Moving to France from Australia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Australia to France — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Australia to France, you would find that France is 16.7% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly €57,100 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Australia to France.
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → €57,100
To maintain the same standard of living in France
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.5% more
Groceries
pay 5.7% less
Transportation
pay 12.0% more
Housing
pay 33.7% less
Childcare
pay 43.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in France cost about 3% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Australia to France, based on official data.
people moved from Australia to France · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Australia to France.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs better than France across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though France leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though France leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia performs better than France across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia generally does better on family life, though France leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) |
Bureau of Meteorology
Météo-FranceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting France
Visa Free
France passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in France than Australia?
Yes — France is on average about 17% cheaper than Australia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to France?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €14,275 in France on a A$110,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from France?
Internet is rarely the blocker — France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is France safe for expats?
Australia performs better than France across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in France is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in France compared to Australia?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 40.9 in Australia. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in France compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in France?
The official language in France is French. In Australia, the official language is English.
