We did the math for this video, and realized that we are spending around 47% of what we used to spend monthly on our basic living expenses. You CAN live on the French Riviera, in the South of France, for less that what you’re paying month to month to live in the USA! We are living 100% on our US Social Security benefits and we have a modest savings and IRA that we use for the “fun stuff” (travel and luxury splurges). You can do it too!
*this assumes you are collecting enough money in Social Security benefits to meet the financial requirements of acquiring a VLS-TS Long Stay Visa to retire in France. Consult the France Visas website to see what the qualifications are, as an American citizen, to make the move from the USA to France. Here’s a link to that website – https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/
If you decide you’d like to make the move, SUBSCRIBE to our channel, for FREE, and go back to the videos we started posting in 2023 showing you how we did it, step-by-step. We did videos on how to apply for your Visa, how to decide what you’re taking with you, our in-person appointment to submit our application, and then once we arrived in France, how we started navigating the administrative processes required. We included a video on how to exchange your US driver’s license for a France driver’s license, how to apply to get on the France National Healthcare System (CPAM) and more….
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Hi! We are An and Jeff Scott, two happily retired septuagenarians from the USA, who had a dream. That dream was to retire in France. So, we sold most of our “stuff”, packed and shipped the rest, and with our bossy little Yorkie, Bella, said “goodbye” to the USA. In 2024, we moved from the sunny coast of southwest Florida to the sunny coast of the south of France, to enjoy our “golden years” and embrace the “joie de vivre” available to us, here in beautiful Nice, France.
Moving from the USA to a foreign country was no small “project”. Through our videos, we’ve been taking you through the Long Stay Visa process, the packing, the purging, the moving, searching for an apartment, creating a great Dossier, learning the way things are done administratively in France, and sharing the steps, talking about what we’ve learned and the ups and the downs.
And now, we continue to share our life, our new life, here in Nice, getting settled, adjusting to the “French” way of doing things, dealing with the French “red tape”, reveling in the beauty of the world around us…and all the while, making every wonderful day in Nice, the best day ever…
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MUSIC CREDITS: (Most of our music comes from the artists of Epidemic Sound)
Easy Stroll by TrackTribe
A Walk In The Marais by The Gly Guy Five
Most of our videos are shot with An’s Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Smartphone and a circular ring light, as needed. And, in this video, we’re using our Rode Wireless Go II Microphones, for clear sound.
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42 Comments
Oh I like they have kitchen cabinets already set up!
Thank you, Ann, for sharing. I was always curious about your budget. It gives me hope I can make it france too with my SS.
Peace from NYC
Clarissa
Great information as always.
Hello Ann, another great video. Straight forward and practical. Thank you. Mark
I have heard landlords require tenants have a monthly income of 4x the rent. As a single retiree, I would be happy with a studio or 1 bedroom but my Social Security and pension income is $2500USD and I anticipate $600USD would not be a nice place to live. Currently, I rent a 600SF apartment in Chicago for $1250USD including water, trash, internet, gas and electric. I've been here since 2018 and have always paid the rent on time. Do you think a landlord in Nice would accept my dossier if I don't earn 4x the rent?
Love your videos. Just wish you would keep politics out of it.
This information is so helpful. The discussion about apartments was spot on and the cable cell phone combo information was unbelievable. As always thank you for sharing.
Salut An et Jeff! I have been watching your channel as I plan my own move to France in about a year. Your videos are super informative and make my dream of living there more of a reality. I look forward to all of your videos-I watch them as I prepare lessons for the upcoming week. {I am a French teacher} Keep up the good work and thank you mille fois for sharing so much helpful information!
Thank you Ann for all the great info. When in Beaulieu I shop at SuperU which is very reasonable and has a great butcher shop. The US has been going downhill for many years. Property taxes, HOA, and insurance have become outrageous especially in FL but also in many areas.
Hi An, I have been living in SW FL too and in a similar situation….. Not far from where you used to live and are interested in living in Nice. Your videos are very helpful. When you spoke about free travel after your tax return in France, does that cover just local travel around Nice or the whole of France??? If you could let me know I would really appreciate it.
How are the currency exchange rates recently impacting your budget and are there changes you may be making because of it.
Actually the biggest part of the cost is rental. Apartment cost around $1600 is available in USA too. The biggest problem in USA is medical system.
Hello An and Jeff! Thank you for such an informative video! I'm inspired to for my adventure! I appreciate you both and the time you put into sharing such helpful information.
Another great video An. Interesting and useful information. Thanks!
Your videos are invaluable!!
Always eye opening and nice to see hard numbers of budgetary items from each location. Thanks for sharing. I see most expats using Whatsapp. Maybe a video of how to use it or other service to make calls from France to the US or the US to France using Whatsapp and putting in the country code or different phone number. It may help those that haven't switched over or those that plan to.
Thank you An, for sharing your information! I always enjoy watching your channel!
