Moving to France from United States
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from United States to France — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from United States to France, you would find that France is 3.9% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly €53,461 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French. What to expect for your wallet after moving from United States to France. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → €53,461 To maintain the same standard of living in France Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 2.5% more Groceries pay 7.0% less Transportation pay 35.6% more Housing pay 38.3% less Childcare pay 49.8% less Entertainment and Sports pay 0.3% 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. 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 38% less than cities in United States. Compare cities head-to-head We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. How many people actually move from United States to France, based on official data. people moved from United States to France · OECD (latest data available) Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United States to France. per 100,000 people per year of residents who feel safe walking alone at night per 100,000 people per year France performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics. 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 France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year France performs significantly better than United States across all environment metrics. fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work higher means greater strain on freshwater supply annual consumption — reflects grid capacity share of households with internet United States generally does better on infrastructure, though France leads in broadband per 100 people. 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 United States performs better than France across all employment & economy metrics. average years of life at birth deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better government spending on education as % of GDP France generally does better on family life, though United States leads in education spending. Data: Internal Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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. United States passport holder visiting France France passport holder visiting United States Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Yes — France is on average about 19% cheaper than United States. City-level variation can be significant. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €13,365 in France on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees). Internet is rarely the blocker — France has 49.4 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. France performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in France is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States. About 82% of people in France feel safe walking alone at night. France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 33.4 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 36.1 in United States. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86). The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in. The official language in France is French. In United States, the official language is English. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Washington Paris Jan–Mar 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) Apr–Jun 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) Jul–Sep 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) Oct–Dec 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) View all months
Month Washington Paris Jan 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) Feb 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) Mar 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) Apr 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) May 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) Jun 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) Jul 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) Aug 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) Sep 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) Oct 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) Nov 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) Dec 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) Visitor Visa Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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National Weather Service
Météo-France
