The cost of living in France

GAINING an understanding of the financial arrangements of a move to France can be both a challenging, and re-assuring, thing as it helps answer a number of questions.

But one of the things that is difficult to work out is how far your income, which may be lower than you are used to, is likely to stretch.

A useful online tool that may help you see how your spending patterns compare to the average in France is available on the INSEE website - Le simulateur d'indice des prix.

It is a rather nifty piece of software that allows you to compare the percentage of your income you spend on a variety of items, including tobacco, health or petrol, against the inflation rate.

So click on Choisir Vos Ponderations and up pops a window that lets you pick the amount in percentage terms you spend on a range of goods, if you don't smoke that would be zero, but if you are likely to be driving more then you would slide this up.

Another element of the site is the Produits button that allows you to look at the cost of different elements in comparison to the overall index, you will see that items such as electrical goods have fallen so far they literally drop off the scale.

This tool could offer you some useful tips on how far your money is likely to stretch, or show you where you need to cut back; another one to add to your favourites.

Comments

[daniel sokalsky]

I would like to know more about the Ariege region near st girons as I already own a place called Le Pouech and I am considering my options: selling it or perhaps buying another place. the house is two stories and has one two bed apartment and the other is a one bedroom apartment.The postal code 09120 and the nearest village is St Lizier D'Ustou.

[Craig McGinty]

Hi Daniel
Many thanks for your comment.

You might want to check the piece I've written about finding a French estate agent:

http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2005/01/finding_french_.html

You can also find details of the national associations who will point you to agents close to where you want.

Hope this helps.

Craig