Investing in Remire-Montjoly means betting on the most sought-after town in French Guiana. Wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and Cayenne, this residential town of roughly 26,000 inhabitants concentrates the beaches, professionals on assignment, civil-servant families, and travelers who want to sleep with their feet in the sand without giving up proximity to the capital. The result: some of the highest rents in the department, near-zero rental vacancy, and a short-term rental market that is taking off. After several years managing properties on the ground, here is our no-nonsense, numbers-based analysis of the town’s real potential.
Why Remire-Montjoly Is French Guiana’s Upscale Residential Market
The Remire property market is unlike any other in French Guiana. Three factors explain this premium position.
The beaches, a de facto monopoly
Remire-Montjoly has the only real beaches on the island of Cayenne: Montjoly, Gosselin, Salines beach, and the Rémire cove. No other town accessible by car from Cayenne offers this argument. For a traveler landing at Félix-Éboué airport (Matoury, about 15 km, or a 20-minute drive), choosing between an apartment in downtown Cayenne and a villa 300 m from Montjoly beach is quickly settled. This is exactly the number-one criterion behind the “Montjoly beach rental” searches we see come up every dry season.
Structurally excess rental demand
French Guiana has one of the strongest population growth rates in France, and the island of Cayenne (Cayenne, Remire-Montjoly, Matoury) concentrates more than half of the territory’s ~290,000 inhabitants. On top of that comes a very specific clientele:
- Executives and engineers on assignment for the Guiana Space Centre (Kourou is about 60 km away, 50 minutes via the RN1) or government agencies, often housed for 1 to 6 months with an employer budget;
- Transferred civil servants (education authority, teaching hospital, military, justice) looking for transitional housing for 2 to 8 weeks before signing a lease;
- Visiting friends and nature tourism: families coming to see relatives, travelers en route to the Îles du Salut, the Kaw marshes, or the Maroni, who base their stay on the beach side.
Scarce, constrained land
Between the coastline, the Rorota and Mahury hills, and the protected zones, buildable land is limited. New developments sell fast, and villas with pools rarely resell below their purchase price. This scarcity supports prices and protects the investor over the long term.
The Profitability Figures: Prices, Rents, Occupancy Rates
Here are the orders of magnitude we observe on the ground in 2026. They vary by neighborhood (Montjoly beach, Morne Coco, Dégrad-des-Cannes, route de Rémire) and the condition of the property.
Observed purchase prices
- Recent 2-bedroom/3-bedroom apartment: €2,600 to €3,200/m², i.e. €160,000 to €220,000 for a 65 m² 3-bedroom;
- 4-bedroom villa with garden: €350,000 to €480,000 depending on beach proximity;
- Premium villa with pool, beach area: €500,000 to €700,000, the most liquid segment at resale.
Long-term rental rates
The classic market remains tight: count on €14 to €17/m² excluding charges, i.e. about €1,000 to €1,200 for a 3-bedroom and €1,800 to €2,300 for an air-conditioned 4-bedroom villa. Vacancy rarely exceeds two to three weeks between tenants. Typical gross yield: 5 to 6.5%.
Short-term and medium-term rental: the real lever
This is where Remire-Montjoly stands out, as we detail on our page dedicated to renting in French Guiana:
- Equipped studio/2-bedroom near the beach: €70 to €95 per night, €1,400 to €1,800 per month for medium-term stays;
- Air-conditioned 3-bedroom with terrace: €95 to €130 per night;
- Villa with pool: €180 to €280 per night, with full weeks sold in advance during the dry season (mid-July to mid-November) and around the Ariane 6 and Vega launches.
With a realistic occupancy rate of 65 to 75% over the year — professional demand remarkably smooths out the low season — a well-managed 3-bedroom generates €24,000 to €30,000 in gross annual revenue, versus €13,000 to €14,000 on a classic lease. The gross yield then rises from 6% to 9-11%, before management, cleaning, and energy costs (air conditioning runs €120 to €250 per month — never underestimate it in your business plan).
Worked example: 3-bedroom 600 m from Montjoly beach
- Purchase: €195,000 + €15,000 in fees and furnishings;
- Average nightly rate: €105, 70% occupancy → about €26,800 gross/year;
- Charges, concierge service, energy, tourist tax: about €9,500;
- Net income before tax: ~€17,300, i.e. 8.2% net of charges on the invested capital.
