Below are the prices for various types of homes and living accomodations, ranging from the most destitute to the most grand. The values are listed as ranges because there can be a lot of variability within each category with regards to size, quality of materials, craftmanship, location and so forth. Also, the value listed below is a rough measure of the building materials and labor that went into building it. However, buildings are rarely sold. Small hovels and cottages will often be built by the family that will live there. Manors and castles are built up over centuries by generations of a noble family. They may be captured in war, granted with titles and so forth, but the outright purchase of a castle is a rare thing. These are just a few examples, but should provide a framework that can be extrapolated to estimate the size and price of other buildings.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
| Lean-To | 1-10 sp | A very simple shelter with a sloped roof that often relies on an existing structure for support such as a wall, a mound or another building. Such a shelter is often built from discarded wood, scrap fabric and scavenged rope. These types of makeshift shelters are common in villages, towns and cities. It is the type of shelter that might be used by a small group of beggars. It is just enough to keep the rain off and, with a campfire, retain enough heat to avoid freezing. |
| Hovel | 10-100 sp | A small, miserable and wretched building. Typically made of wood and/or logs with little insulation and a dirt floor. Size is typically 5-10 square meters. This is a typical dwelling for poor families and will often have several people crammed in such a space. |
| Apartment | 10-100 sp per month | Apartment buildings with monthly rent did exist in the Roman Empire and in other periods of Earth history. They would likely exist in medieval realms in fantasy worlds.However, apartments would generally be limited to towns and major cities. |
| Cottage | 200-1000 sp | A small single story wattle and daub cottage with dirt floor and thatched roof, at the edge of a village with a small plot of land. Typically 10 to 25 square meters living space. |
| Large Farm House | 1,000 - 4,000 sp | A large two story wooden farm house, 100 sq meters, with a barn, vegetable garden and 5 acres of private land. Wood floor. This is the type of house that a bailiff or reeve or other village elder might dwell in. |
| Town House | 5,000 - 10,000 sp | A small single story house of stone and timber. Around 150 square meters. Situated within a market town. Stone floor. This might be the home of a merchant or captain of the militia or other successful town member. |
| Large City House | 20,000 - 40,000 sp | A large three story house, built almost entirely of stone, boasting 400 sq meters, in the heart of a major city. Includes a basement and extra storage. This might be the home of a successful merchant, craftsman or wizard. It might also be home to a very successful shop on the ground floor with living quarters above. |
| Fortified Manor House | 50,000 to 100,000 sp | A large manor house with a connected servant’s house, private chapel, curtain wall, central courtyard and a gate house. Such a residence would have around 1000 square meters of living space and would be the home of a minor noble such as knight commander or a baron (or a very successful merchant lord). Such a manor would often be found at the heart of a village or town. In addition to the noble family, this would have living quarters for full-time servants and armed guards. |
| Castle | 200,000 to 2,000,000 sp | The cost of castle will vary considerably based on such factors as its size, style, location, purpose and defenses. Normally, only high ranking nobles, kings and nations are able to afford building such magnificent structures. Also, many castles are built in phases, starting simply and then being added to over decades or centuries. The cost to build a new castle from scratch is different than an existing castle that has stood for centuries. Also, existing castles may be historically significant because of events that took place there, previous owners, legends and so forth. Such historical and cultural connections might make possession of a specific castle more attractive and increase the value. The price range here is listed only for reference and it’s a broad range. A small and insignificant castle might only be 200,000 silver while a massive and historically significant castle (the crown jewel of a kingdom) might be 2 million silver pieces or more. In any case, it is highly unlikely any group of “adventurers” would ever be able to afford a castle. |
This website was last updated July 19, 2026. Copyright 1990-2026 David M. Roomes.