When I first saw the salary on a job posting for an English teacher at a University in Strasbourg, I almost passed up applying for the job. That’s because at the time, I didn’t understand why living in France is cheaper than you’d think. By American standards, the salary might seem low. But that’s because Americans have many other daily costs they need to consider, and the living costs in the United States is simply much higher. So that’s why in today’s blog post, I’m sharing why living in France is cheaper than you think.
Rent in France is much cheaper than in the United States
I can’t really compare rent or living costs in countries other than France or the US, so I’m just reporting on what I know here. But compared to the United States, rent in France is much cheaper. How much cheaper, exactly? Well, let’s take a look at numbeo.com, which tracks costs of living across many different areas in different countries. According to Numbeo, rent in France is, on average, 49% lower than in the United States. Conversely, this means that rent in the United States is, on average, [a whopping] 95.9% higher than in France!
Rent in France is, on average, 49% lower than in the United States. And rent in the United States is, on average, 95.9% higher than in France.
Numbeo.com
With such low monthly rent, it’s no wonder that salaries are lower to accomodate for the cheaper rent prices.
Health Insurance is much cheaper than in the US
According to visaguide.world, the US has the most expensive healthcare in the world. The only public insurances are medicare, medicaid, and the children’s health insurance program. Medicare is only available to US nationals above the age of 65. Medicaid, meanwhile, helps support low-income populations. And finally, the children’s health insurance program covers costs for families of modest means that don’t qualify for medicaid.
American Healthcare is expensive
Going to any health provider is, as any American will tell you, incredibly expensive. That’s why most Americans need health insurance from a private insurer, often through their work. Obamacare does help subsidize plans further for low-income families. However, this is generally very complicated, and still very expensive regardless.
How does France’s Healthcare compare?
France’s health insurance system, in comparison, is a dream. And is one of main reasons why I love living in France.
France has a universal healthcare system, which covers just about everything you’d need. While not completely free, residents only have to pay about 20-30% of the total cost of the care. That 20-30%, however, can be additionally covered with an additional private health insurance plan, which many French residents can choose from and opt to enroll in. Coming from the United States, however, I personally found that the prices were so cheap that I felt no need for an additional insurance plan. I was quite happy with the prices!
What does this mean in Practice?
A visit to your general care practitioner involves visiting their office during consultation hours (often in the morning) and waiting for maybe 30 minutes to an hour in their waiting room. No appointments are made unless if it’s a follow-up or important consultation. Afterwards, the cost will be 25 euros. That’s it. And since it’s subsidized, you’ll get refunded to your bank account 17 euros or so, meaning you’ve actually only paid 8 euros for the consultation. And those 8 euros is what can be covered by an additional healthcare provider, which would make the visit 100% free!
Visiting specialists is similar, and usually costs 50 euros or 60 euros, again reimbursed by the healthcare system. Sometimes you can have a more complex checkup be completely covered, paying again only for the consultation.
Groceries are much cheaper than you think
Again this depends on what country you are coming from, but for the United States at least, groceries are in general much cheaper here in France. Some prices, like milk, seemed to be similar. but other prices, like rice or wine, seemed a lot cheaper at first glance. Another check on Numbeo.com confirmed my impressions. Comparing two major cosmopolitan cities, New York and Paris, I found that groceries prices are 28.3% lower than in New York.
Grocery prices in Paris are 23.8% lower than in New York, NY
Numbeo.com
White bread might be $4.40 in the US, whereas it’s about 2 euros here in France. Rice could easily be $8 a kilo in New York, compared to 2.20 euros in France. A decent bottle of wine is easily $18 in the US, whereas in France it costs only 9 euros (and you can even get decent cheap wine for 3 euros a bottle!) These lower prices make sense when you consider that rent and salaries are much lower than the US.
After all: lower salaries, = lower cost of living = lower prices.
Restaurants are generally cheaper
You might pay 18 euros for a decent, inexpensive restaurant meal in France (meal and drink). In the US, the price is probably comparable, but that’s BEFORE tax and tip. After tax and tip you’re more likely to pay a total of $25 for a meal, compared to the same 18 euros, which includes tax and tip already.
Internet is much cheaper
It depends on which provider you go with, but I pay 20 euros a month for over 200GB of data, and I get free unlimited calls and texts to the United States. When I travel abroad I think I get 25GB of data usually, unless if it’s to certain regions that aren’t really within the network. Some other networks, like Orange for instance, might go as high as 40 or 60 euros a month for a comparable high speed data plan. But that’s STILL a lot cheaper than what you can get in the United States. And it tends to be easier to switch providers and end a contract, too.
Education is almost free
Public Education until end of high school is free, and tuition fees for the University level at public universities (which are most of them) might be only 200 euros per year. This is quite different from the thousands of dollars that Americans need to spend each year on education. Which is why, if you know French, it’s a great idea to get your undergraduate degree or even your masters at a university in France.
Conclusion: Living in France is Cheaper than you Think
You might be afraid of moving to France with a salary as low as 1500 euros, 1200 euros, or even 800 euros a month. While everyone’s needs are different depending on their lifestyle, values, and responsibilities, my goal with this post is to dispel any unfounded fears. Because living in France might be cheaper than you think.
Rent, health insurance, groceries, restaurants, internet, education, these are all why living in France can be very affordable. Of course, there are other things, like utilities, that may be a little more expensive. This explains why the French are generally a lot more energy-conscious. But overall, one have a very good quality of life even with a low salary by American standards. One final example:
If you get a lecteur de langue anglais job, you might be earning 1300 euros a month after taxes. If you get a studio or one bedroom, you might pay 650 euros a month with utilities. With 300 euros a month for groceries, almost free healthcare, and transportation of only 25 euros a month (your university will often pay half the cost of a monthly pass), that leaves you with 300 euros a month extra. If you work as a maitre de langue, that’s 1500 euros a month minimum. And all this isn’t including if you pick up part time work as a tutor, which is what I did.
So if you get the chance, I encourage you to forget your fears and simply move to France!
If you like decide you want to move to France too, check out my other blog posts, like how I moved to France. Want to move but need personalized help? Check out my services page, where I can give you a personalized consultation, resume and interview help, and much more.
