Price per square metre: how to read it and when it misleads

Price per square metre is the most quoted number in real estate and the most misused. It helps when comparing like with like, and misleads the moment it is generalised.

What it measures

Price per metre divides price by area. That assumes every metre equals every other — an assumption that holds within one district and one property type, and collapses outside them.

Median, not mean

A single outlier listing drags the average up or down without justification. The median — the middle value of the sorted sample — is far more robust.

Every indicator on this platform uses the **median**, and none is shown unless the sample reaches **at least five listings**. Below that you see insufficient data instead of a number you cannot rely on.

When the number misleads

Different types

A metre of land is not a metre of apartment is not a metre of villa. Comparing them directly is meaningless.

Different sizes

Smaller apartments usually carry a higher price per metre. Comparing an 80 sqm flat to a 200 sqm one by price per metre is unfair to the first.

Finishing and age

A new, fully furnished property and one needing renovation may match in area and differ sharply in value.

Position within the district

A wide commercial street is not an interior lane. A single district can contain both.

Using it properly

• Compare within the **same district** and the **same type**
• Look at the **sample size** before the number
• Use it for initial screening, not final pricing
• Ask why an outlier is an outlier — high or low

Price per metre is a compass, not a ruler. It points you in a direction; it does not measure value for you.