The cost of living in France for American retirees
What retiring to France costs an American, in euros and dollars: housing by region, healthcare, daily life, and how the exchange rate changes your budget.
Updated · Expat Academy · Education, not advice
France has a reputation as an expensive country, and Paris earns it. Elsewhere, many American retirees find their costs fall, especially for healthcare. The bigger risk isn't the price of bread; it's that your income is in dollars and your life is in euros.
Four groups of costs
- Housing, the largest and most varied. Paris and the Côte d'Azur are the most expensive; Bordeaux, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes and Toulouse are a step down; smaller cities and towns in the south-west and centre are much lower. Renting also brings monthly service charges and utilities.
- Health: low once you're in the public system, with a top-up policy (mutuelle) as the main cost. Higher in year one, with private cover.
- Daily life: markets and supermarkets are often cheaper than in the US; eating out costs about the same or less, with no tipping.
- Getting around: a car is optional in the cities. Public transport is good, and the national railway sells discount cards for people aged 60 and over.
Cheaper, and not
| Usually lower than in the US | Similar or higher |
|---|---|
| Healthcare and prescriptions | Electricity and heating |
| Mobile phone and internet | Cars and fuel |
| Public transport | Imported goods |
| Wine, markets, eating out | Anything in a tourist area in summer |
An example rent
A 65 m² two-bedroom flat in Bordeaux at €1,100 (about $1,231 today) a month plus €90 (about $101 today) of service charges is a realistic city-centre-edge rent. Moving in costs about €3,375 (about $3,778 today) before furniture: first month, deposit, the agency's capped fee, the move-in inventory, insurance and utility set-up. Unfurnished flats often come without kitchen appliances or light fittings. See renting in France as an American.
Taxes on the home
Since 2023 the residence tax (taxe d'habitation) is no longer charged on a main home. It still applies to second homes, so part-year residents who keep a flat all year pay it, often with a local surcharge.
The exchange rate is part of the budget
A budget built in dollars hides currency risk. Build it in euros, convert at today's rate (1 EUR = 1.1193 USD (23 Oct 2026)), then ask what happens if the dollar falls 10% or 20%. The free Two-Home Budget Planner does exactly that, month by month, for a US home and a French one at the same time. Use it even for one home: put what you'll still pay in the US (storage, a car at a relative's, flights home) in the dollar column.
Year one costs more
Private health insurance, furnishing, deposits, translations, apostilles and visa fees all land in the first year. Budget for them separately from your steady-state costs.
Questions
Is it cheaper to retire in France than in the US?
Often, outside Paris and the Côte d'Azur. Healthcare, prescriptions, phone and internet, public transport and eating out tend to cost less than in much of the US. Electricity, heating, cars, fuel and imported goods cost about the same or more.
Where in France is cheapest to retire?
Housing is the biggest difference. Paris and the Côte d'Azur are the most expensive; Bordeaux, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes and Toulouse are a step down; smaller cities and towns in the south-west and centre are much lower.
How does the exchange rate affect my French budget?
If your income is in dollars and your costs are in euros, a weaker dollar makes everything in France more expensive. Build your budget in euros and test it at a weaker rate.
Go deeper
- F10 The cost of living in France: Where the money goes for a retiree in France, how cities differ, which costs are lower or higher than at home, and how to build your own budget in euros.
- F11 Renting in France: Lease types, the rental file, guarantees for a retiree, legal caps on deposits and agency fees, rent control, insurance and notice. And every cost of moving in.
- C10 Running two homes on one budget: Some costs follow you; others keep running in the home you've left. Separating them is what makes a two-home budget honest.
Sources
Education, not advice. This guide explains general rules as of the date above. Rules change every year; confirm your own situation with a qualified adviser in the US and in France.