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20/02/2008, 11:20 roxy Joined on 25/07/2006 Posts 11 Cost of living I know you will all groan at this post but I'm going to do it anyway, my house is nearly sold and it is a matter of great urgency as the maths add up differently each time I sit down to do them. I wondered if someone could give me a rough idea of what I will need to budget for on a monthly basis, for taxes and just essentials really. I am single so do not need a lot to live on but I cannot get a realistic idea from the books so thought you might help.    Report

20/02/2008, 11:29 cooperlola Joined on 05/05/2006 72 - Sarthe - home of les 24 heures du Mans Posts 6,408 Re: Cost of living If your healthcare is sorted (ie covered by an Eform), then my own feeling is that costs will be very similar to the UK.  More for healthcare - top up insurance etc - but less for income tax.  Local taxes vary hugely so that much depends on where you're moving to and from (ours are about 30% of what they were in Kent, but others moving from low council tax areas to expenive parts of France have different experiences.)  Our power bills are roughly the same, even though we're at home all day, whereas in the UK we were out for 12 hours' plus, because we worked.  As far as food etc is concerned, it was roughly the same, but at the moment it's probably a bit more expensive here if your income is from the UK, due to the lousy exchange rates. But it really is a piece of string thing... Healthcare Issues Site    Report

20/02/2008, 11:32 Clair Joined on 23/08/2004 ------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot (46) Posts 6,803 Re: Cost of living More details would help:are you planning to live in a town or in a rural part of the country? are you going to buy or rent? will you have a car?... Clair, a Real Virtual French Person Ma Plus Belle Histoire d'Amour    Report

20/02/2008, 11:55 Sunday Driver Joined on 07/10/2005 Deux Sevres (79) Posts 2,883 Re: Cost of living According to INSEE, the minimum wage (SMIC) in France is 1,280€ per month, and there are many French families who exist on this.   Waddya mean it's only Saturday......    Report

20/02/2008, 12:53 Will Joined on 22/09/2004 Sussex & 50 (Mortainais) Posts 4,812 Re: Cost of living I fully agree with the other answers. But our very small rural commune has an average income per household of 754€ per month according to the same official sources that SD quotes (actually likely to have risen slightly since the data were compiled). As to whether that provides a particularly fulfilling lifestyle, or the 'high quality of life' much quoted by British moving overseas, I leave you to judge.   Will intentionally blank signature http://www.vienormande.com    Report

20/02/2008, 13:04 allanb Joined on 04/09/2006 Posts 493 Re: Cost of living Will: that seems remarkably low. Is it possible that the amount is net of tax and other deductions? (Even if it is, it would still be pretty low.)    Report

21/02/2008, 9:46 Lou Joined on 20/01/2006 Hautes Pyrenees - 65 Posts 103 Re: Cost of living Just to clarify, the SMIC amount quoted of 1,280 euros is the GROSS amount - I'm on the SMIC and my net take-home pay each month (that is after social charges have been deducted) is 1,005 euros (and a few centimes); however last year we didn't pay any income tax, in fact they paid us a couple of hundred euros. Lou    Report

21/02/2008, 16:50 Helen Joined on 23/08/2004 12 Posts 138 Re: Cost of living 'But our very small rural commune has an average income per household of 754€ per month ' Our commune has a similarly low average income but that doesn't take into account non monetary income. Many of my neighbours are almost self sufficient in food... veg,fruit, milk, pork, duck, beef, chicken. My next door neighbour even produces about 360 bottles of wine a year. Water for everything but drinking comes free from the village supply. A car is  a necessary business expense.  My neighbours don't have an affluent lifestyle; far from it and they work very hard. They have few luxuries but they are not at poverty level by any means .  Anyone moving from the UK  into the village (without the land, experience and family support mechanisms) would find it extremely difficult to survive on an income this low.    Report

21/02/2008, 17:15 Patf Joined on 23/08/2004 SW Gers Posts 2,169 Re: Cost of living Will's example of €754 pm: I think there was a thread recently which gave figures for a financial supplement which brings the family income up to about €1300 pm. ie the equivalent of the minimum wage. Whether this could be claimed by immigrants I don't know.    Report

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