. A high gross on a very expensive property is frequently a worse investment than a modest gross on a cheap one. Get both numbers before you decide.

What does an agency take in Megève compared to Chamonix?

About 35% in Megève and about 30% in Chamonix, of everything the guest pays, before a single bill is settled. Self-managing on a platform costs about 15.5%. Nobody publishes these figures because every party in the chain benefits from the owner not knowing them. Our team has worked both sides of that trade, which is how we know.

Read the full benchmark for each market

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Estimates are based on destination benchmarks and property attributes, not on a formal appraisal. Amounts are shown in local currency using approximate conversion rates. Actual results depend on marketing, pricing strategy and seasonality. Last updated 14/07/2026.

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