tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post8768308082534184019..comments2024-03-13T10:25:11.566+01:00Comments on Chez Loulou: The Cost of Living in France - Part 3Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18245742506531002363noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-45949420704347239712013-06-09T12:16:22.109+02:002013-06-09T12:16:22.109+02:00Tony
Thank you for your nice message. I'm glad...Tony<br />Thank you for your nice message. I'm glad I was able to help. Good luck with your plans!Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18245742506531002363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-20522788353337006042013-06-03T08:45:25.708+02:002013-06-03T08:45:25.708+02:00Loulou
Thank you for this informative and enterta...Loulou<br /><br />Thank you for this informative and entertaining blog site.<br /><br />I live in South Australia and have begun a journey whose destination is life in rural France.<br /><br />I plan to retire there in a few years time and am at the research and planning stage.<br /><br />I've been a Francophile ever since I arrived in Paris at the age of 20. I am now 57.<br /><br />I've found the information about cost of living invaluable.<br /><br />Again, thank you.tonynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-43022492379835608012011-09-12T10:12:58.487+02:002011-09-12T10:12:58.487+02:00Diane
It is extremely hard to compare our cost of ...Diane<br />It is extremely hard to compare our cost of living in America to our cost of living here. We didn't own a house there, so always had to pay rent and always had a new car every few years. Also, because my husband was self employed and I was either self employed or worked for a small company, our health care was a fortune! $600 a month for the 2 of us...and that was 9 years ago. Who knows what it would cost now?<br /><br />What I can say is that the stress level for us here is almost zero compared to when we lived in the US. A very good thing!Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18245742506531002363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-14808158829944404422011-09-12T10:05:53.549+02:002011-09-12T10:05:53.549+02:00Bonnie
Thanks for sharing your "budget" ...Bonnie<br />Thanks for sharing your "budget" and your costs with us. It's nice to hear about others experiences.<br /><br />There's a great cheese producer near Roquebrun...have you tried their cheese? http://chezlouloufrance.blogspot.com/2010/06/la-fete-du-fromage-chevre-fermier.htmlJenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18245742506531002363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-43809881078028002782011-09-08T19:44:37.940+02:002011-09-08T19:44:37.940+02:00Very interesting discussion. We've tried and f...Very interesting discussion. We've tried and failed to do a realistic comparison of cost of living for Canada/Provence/California (the three places we've lived). The variables are just so big. Our electricity when we lived in Provence was ASTRONOMICAL, but the house we were renting for the year had no insulation, so if we moved permanently we would do something about that.<br /><br />We also found it was almost impossible to compare food budgets since the food experience was so different. Eating out at good restaurants was much, much more expensive in California. In France we spent more at the markets because everything looked so good.<br /><br />Our healthcare costs are low in California as long as we're healthy, but any illness blows up all other considerations. <br /><br />Totally agree that where in France matters a lot. We ended up renting a large four-bedroom house with a pool and a huge yard in the Drome area of Provence for less than a two-bedroom apartment we were considering just outside Nice. <br /><br />I have noticed that no matter where we live or how much money we have our cost of living seems to exactly match our income...Diane H.http://www.kidsandcastles.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-43298873750238418732011-09-05T11:08:17.708+02:002011-09-05T11:08:17.708+02:00I've been in Roquebrun in the Herault for a co...I've been in Roquebrun in the Herault for a couple of years. I bought a house a little over a year ago, no mortgage, so that is not part of my expenses. I still have not received a bill for my taxes! I have not done a budget. My electricity is at 40 euros, and my water was 200 for the year. I have a "reversible climatisation" for heat plus a woodburning stove, and bottle gas for cooking (so far about 2 small containers per year). I am a single person, so my expenses are less than a couple's would be. The exchange rate is the problem. I have aroud $3000 US per month, which seems like plenty at the moment, but as the dollar changes in value so my income is affected. <br />bonniebonnie groves poppehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04526679103100978881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-77517401393229462012011-08-21T14:39:18.040+02:002011-08-21T14:39:18.040+02:00Kasia
