Last week we talked about the concerns of Americans living overseas who were considering moving back to the States. That blog post was based on an article called “When Returning to the U.S. Seems Unaffordable” where that headline essentially states their worries. From health insurance premiums to retirement, all of the people interviewed shared their doubts about being able to afford the same quality of life back “home” that they had enjoyed in other countries. Soon after I had read that news item I saw another addressing how much money you needed to live in France. Obviously that comes with a definite “that depends” but still it prompted me to do some investigation of what others were spending to have a comfortable life here.

As you might imagine, one of the most consulted items on our blog is the Budget tab on which you can click at the top of this page. Bill updates this on a regular basis to reflect fluctuations in categories including, energy, communications, and insurance. For comparisons with what you’ll see below from other immigrants/expats, we own our home so there’s no monthly rent/mortgage payment and we have no car–local city bus transportation is essentially free for our age group and trains are discounted. Bill has a 10-year resident card and I’m a naturalized French citizen. With that in mind, here is a very short summary of that article by Emma Albright from The Local France and below that is a table with more details of what else I discovered.

Anyone from outside the European Union who wishes to settle in France must obtain a visa that, generally speaking, requires a minimum monthly net income of 1,478€ (1,867€ gross) subject to agreement from the Préfecture where you will be living. That figure, known as the SMIC (salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance) is the minimum wage in this country. While income taxes are based on your household revenue, visas are typically issued on a person-by-person basis so each individual should earn/receive at least the minimum each month. In addition, anyone resident in France with a visiteur visa must now pay an annual healthcare access fee to obtain national health insurance, although that amount has not yet been determined.

From the Local’s figures, to live a comfortable yet modest life here you would spend:

As a single person—between 1500€ and 1800€ per month

As a couple—between 2800€ and 3500€ per month

Category	Monthly cost	Comments
Housing (Rent)	600€-1200€	Very dependent on location. In Carcassonne, you can still find 2-bedroom apartments for 650€-800€, whereas Paris is easily double or even triple.
Utilities	150€-220€	Electricity, water, heating
Groceries	350€-500€	The article notes that while inflation has slowed, “luxury” items (imported goods, high-end meats) remain high.
Top-up health insurance (mutuelle)	40€-100€	Per person to cover any gap left by universal health insurance. Prices rise after age 55.
Connectivity	40€-60€	Internet/TV/phone + mobile plan

The article mentions that secondary cities and rural areas remain the “saving grace” for immigrants, expats, and retirees. While a single person might struggle on 1800€ in Bordeaux or Lyon, that same amount in Carcassonne allows for a much higher quality of life. For us, not having a monthly house payment nor car payment and expenses makes a big difference.

Photo notes: All of today’s photos came from a recent trip to Biarritz on the Atlantic coast near the border with Spain.