Paris, France
Replete with bookstores, antique shops, wine cellars, pretty parks, well-tended gardens, and old buildings, this city is a treat for all the senses. You’d be hard pressed to find more history, culture, and character per square meter anywhere else in the world.
Paris is enjoyable in all seasons and any weather. What difference if it’s raining or dry, January frigid or August hot, when you can retreat on a whim to a café for an espresso or verre de vin? Sidewalk heaters mean you can sit outside at your favorite spot and enjoy the passing show year-round.
More practically speaking, Paris is also the epitome of convenience. A visit to the bank, to the dry cleaners, to the greengrocer, the cobbler, the hardware store, all of these shops and services and, really, any other you could name or need will be found within a 15-minute walk of your home. In central Paris, you don’t have to go far for anything…
Paris is an expensive city… that’s a fact. Property prices both for owning and renting are sky high for very little space.
But Paris can be more affordable than most people imagine…
Many fringe costs are much lower than in the United States, electricity and gas, for example, are much cheaper in France. Internet, cable, and phone packages are likewise cheap—less than half the cost of current Comcast rates. Excellent food is produced locally and is reasonably priced—that cheese you paid a premium for as an import in the States is just the local brand here.
Your essential costs can be reasonable, but there is a limitless supply of non-essential expenses that may be hard to resist! Perhaps the one indulgence that is highly affordable is wine—a good bottle can be had easily for less than €8, if you’re really pinching pennies, you can find not-so-good bottles for under a couple of euro.
Senior discounts are not as common as student or youth discounts in France. Nevertheless, there are notable rate reductions on the SNCF trains (generally about 25% off or more with a Senior Card) and some museums offer discounts for over 60s.
The health care in France is arguably the best in the world and, if you’re a member of French Social Security (that is, you’re paying into the system), most of the cost of this extraordinary health care is covered. Living in Paris, you’ll have access to the best medical care in the country.
Paris offers the best of both worlds for expat residents in France: The ability to toggle between an Anglophone home-away-from-home and la vrai (the true) France. Aside from the sheer numbers, the organization of the expat community is impressive. Few foreign cities have as strong and as established an Anglophone expat community as Paris.
Gascony, France
Nestled in the sedate southwestern corner of France, between Bordeaux and the Pyrenees, this peaceful region is one of the least known destinations in France.
The picturesque villages, many of which have earned the title of Le Plus Belles Villes de France (the prettiest towns of France), resemble those of fairytales.
Some of our favorite towns here include Fourcès, known for its weekly produce market and annual flower fair… Lupiac, hometown of the legendary d’Artagnan of the Musketeers… La Romieu, said to have been saved from the plague by a young girl’s illegal cat, now reveres felines for this reason…
Lectoure, one of the larger towns offering shopping, restaurants, and art galleries… and Auch, the department’s capital, more cosmopolitan and the closest thing to a city in the region…
This part of France can be easily affordable, especially if you live like a local and make use of the local markets, which sell affordable local goods and produce. A monthly budget of $2,000 will suffice here.
Gascony gets four distinct seasons, including cool, wet winters and warm, relatively wet summers. Mild Atlantic winds have a nullifying effect on the temperature, so extremes are rare. That said, you may see a bit of snow here during winter—about three or four days per year.
You’ll need to learn French to live here and integrate well, but because the country has been welcoming British, Irish, and Dutch tourists for so long, many in the service industry of cities or larger towns speak some English.
Gascony is a sprawling region encompassing several towns and villages of different sizes… You’d be perfectly safe in any of these. It’s highly unlikely that crime would affect your life living in Gascony.
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a medieval port town in southwestern France, just north of Bordeaux and about a three-hour train ride from Paris. A favorite holiday spot for the French, it’s said to have the third-highest quality of life in France.
Known for seafood and sunny weather, day-to-day life here is vibrant and active. The beaches are a major draw, offering boating, fishing, and even surfing. Most days see folks of all ages enjoying the salty sea air—grocery shopping at the historic market, playing cards or board games in the park, taking a bike ride, hitting the beach, or simply enjoying a crisp glass of local white wine next to the harbor. Oysters are the first (and often second and third) item on every menu.
The town is completely accessible by foot or bike, and much of the historical center is pedestrianized. Bike lanes and buses crisscross the city, and boats, buses, and trains take you to any place near or far, making a car unnecessary for most residents.
This laid-back city offers a wealth of history, an active arts scene, and fabulous shopping prospects, and it’s not an expensive place to live. A monthly budget of $2,500 to $3,000 will suffice here… but keep in mind, this is a top-tier city that was rated the third-best in France for quality of life. It’s a coastal city with mild weather, meaning you’ll always be close to the sea…
Rent, variable by location and property size, ranges from $850 to $1,600 per month. Dining out at French restaurants serving fresh seafood can run you $40 to $75 for two. Groceries, including fresh produce, are fantastically affordable.
Two things that will come cheaper in France than the U.S. or Canada are transportation and health care. Both are well-organized with solid infrastructure and come at almost negligible costs.
Sincerely,
The Editors Of Live And Invest Overseas
