The Most Expensive Real Estate in the World

Here at your Overseas Dream Home we focus on good-value real estate. Our mission is to share the best overseas property deals and make the accessible to anyone interested in international real estate.

But today, we’re going to take a romp around some of the most expensive real estate on the planet around the world right now.

I’m talking properties with asking prices of hundreds of millions of dollars, that only the likes of tech giants like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, Saudi princes, and luxury fashion brand owners like Bernard Arnault (he owns Louis Vuitton) can afford.

I’ve watched my share of Selling Sunset to get a peek into the homes of the wealthy in and around Los Angeles…but beyond a sense of curiosity, mega mansions don’t interest me as an investor. By the way, the properties they showcase on Selling Sunset will make what I’m about to show you look like bargain basement stuff!

But when it comes to entertainment value…well, mega mansions provide that in spades!

So I asked my team to dig around and find the most lavish, most expensive (and frankly ludicrous) homes for sale on the global market.

A caveat: There are most certainly more expensive properties for sale around the world. Below are the ones we could find that were listed publicly. In the world of the uber-wealthy, discretion is at the core of many deals. There are certainly properties that will be off-market and others are “advertised” behind closed doors.

A good example is this article about a French chateau outside of Paris that was once owned by the Rothschilds and the King of Morocco that was on the market earlier this year for a staggering €425 million (that’s around $462,750,000).

So, let’s take a look around just some of the most expensive homes for sale around the world today…

Palais Venitien, Cannes, France

Price: €120 million ($129,905,000)

France’s Côte d’Azur (more commonly known as the French Riviera), started as a playground for aristocrats—the likes of Queen Victoria, Tsar Alexander II, Leopold II of Belgium. From the end of the 19th century, artists and writers also frequented the Riviera: Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Aldous Huxley, and Edith Wharton.

With 310 to 330 days of sunshine a year and mild winters, the weather is a big draw. As are the amenities. There’s 71 miles of coastline and beaches. There are 19 golf courses, 17 casinos, marinas, ski resorts, and more than 5,000 restaurants. It’s estimated that most summers the Riviera hosts half the world’s superyachts.

And Cannes is one of the glittering jewels along this stretch of coastline. Well known for its annual international film festival and as a place where the rich, famous, and beautiful people of the world hang out, it’s no surprise that one of the most expensive properties on the global market right now is here.

The Palais Venitien is a 32,291-square-foot villa with nine bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a cinema, nightclub, gym, sauna, hammam, wine cellar (with wines included), a tennis court, and a swimming pool. Inspired by the architecture of Byzantium and Venice, it showcases the height of opulence.

The house sits on 2.4 hectares of land that includes secluded woodland, a lake, and there are views of Cannes and the Mediterranean Sea. Sotheby’s International has it listed at €120 million ($129,905,000).

Middle Gap Road, Hong Kong

Price: HK$1.2 billion ($153,300,000)

Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live and buy real estate. One of the main reasons for the high property prices is scarcity…there’s a lack of developable land on this island of just 426 square miles. And only 7% of Hong Kong is zoned for housing.

Hong Kong is home to towering skyscrapers, buzzing markets, top-notch cuisine, and the world’s wealthy. They are drawn here by its trade friendly location, the healthy entrepreneurial culture, low tax rates, and favorable business laws. It’s estimated that there are around 112 billionaires living in Hong Kong.

In the prestigious Victoria Peak area of Hong Kong (often referred to as The Peak) is this four-bedroom, four-bathroom, two-story house. It has 5,750 square feet of living space and the house was built in 1991. It sits in the dense woods of Hong Kong’s country parkland and has sea views.

The land it sits on covers 16,330 square feet and there are two swimming pools and two covered car parks. The price is HK$1.2 billion, which is $153.3 million (U.S.). Believe it or not, this house was put on the market back in 2018 for a whopping $446 million! See the full listing here.

One Hyde Park, London, UK

Price: £175,000,000 ($224,690,000)

If you’ve seen Netflix’s latest luxury real estate reality show, Buying London, you’ll know that the English capital is one of the most expensive cities in the world to buy real estate. When you have the world’s most valuable homes on your turf (Buckingham Palace is said to be worth around $1.3 billion), it’s not really surprising that prices in locations like Mayfair, Chelsea, and Kensington are downright eye-watering.

London has more luxury listings than any other city in the world and the starting price for a luxury home is now considered to be around $7 million. But that’s peanuts compared with some of the super-luxury real estate that’s for sale in the city.

Right now, the luxury market in London is slowing down with wealthy home sellers cutting prices by as much as 30% to get deals done. But the market here still has homes selling for hundreds of millions of dollars.

London will always attract the rich…it’s got the royal connection, the theaters, high-end shopping (think Harrods and Fortnum and Mason), seven top-level soccer teams (soccer players are the highest paid athletes in the world), and it’s the leading center for banking, money markets, and the trading of gold and silver through the London bullion market and the London Metal Exchange.

My point being, even if the ultra-luxe market is on a slowdown, there’s still money to be spent on real estate in London.

