A Helpful Guide For Living Abroad In France

Expats settling in France value the country’s excellent healthcare system, high quality of life, and relatively low cost of living, especially compared to countries like the United States. Expats who research each of these topics before their move also find the transition to be smooth.

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Are you considering settling in France? Are you unsure whether it’s the right place for you or wondering how to get started with the moving abroad process?

If you’re an expat considering moving to France, this helpful guide details the cost of living and average salary in the country, explains the healthcare system, and outlines things you should know when living in France. Also check out the best places to live in France and in Europe.

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Living Abroad in France

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One of the most realistic questions you need to ask yourself is can I afford to live in France? In this article, we’ll talk about housing, food, transportation, and healthcare expenses, all in comparison to what you may already pay if you live in the USA.

If you’re just getting started on your research, we also recommend checking out our general guide about living abroad.

Cost Of Living In France

The average cost of living in France is 38% less expensive than in the USA. One person can live in France for $1,542 a month, while it’s $2,498 a month to live in the United States. A family spends, on average, $3,796 on living expenses a month to live in France, but in the US, it’s $5,861 a month.

Housing In France Vs The US

On average, one person can rent housing in France for $799 per month, but it’s $1,595 per month in the US. That means housing in France is about half as much as in the US! For a family to rent a home in France, it’s $1,581 a month, while it’s $2,818 a month in the USA.

Food Expenses In France Vs The US

Food expenses in France, on average, are $524 per month vs in the US, they are $638 per month. Overall, groceries seem to be comparable in France vs in the US since some items are cheaper in France and others more expensive. Eating out, however, does seem to be a tad cheaper in France.

Average Breakdown of Groceries:

1 qt of Milk: $1.24 in France vs $1.10 in the US
1 lb of Bread: $1.85 in France vs $3.59 in the US
2.2 lb of Rice: $2.31 in France vs $4.49 in the US
12 Eggs: $4.02 in France vs $4.15 in the US
2.2 lb of Cheese: $18.40 in France vs $13.10 in the US
2L of Coca-Cola/Pepsi: $2.50 in France vs $2.64 in the US
2.2 lb of Banana: $2.10 in France vs $1.78 in the US

Average Breakdown of Eating Out:

Lunch Menu: $15.70 in France vs $19.40 in the US
Dinner Menu: $58.40 in France vs $77.20 in the US
Fast Food Meal: $11.20 in France vs $11 in the US
Cappuccino: $3.41 in France vs $5.22 in the US

Transportation Expenses In France Vs The US

Public transportation expenses in France are cheaper than in the United States. If you prefer to drive your own car, though, gas is almost twice as expensive in France vs in the US.

Average Breakdown of Transportation:

Local Transport Ticket: $1.95 in France vs $2.35 in the US
Monthly Local Transport Ticket: $58.60 in France vs $68.90 in the US
Taxi Ride for 5 miles: $19.50 in France vs $18 in the US
Gas for ¼ gal: $1.87 in France vs $0.96 in the US

Salaries In France Vs The US

In France, the average monthly salary (after tax) is $2,516 per month. In the United States, the average monthly salary (after tax) is $4,485 per month. Even though the French make less money on average, though, their cost of living is much more affordable than that of the United States.

Healthcare In France

France has a universal health care system that’s ranked as one of the best in the world. All legal residents, including expats, can participate in the healthcare system and insurance scheme. This affordable hybrid system allows patients to spend very little on healthcare.

French residents have pretty high tax rates, but the country spends more than 11% of its GDP on the French healthcare system. This allows patients to benefit from highly subsidized care.

This affordable treatment is also of very high quality, speedy, and accessible for expats after three months in France, regardless of their employment status.

The healthcare system covers the following:

70% of fees from doctor visits
80% of hospital costs
The remaining cost can either be paid by the individual or a supplementary private health insurance

Until you qualify for the French healthcare system, and if you want to stack your insurance plans, you’ll need private health insurance. Pacific Prime provides phenomenal international health insurance plans in France and around Europe.

Whether or not you use French insurance, however, if you plan to spend a decent amount of time traveling around other countries, you’ll want coverage no matter where you are.

Pacific Prime can help you connect with plans that will protect you around the globe.

Living In France As An American

The French have a more relaxed lifestyle than Americans, and the French focus on spending time with family and friends. There will be some adjustments to the cultural differences when you move there as an expat.

Cultural Characteristics of the French:

Leisurely lifestyle focused on social interactions, eating good food, and relaxing
They are collective and communal in their thinking
They highly value relationships and the group as a whole
Love for high-quality wine is a huge part of French culture, and they usually drink it in more moderation than the way Americans drink beer
They embrace diversity
They have strong patriotism
The French generally dress in clothing that’s more formal, stylish, and expensive

Retiring In France From USA

If you’re retiring in France from the USA, you’re not alone. Many others do the same, and you’ll start the process by getting either a visitor visa or a long-stay visa to enter the country. After that, you’ll apply for a residency permit.

If you get a long-stay visa, you’ll apply for a residency permit within the first three months of your arrival in France, which will allow you to live in France for a year.

If you get a visitor visa, you can apply for a visitor’s residency permit after a year, and five years after that, you can apply for a permanent residency permit. You’ll want to learn about the French pension system before you move as well.

Moving To France From USA

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The first step to moving to France from the USA is to apply for a visa. This lets you stay in France for longer than 90 days. After that, you will apply for a residency permit, or a carte de séjour.

Visas to get into France:

Student Visa: You can live in France during your studies at a local university
Work Visa: This can be challenging, but if you’re a skilled worker that can help you
Talent Passport: This is a work permit for people who are more likely to make a “significant contribution” to the French economy
French Tech Visa: This is a fast-tracked visa scheme for non-EU employees and investors so they can get a residence permit and work in the tech field
Self-Employment Visa: This is a work permit option for freelancers and small business owners
Retirement Visa: This allows people to live in France if they can show proof of income/financial savings that you won’t need a job

If one of your parents is a French citizen, you may be able to apply for French citizenship as well. However, your grandparents or older don’t count toward this.

Here are the types of residency permits in France:

Carte de Séjour
Carte de Resident
EU Blue Card
Authorization of stay

Some other things you’ll need to consider when moving to France:

Gathering all the right documentation to move there
How to get your stuff there, and whether or not you should sell some of it (there is a freight tax to move it, and items you’ve owned for less than six months have a value-added tax)
The expensive and difficult job of getting your car to France
How to move your pet to France
Opening bank accounts in France
Paying taxes in France

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Conclusion

Now you know all about the cost of living in France, living in France as an American, and how to retire and move there. We highly recommend securing international healthcare before you move so you have coverage at all times—you never know when an emergency may happen.

You’ll also want to check out our articles about living abroad in Germany and Ireland. Safe travels!

Author
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Vista Nip

Content Creator at Pacific Prime

Vista is a content creator at Pacific Prime. With over 8 years of writing experience for online platforms on various topics such as luxury lifestyle and digital entertainment. He enjoys diving into complex and otherwise confusing topics, and creating easy-to-understand content for the readers to help them navigate through the topic – something that’s perfectly aligned with Pacific Prime’s motto of ‘simplifying insurance’.

Born and raised in the cultural melting pot that is Hong Kong, and having studied at an international school, Vista has developed a multicultural perspective that he uses in his writing and strives to connect to people of different backgrounds.

In his free time, Vista enjoys immersing himself in different worlds, from video games to light novels and movies. His hobbies help him expand his writing style by putting himself in the point-of-view of different people and characters.