Moving to Illinois from France
What to Expect
Considering a move from France to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from France to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 17.2% more expensive than France overall. A €67,000 salary in France would need to be roughly $87,900 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Illinois cheaper than France?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 8.9% less
Groceries
pay 7.8% more
Transportation
pay 18.0% less
Housing
pay 60.3% more
Childcare
pay 62.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.0% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → $87,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →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 Illinois cost about 1% more than cities in France.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from France to Illinois.
people moved from France to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
47.162,365
France
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to France.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
France performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Illinois performs significantly better than France across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois performs significantly better than France across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
France performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Illinois vs France
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Paris | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Paris | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Météo-France
National Weather ServiceCan you move from France to Illinois?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between France and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
France passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting France
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Illinois than France?
On average Illinois is around 17% pricier than France, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $21,975 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
From major Illinois cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in France and Illinois are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to France?
France performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to France?
The average high temperature in Chicago is 59°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Paris gets 25.6 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In France, the official language is French.