Case in point…

This duplex apartment located in the iconic One Hyde Park—a luxury residence close to Buckingham Palace that gives residents unrivalled views over Hyde Park, The Serpentine (a 40-acre lake in Hype Park), and Knightsbridge.

This penthouse is on the 10th and 11th floors and covers 18,000 square feet. It has a wraparound terrace, a formal reception room with 8-meter high ceilings, an entertaining space with a glass fireplace, and five ensuite bedrooms.

There’s also a cocktail bar, pool table, home cinema, two studies, meeting areas, and a private gym. If you need to relax and unwind there’s a private spa featuring a treatment room, sauna, and steam room. Also included is underground parking, four storage units, and a separate staff suite.

The price you’ll pay for this kind of exclusivity… a mere £175,000,000 ($224,690,000)! You can find more information here on the Sotheby’s website.

Gingins, Switzerland

Price: €224 million ($242,473,700)

Switzerland is no stranger to folks with money. Its estimated to have one billionaire for every 80,000 people (as of 2022). And the country’s billionaires have a combined wealth of $338 billion.

The country is famous for its reliable and discreet banking industry and low tax rates for individuals and companies. This is all helped by the fact that its politically safe and so the uber wealthy are happy that their assets are safe here.

From the snow-capped Alps to picturesque lakes and well-preserved medieval towns, and not forgetting the cheese (Switzerland produces over 400 types of cheese) and the chocolate, this small European country also attracts millions of visitors a year.

Thanks to its long-standing neutrality, Switzerland is known as the “peace capital” of Europe, adding another layer of peace of mind for the ultra-rich who flock here.

About 15 minutes outside of Geneva, in the commune of Gingins is this luxury estate of just under 10 acres. The house has a living space of 18,300 square feet with 10 bedrooms, a dining room that can seat 10 people, living room with a bar, a large conference and office, and a professional kitchen. There’s also a gold-encrusted hammam, a hair and nail salon, a gym, and the windows are made of bulletproof glass and there’s a safe room.

Outside, you’ll find a tennis court, a marble pergola that features semi-precious stones, and a 25-meter pool. And there are views of the Alps from the grounds. The entire property is fully fenced and bordered by hedges, bushes, and trees for maximum security.

And as a property this size would most definitely have staff to run it, there’s an independent pavilion that serves as staff accommodation.

This listing price for all of this (which comes fully furnished) is a cool €224 million ($242,473,700). You can see the listing here.

Palm Jumeirah Dorchester, Dubai, UAE

Price: AED 1 billion ($272,295,000)

Dubai is one of the most prosperous and luxurious cities on the planet. Its reputation for wealth, extravagance, and glamor is unmatched. It’s the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (a federation of emirates on the Arabian Peninsula), and the UAE is one of richest countries in the world according to the World Bank.

The discovery of oil in the 1960s catapulted Dubai, once a small fishing and pearling village, into the wealth leagues. Unlike many if its neighbors though, today Dubai doesn’t rely solely on oil for its economic growth. It’s a free trade zone, there’s zero personal income tax, and companies are given low tax rates…of all which has attracted foreign companies and investors to this small emirate.

Dubai is well known for the most lavish lifestyles and most expensive properties on the global market today. The tourism industry has built ultra-luxurious hotels, resorts, shopping malls, and residential buildings…think the Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island shaped like a palm tree.

And it’s within the Palm Jumeirah that you’ll find this 10-bed, 10-bath, 6,404-square-foot mansion. Comprising a beachfront home and a guest house, this property is located in the trunk of the palm tree meaning you are literally steps from the beach.

It has vast living and dining spaces with huge windows to maximize the beachfront views, a custom kitchen, a private spa, recreation room, and a 15-car garage. Other amenities within the house include a pool, bar, private cinema, wine cellar, tennis court, and a gym. This really is the height of luxury.

But it does come at a price…an eyewatering AED 1 billion, that’s almost $272.3 million. See the listing here.

 

Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert

P.S. For more listings of much more affordable overseas dream homes, click here to follow our Your Cheap Dream Home Instagram account.

Your Daily Dream Home

Val-d’Oire-et-Gartempe, Limousin, France

$107,300

This charming three-bedroom home features a small courtyard with mature trees and shrubs. On the ground floor, there’s a kitchen with a wood pellet burner, a living room with a wood-burning stove, a bedroom with garden access, a shower room, and a utility room.

Upstairs, there are two more bedrooms, one currently used as an office, and an attic. The rear of the property boasts a covered terrace, along with a workshop, hangar, barn, and chicken coop.

The garden includes mature trees, notably a large fig tree. The sale includes an additional small building for renovation and three parcels of land across the lane. The house features double-glazed windows and is heated by wood and pellet burners, complemented by electric radiators.

The home is located in a rural area, close to many quaint villages. It’s a short drive from Bussiere Poitevine and less than an hour from Limoges airport. The surrounding area has trails popular with hikers and cyclists. A nearby lake offers excellent carp fishing.