Cost of Living in France
As always, major cities in France will cost more to live in than the rural towns. Paris and Lyon are both expensive, with Paris claiming the top spot as the location with the highest cost of living in France.
Clothes are notoriously expensive in France. There are very few instances of high-quality mass produced clothing. This means that the choice is often between boutiques, specialty stores or upscale department stores - which fetch high prices, and low priced, poor quality goods. A plain T-shirt can cost as much as €40.
Utilities bills are comparable to those in the rest of Europe, but because of the monopoly held by the national telecoms provider, calls and broadband costs in France remain high. Electricity and gas are fairly cheap, but air conditioning can be a very expensive proposition, especially in the south where even the most fastidious household accountants will be tempted by the heat.
There is a 20 percent sales tax in France, which makes everything slightly more expensive than many other countries in Europe. Property taxes are lower than in the UK. This means that a sale of property in the UK can provide funds both for a new home in France as well as cash with which to renovate that property.
As rural infrastructure is not as comprehensive as that found in the larger metropolis, it may be necessary to buy a car – which can make village life slightly more expensive than anticipated. Though overall, living outside of the cosmopolitan cities makes for an economical and charming lifestyle with a lower cost of living.
Some typical prices include:
Clothes are notoriously expensive in France. There are very few instances of high-quality mass produced clothing. This means that the choice is often between boutiques, specialty stores or upscale department stores - which fetch high prices, and low priced, poor quality goods. A plain T-shirt can cost as much as €40.
Utilities bills are comparable to those in the rest of Europe, but because of the monopoly held by the national telecoms provider, calls and broadband costs in France remain high. Electricity and gas are fairly cheap, but air conditioning can be a very expensive proposition, especially in the south where even the most fastidious household accountants will be tempted by the heat.
There is a 20 percent sales tax in France, which makes everything slightly more expensive than many other countries in Europe. Property taxes are lower than in the UK. This means that a sale of property in the UK can provide funds both for a new home in France as well as cash with which to renovate that property.
As rural infrastructure is not as comprehensive as that found in the larger metropolis, it may be necessary to buy a car – which can make village life slightly more expensive than anticipated. Though overall, living outside of the cosmopolitan cities makes for an economical and charming lifestyle with a lower cost of living.
Some typical prices include:
- newspaper €1
- movie ticket €8
- pack of cigarettes €5.50
- loaf of bread €1
- night in small hotel €70
- beer in a bar €4
- small family car €10,000
- litre of petrol €1
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