Superb An! Thank you for being so candid and helpful! Did you find a good vet for Bella ? I’d like you to share more about your s as anti aging doctor. I have stopped drinking a lot of wine, but I love it and think it is a great thing 😂
Great video, thank you….An, I eat very healthy here in the USA, and so do many Americans……its a shift in mindset, not country. ….I’m dreaming of Nice, beginning a series of French lessons…it’s a difficult language to learn but I’m determined. ❤❤❤
On WhatsApp everyone's tel number is used as their identification on WhatsApp. The call rings on WhatsApp only. So you and the caller both have to have a WhatsApp account. You don't dial numbers. You find the contact you added to your WhatsApp account, click on their name. Then click the little phone icon. Don't push numbers. Just click the little phone icon. Or if you want a video call you click the little camera icon near their name. If you have their contact info listed correctly it will ring them on their WhatsApp app.
Smart and practical tips. Thank you, An! Would you ever go over what the politics are like in France right now and into the forseeable future?
Happy Easter 🐰
Ann, great video as usual! How much “Garant me” is usually charging?
❤❤❤
So, blue-collar jobs aren't professional? Just asking for a blue collar friend.
You looks fabulous, relaxed and content ! Wonderful video , you are lucky to be out of the States now . If Social Security is gone in the near future I’m sure the pitchforks will come out . Looking forward to moving to France when I retire soon . Enjoy and keep making great content ♥
Clicks = value ,)
I miss your videos ❤
You are extremely informative to people who are interested in learning or moving to 🇫🇷
Thanks. This was very informative. I love Bella on the sofa, getting herself comfy
A great video. Thanks for all the info.
Great video!! Did you say FREE Mobile enables you to receive the bank and credit card security codes via text?
I’m so excited to move to Nice in about 14 months !
Who was your Real Estate Agent or did you use a Service like Adrien Leads?
Love your videos !
Just randomly came across your channel. As you spoke about at the beginning of the video, I would have assumed the South of France was for pop stars or top businesspeople. How interesting to get such a thoughtful and thorough breakdown. Lots of food for thought about a place I always thought would not be for me. Such great information. Thanks and looking forward to watching more of your videos. Excellent material!
Mint should have worked on Wi-Fi calling. Turn off the 2nd (local) SIM and cellular service, then make sure you’ve enabled wi-fi calling. I’ve not used it in France, but it’s worked in Spain, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.
Another outstanding video. Yes, Free Internet is awesome and really fast. We don’t have a television in the apartment, we bring our laptop with us every year.
This is useful information for your subscribers. Keep up the good work. 😊
Hi there! Just a friendly heads-up: even if you're retired and not taxable in France, any income from your videos (even small amounts) should be declared. It helps avoid any issues with taxes or health coverage. Better safe than sorry! Thanks for your great content and congrats on your channel!
Bonjour! Love the overview – and so helpful. I'll be making the pond hop from Texas to Castelnaudary (between Toulouse and Carcassonne) in 35 days – getting so close! Actually printing my "Send My Bag" labels as I watch you.
I sent my form to SSA re: cancelling Medicare Part B in early April, certified, and they have confirmed they received it. So starting June I will save (and actually put it into savings) $185+$93+$33 = $311 for my Medicare-related monthly costs. I'll keep my no-cost Part D and Part A.
And although I'll be upside-down selling my car, by the end of the year I will have recouped all of that by not having a car in France. Even with some rentals here and there. Blows my mind.
I know some things will be more expensive, and that my guesstimates will shift, but STILL it will be an amazing savings from right now for a much better life.
A bientôt!
Let us be reasonable now. An apartment in Nice costs is easily $250,000.00. So if you can buy your own place then yes you can live on $2,000.00 Euros per month…if not then you need at least able to pay your rent, phone, food, clothing expenses, going out a couple times a month and some medical expenses which are less expensive than the States. But Nice is not as cheap as it used to be…prices went up in the last years, just because everyone retired would love a place in the Côte d’Azur… I go there twice a year in Nice and I have seen prices going up… I live in Florida and yes everything is high, I live in a town house that was worth $400,000.00 a few months ago…and the prices of food, clothing, and everything else is high. But don’t get me wrong as I am writing this the prices are going down now to less $12,000.00. It will continue to go down because nobody wants to buy… so without owning your own property I would recommend to have $3,000.00 per month for a couple to live…😊😊😊
Thanks!
Hello An, I just read today that the way we use our phone for the 2-factor authentication is not safe at all, because the phone can be hacked. Now experts recommend using authenticator apps instead ( Microsoft authenticator, Google authenticator etc.. ) . You can google and read those recommendations.
… "Using your phone number as a factor for 2FA or OTP is dodgy territory, and there’s good reason for everyone to stop using their phone number for two-factor authentication. Instead, let an authenticator app bolster your online security " … So , you won't need to pay the 6 dollars to Tello, and it will be safer.
We were in Nice last November, so fabulous! We very much want to move to France for retirement, so your videos are great…love the very straightforward information on costs and insurance.
Was it difficult to get Bella over there?
(Frankly it is a bit scary here, now… your timing was good)