The Pros and Cons of Living in France

There is no doubt that France has an alluring pull on the rest of the world, from the language to the food and nature. As of 2021, 1.7 million expats reside in Île-de-France (Paris region) alone, but what are the pros and cons of living in France that you would want to permanently uproot your life?

In this article, I will touch on the pros and also the cons of living in France as a foreigner from the ease of finding accommodation, work-life balance and dog poo. Please note this is my perspective as 28 year New Zealander and the views of each expat might differ depending on location and length of time in France.

This post is about the pros and cons of living in France.

Pros of Living in France:

Work-Life Balance

My time as a waitress in Chamonix taught me many things but the biggest takeaway was French take work-life balance seriously. French people would come in and sit for hours eating lunch and drinking coffee. This is largely because lunch is the main meal and it’s forbidden by law to eat at your desk. A French work week is typically 35 hours with a minimum of 5 weeks of vacation time per year.

Roads

This might be a pro or con of living in France depending on how you look at it. The motorways in France are fantastic. Yes, they are all tolled, which might be a con as they aren’t the cheapest but they certainly get you from point A to point B without any fuss. Forgive me if you are reading this from a country that already has decent infrastructure as we Kiwis from New Zealand aren’t used to multi-lane highways that span the whole country.

Nature

Nature in France brings its own wow factor. It is no wonder many celebrities holiday on the French Riviera and flock to the mountains for the winter. France has it all, from picturesque coastlines to expansive mountain ranges and historical villages. All are accessible via a network of buses and trains and yours to explore at your own pace. You could spend years in this country and still find pockets you haven’t touched yet.

Language learning and cultural

Being able to speak multiple languages is such an underrated skill, as it opens so many doors and opportunities. Living in France offers you the chance to learn French and immerse yourself in the culture. French might not be the most widely spoken language in the world but it opens up a lot of African countries and islands like Tahiti.

Cons of Living in France:

Bureaucratic Challenges

The French love paperwork and aren’t exactly in the biggest rush to get processes moving. Navigating French bureaucracy can be time-consuming, especially around visas and residency processes.

Even applying for a rental property in France is difficult with a dossier of documents needed to be supplied. We are only spending one year in France and decided it would be easier to rent through Airbnb and privately through FB groups than go through the process. It wasn’t likely we would get a place or the time it took to get one we would have to leave the country not long after.

Language Barrier

If you don’t know French or aren’t attempting to learn it then you will run into some issues. As mentioned beforehand you need to provide documents in French for a rental property and if you want to work in France you will need to speak French. Also, your interaction with locals will be widely different when you learn some French or attempt to speak French.

Cost of Living

France isn’t the cheapest place to live. There is a high cost of rent and living expenses, especially in major cities. Eating out and buying groceries is relatively high as well as fuel and rent. This can make it harder to get ahead in certain areas of France. The average cost of living in France per month for a single person is around €1,800.

Dog Poo

This might be a strange thing to mention but personally, it’s one of the biggest things I struggle with. It’s not common for French people to clean up after their dogs, so everywhere you can walk you run the risk of stepping in it. Let me tell you if you do make that mistake it will spoil your day.

When considering moving it’s important to weigh up both the pros and cons of living in France. The allure of work-life balance, nature, great infrastructure and cultural experience can make your time in France a dream. However consider the cons before you move, as the Bureaucratic Challenges, language barrier and the cost of living can impact your choices.

Please do your research and weigh your own priorities to make an informed decision about living in France.

This post is about the pros and cons of living in France and aims to help you decide if France is a good fit for you based on your lifestyle.