Moving to Illinois from France

moving to

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 22.9% more expensive than France overall. A €65,374 salary in France would need to be roughly $72,762 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between France and Illinois.

What does your salary buy?

€65,374 $72,762

To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 9.0% less

Groceries

pay 10.8% more

Transportation

pay 14.4% less

Housing

pay 62.8% more

Childcare

pay 2.2 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.15 USD (June 2026)

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 Illinois cost about 12% more than cities in France.

France

Paris 69%
Antibes 66%
Annecy 61%
Nantes 56%

Illinois

Chicago 76%
Champaign 53%

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.

Moved in 2023
4,650 ↓ 4% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to France.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

FR
21.6%
IL
34.6%

France performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

FR
86.0%
IL
89.6%

Illinois performs significantly better than France across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

FR
7.3%
IL
4.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

FR
$55,200
IL
$70,691

Illinois performs significantly better than France across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

FR
82.6 yrs
IL
76.8 yrs

France performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Paris Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Springfield Rain: 37.4 in/yr (951 mm)
63° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Paris Springfield
Jan–Mar 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) 74°/52°F (23°/11°C)
Jul–Sep 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) 83°/61°F (29°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) 52°/33°F (11°/1°C)
View all months
Month Paris Springfield
Jan 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C)
Feb 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C)
Mar 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C)
Apr 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C)
May 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C)
Jun 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C)
Jul 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C)
Aug 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C)
Sep 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C)
Oct 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C)
Nov 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C)
Dec 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C)

Data: Météo-France Météo-France, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

France passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
France passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting France

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter France without a visa.

Data: 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 about 3% less expensive than France, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Illinois?

Budget about $18,190 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a €65,374 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 Springfield is 63°F, compared to 60°F in Paris. Springfield receives around 37.4 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.

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At a Glance

FR
Population 68,305,148 12,830,632
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages French English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +33 +1
Time zones 14 11
Emergency number 112 911