Not having a mortgage is how we survive! I t...Kasia<br />Not having a mortgage is how we survive! I take it you own your apartment in Paris?<br /><br />Veronica<br />That's the same kind of plan that we have, and we opted to keep our France Telecom line as well, which costs around 15€ a month.<br />Our friends and family in the US pay $80-120 for high speed internet (granted their speeds are higher) but that doesn't include the free calls. I think we have a good deal.<br /><br />Emm<br />That's what most people I know in the US pay. Thanks for adding to the discussion!<br /><br />J.N.<br />Well, I don't know about <i>every</i> corner...Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18245742506531002363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-44932127416340798342011-08-21T14:32:15.884+02:002011-08-21T14:32:15.884+02:00Robert
That seems to be difficult information to ...Robert <br />That seems to be difficult information to find. If you find it, I would love it if you would share it with us!<br /><br />Jameson<br />You're welcome!<br /><br />Blu<br />Funny that you should say that because compared to all of our friends and family in the US, we hardly pay anything!Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18245742506531002363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-15252087732164061202011-08-21T14:28:46.610+02:002011-08-21T14:28:46.610+02:00Diane
You must have a big garden? We have no outdo...Diane<br />You must have a big garden? We have no outdoor space at all, so it keeps our taxes quite low.<br /><br />camille<br />Thanks for sharing your costs in Paris. A great help!<br />My clothes shopping habits have changed since moving to France too. I usually save my money for when I go to the States.<br /><br />LaCanadienne<br />Thanks for the great post! I'll add it to my cost of living in France post. I'm sure it will help others out.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18245742506531002363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-77111318138467771612011-08-20T15:41:39.379+02:002011-08-20T15:41:39.379+02:00I'm surprised that it's difficult to get t...I'm surprised that it's difficult to get this information elsewhere. I can imagine the French are too busy enjoying their gorgeous life to write about it. I know I would find it hard to concentrate with so much quality booze and cheese on every corner.J.N. Urbanskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15559313396686836048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-52986592630490042002011-08-19T23:06:21.010+02:002011-08-19T23:06:21.010+02:00Blu and Veronica, Loulou's phone and internet ...Blu and Veronica, Loulou's phone and internet costs sound reasonable by US standards. I pay about $100 a month for a limited plan cell phone and basic cable, no TV. Not happy about that, but I need the high-speed download for work.Emmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-89602443665126326212011-08-19T21:16:59.315+02:002011-08-19T21:16:59.315+02:00Blu, I think telephone and internet are pretty goo...Blu, I think telephone and internet are pretty good value in France. We pay just over 30 euros/month for combined Internet and phone: and that's virtually all we pay, for 8 Mbit Internet access and unlimited calls from our landline to most countries. The only extra we pay is for calling cellphones. I don't feel ripped off except in the sense that being in the country we pay the same for much slower speeds than city dwellers. I get the impression similar offers are quite a bit more expensive in other countries.Veronicahttp://www.larecettedujour.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-22111209928009425982011-08-19T10:37:27.700+02:002011-08-19T10:37:27.700+02:00Very insightful from all! Paris is pricey indeed.
