Python performance - attr vs. property

'''
    Property performance vs direct attribute access.
'''

class A(object):

    def __init__(self, a):
        self._a = a

    def __eq__(self, other):
        return self.a == other.a

    @property
    def a(self):
        return self._a


def test_prop(n):

    a = A(1)
    for i in range(n):
        a.a + 1

def test_attr(n):

    a = A(1)
    for i in range(n):
        a._a + 1

import cProfile
n = 10**5
cProfile.run('test_prop(n)')
cProfile.run('test_attr(n)')

'''
         100005 function calls in 0.361 seconds

   Ordered by: standard name

   ncalls  tottime  percall  cumtime  percall filename:lineno(function)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.361    0.361 <string>:1(<module>)
   100000    0.085    0.000    0.085    0.000 tt.py:14(a)
        1    0.268    0.268    0.361    0.361 tt.py:19(test_prop)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.000    0.000 tt.py:8(__init__)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.000    0.000 {method 'disable' of '_lsprof.Profiler' objects}
        1    0.008    0.008    0.008    0.008 {range}


         5 function calls in 0.063 seconds

   Ordered by: standard name

   ncalls  tottime  percall  cumtime  percall filename:lineno(function)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.063    0.063 <string>:1(<module>)
        1    0.058    0.058    0.063    0.063 tt.py:25(test_attr)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.000    0.000 tt.py:8(__init__)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.000    0.000 {method 'disable' of '_lsprof.Profiler' objects}
        1    0.005    0.005    0.005    0.005 {range}

'''