...Very insightful from all! Paris is pricey indeed.<br /><br />I was curious about the cost of living in a village in France... though not having a mortgage is a huge plus!Kasia Dietzhttp://www.loveinthecityoflights.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-50293263875309199442011-08-19T08:58:59.930+02:002011-08-19T08:58:59.930+02:00Budgets are always so scary when you write them do...Budgets are always so scary when you write them down!<br /><br />Telephone & Internet is a real rip of in France!Bluhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12519994628335802996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-92011796351488517012011-08-19T07:47:05.250+02:002011-08-19T07:47:05.250+02:00Great post! Thank you!Great post! Thank you!Jamesonhttp://www.gayniceblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-26693681721154269032011-08-19T06:55:21.927+02:002011-08-19T06:55:21.927+02:00I wonder if there are any statistics available for...I wonder if there are any statistics available for the cost of living in those parts of France which are neither Paris nor tiny little villages? Say, living in an apartment, without a car, in a provincial city - Toulouse? Reims? Nancy? - that has decent public transportation? I think I could live pretty frugally there (assuming that the government allowed me to of course!) but if specific data are available, that would be great.Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-88861293700175189662011-08-18T21:39:57.483+02:002011-08-18T21:39:57.483+02:00Thanks for this! I actually discovered your blog ...Thanks for this! I actually discovered your blog a few days ago while researching cost of living down south, and was happy to find it has a good balance of what I call the "France p0rn" (the fantasy-fuelling photos, the yummy cheese tasting stories) and practical tips. <br /><br />Since we're doing our annual budget right now anyways, I've posted our <a href="http://lacanadienne.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/cost-of-living-in-france-paris-vs-countryside/" rel="nofollow">Paris monthly expenses here</a>.LaCanadiennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919263713629442383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-6977940138767285482011-08-18T21:22:21.045+02:002011-08-18T21:22:21.045+02:00We used to keep close tabs on where all our money ...We used to keep close tabs on where all our money was being spent, but we're fortunate in that our budget had loosened up a bit since our first year in Paris. Our fixed costs (rent, phone/tv/internet, electricity, metro passes, CSA share, and cell phones) run about 1600 a month. I probably spend more than the average bear on grocery shopping, but we rarely spend more than 300 euros/month on dining out. Clothes, shoes, etc. are so expensive that I've almost completely broken my old shopping habit!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-39990777161176875082011-08-18T21:05:07.711+02:002011-08-18T21:05:07.711+02:00Our taxes doubled last year and habitation and fon...Our taxes doubled last year and habitation and foncière tax for us is now at €135 per month. We have a 2 bedroom house!!Dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782670749466305626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-76478997621974503862011-08-18T19:43:29.278+02:002011-08-18T19:43:29.278+02:00Nadege
I enjoyed Shannon's post too.
French sa...Nadege<br />I enjoyed Shannon's post too.<br />French salaries are quite another subject! :) One I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle.<br />Yes, our electricity may seem high, but it is our only source for heating and cooking, so I don't think it is that bad. <br /><br />David<br />Hi!<br />We have chosen to purchase a <b>complémentaire</b> to cover the extra bit that the State doesn't cover.<br />When we moved we had to have private insurance in order to get our visas, then dropped that as soon as we got our Carte de Séjours and into the health system.<br /><br />Nancy<br />I know there are cheaper places to live in Europe, but none of them were the right place for us. <br />The only other country I could imagine living would be Italy.<br /><br />paris parfait<br />I remember the prices when I was looking for apartments last winter! We were looking for a 1 bedroom and our budget was much less than yours, but I still found the prices to be expensive. Of course I haven't paid rent in a long time and compared to living in San Francisco or Manhattan, renting in Paris is probably cheap.<br />I didn't know that electricity in Paris would be so high, however.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18245742506531002363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-79829473301715098222011-08-18T19:24:22.681+02:002011-08-18T19:24:22.681+02:00I lived in Paris for ten years and cost of living ...I lived in Paris for ten years and cost of living was quite high. Rent for a two-bdrm apt. (admittedly in a very nice area) was nearly 2,400 euros per month; electricity about 300 euros every couple of months; Numericable/Noos (cable and high-speed internet) about 70 euros per month. Wonderful food was plentiful and cheap; clothing expensive. People can live more cheaply in Paris, i.e. students or friends sharing flats, etc., but it remains one of the world's most expensive cities.paris parfaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05457437124988976587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-31441583726682301492011-08-18T19:10:50.749+02:002011-08-18T19:10:50.749+02:00I did some research a couple of years ago on retir...I did some research a couple of years ago on retiring abroad, but I can't recall how France panned out in comparison to other European countries. Interesting topic.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06116903234641971344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-81907248393718768172011-08-18T18:56:32.953+02:002011-08-18T18:56:32.953+02:00Can you explain the health insurance item? Did th...Can you explain the health insurance item? Did that change after you got your French citizenship? <br />(oh and hello from NOLA)David Petersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20775625.post-47403463787086921552011-08-18T17:52:33.226+02:002011-08-18T17:52:33.226+02:00How interesting! I particularly liked Shannon'...How interesting! I particularly liked Shannon's post. I am pretty sure Gemey, Bourgeois... is as cheap as maybelline is in the US.<br />Now you have to write a post about salaries in France. Also, when I was in France, people didn't have credit cards debt. I wonder if it has changed.<br />(Your electric bill seems high).Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06031276247743743680noreply@blogger.com