France: Bargains & Budget Shocks!
Is living in France cheaper than the USA? What is more expensive and what is cheaper in France compared to other countries, or compared to the US in particular? Today I’m diving into how everyday items and necessary services can cost very different amounts in France versus the United States. I’ve been living here in Dijon, France for over 16 years, and I’m comparing prices to the US because that’s where I’m originally from. In this video, I’ll look at everyday items and bigger expenses like healthcare, and I’ll also share some surprising items that are actually more expensive here in France. Hopefully, this will be helpful for people thinking about moving here or just planning a visit.
WHO AM I?
New to my channel? Bienvenue ! I’m Suzi, I’m American and I’ve been living in France for over 16 years. On this channel, I share useful information I’ve learned by trial and error about living and investing in France. Please join me by subscribing! Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions or questions.
OTHER VIDEOS TO CHECK OUT:
The best chocolate croissants in Dijon, France https://youtu.be/FbRq0Oi6kns
Watch these 11 minutes if you want to move to France https://youtu.be/QspepLrwF6w
Cost of living in France in 2024: Our family’s real numbers! https://youtu.be/jVx3GFSvDVg
My thoughts after 16 years: Living in Dijon, France https://youtu.be/Uy3Pwvmncn8
Don’t Move to France Until You Watch This | 16+ Years of Experience https://youtu.be/kmyUZVAYcn4
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:01 Are pastries and bread cheaper in France? 🥐
02:04 Is wine cheaper in France? 🍷
03:39 Is mineral water cheaper in France? 💧
04:56 Is public transport cheaper in France? 🚇
07:03 Is telecom cheaper in France? 📱
08:04 Is healthcare cheaper in France? 💊
12:00 Is childcare cheaper in France? 👶
17:44 Is gas more expensive in France? ⛽
18:38 Are tolls more expensive in France? 🚗
19:41 Are electronics more expensive in France? 📱
42 Comments
Thanks for watching 😊 Did anything surprise you in the video?🍷🏥🥐🥖🚅
is there a large American expats in Dijon
I wonder if the difference in food spending is explained by comparing dining out budgets?
Thanks again – very interesting! No surprises for me in this vlog. I think in general if a country has allowed itself to be controlled by capitalism and profits over quality of life, then we end up with a situation the US is in now. Stockholders are happy. With regard to pharmaceuticals, in the US we consumers are also paying for the R & D and marketing that (at least American) companies claim is necessary to provide drugs, then the rest of the world benefits from cheaper prices, as you have noted. And the healthcare system and paradigm is such a mess I won't even go there…! Re food, my impression is, because France and some other countries care more deeply about their agricultural and food cultural traditions, spend more time daily on meal times, and choose higher quality products and preparations, that some food is going to cost more. And for some products it's not even a real comparison, comparing some French food with American. In many US stores and bakeries, what they call a baguette or croissant is not even made by people, nor without preservatives, nor with high quality eggs, butter, or chocolate, for example, which are expensive. Often you find a "baguette" or "croissant" and it is not that at all, it's just American white bread in the shape of those products. I went to culinary school for 3 years for baking and pastry (with a French chef teacher) and learned European artisanal and traditional methods and recipes, and I know that the average bakery in the US is not making those products the way they make them in France, because we (mostly) don't have that same craftsperson education and training, so we aren't using the same methods, nor do we have laws about what is a baguette or croissant (or what is any product AOC). So to even find an equal bakery product in the US is a challenge in the first place. If we even have the knowledge to know what to look for and have the availability near us of equivalent products, I think we pay more for it do to scarcity, the higher cost of labor, and the costs of high quality ingredients- not surprising. I know things are changing in France too where non-butter croissants exist, industrial preps exist, and many bakery products are actually made elsewhere then frozen for delivery to "bakeries" but that is by law somewhat made known to the consumer, and the price for the good stuff is still not magnitudes higher. And at least France is changing slower and has the cultural expectations to be able to insist on high quality if they choose, and it seems they still mostly do. But hey I bet our Lucky Charms cereal, and kids' lunch box contents (all with main ingredient high fructose corn syrup) are cheaper! 🤣
Loved the info. One request? As someone with ADHD, the background music (although lovely) is incredibly distracting. You have a lovely voice. Leave the background quiet!
I just checked the iPhone 15 over 800$ so not so dissimilar. You are also tied into a provider in the US. The food thing is important to the French and in all honesty, not so much for Americans. That money will go to eating out vs cooking at home.
Roughly and on average, it's17% of your monthly gross income. It's part of the salary, so your kids are obviously not taken into account. That's how a solidarity system works.
Note that the percentage is more or less accurate for employees.
For self employed, it's a bit higher. Only incomes assimilated to salaries are subjected to contributions.
Unemployed compensations have different rates depending on how much you get. But it still represents 60 to 70 % of the social contributions.
The same applies for retirement pensions.
As for Social Security reimbursement it's important to know that the 70% reimbursement are based on the Social Security pricing lists. Update yearly. And so are the top up insurances do.
For example the glasses. The reimbursement is 60% on a base price of around 30€. The top up at 100% allow you to get only 30€ back.
When you read the reimbursement list, it's important to understand that they are percentage of the Social Security pricing list. 200% allows for up to 60€ to be reimbursed, for the case of glasses (60% from the public institution and 140% from the private insurance). You need to choose your top up insurance with "frais réels" or "real expense" to be completely covered. And of course, only on categories you really need or your monthly subscription would flare up.
Depending on the affliction and diseases, you can get up to 100% coverage from the Social Security. ie no out of pocket to pay and no need for private insurance.
To get back to the social contributions taken from your salary. It's about 20 to 25%, then the income tax is deducted.
Those contributions cover healthcare, unemployment, retirement, family support and many other things. On top of that, higher amounts are paid for the same things by the employer.
Roughly, a salary of 1 500€ leave you with 1 200€ before income tax, and cost your employer something along 2 400€. It's a bit less, in reality, for income below 1.6 times the minimum wage.
Bonjour, Suzi. Absolutely love your channel. Great content! My wife and I live in the Great Lakes Region. Our internet is $83.00 per month, plus another $40.00 for streaming services. We pay $50.00 for our telecom. Auto insurance for both our autos is close to $1,000.00 per year. We'd much rather prefer paying a little more for food each month than paying so much for internet, telecom, and transportation. We're planning a trip to France in 2026. Your channel is helping us so much. Merci beaucoup!
And this is before the tariffs
Internet in Philadelphia is $50/month
9:20. Those US cost estimates are on the LOW side.
In US. Mobile bill, $184 for unlimited use 5G for two numbers.
Healthcare! Healthcare! Healthcare!. In the U.S we are seen as an ATM and a line item. I will go out on a limb and say that France treats patients as Human beings and not as an entity that needs to be ROBBED like in the U.S.
Cell service here in the US is usually $30+ (could be very plus) per month.
For internet, it varies a lot, currently paying $93 a month. No landline, no cable.
Healthcare, yeah, the US is an absolute joke when it comes to that compared to just about any other developed nation in the world.
1:09 "Pain au Chocolat" and not the false of course "Chocolatine" Now we are sure, you are perfectly integrated and a true French Citizen! 😁🤣
Another very informative video. Thank you! Here in East Tennessee, I pay $85 per month (about 80.20 Euros at today's exchange rate) to Spectrum just for a landline and internet, no cable TV. Gasoline is cheap though. $2.60 per gallon here. If I figured it right, that is about 65 Euro cents per liter. People here always complain about the price of gas. To them I say be glad you're not paying what the Europeans are. If you were, you'd ditch that V8 pick-up pretty fast.
Crazy cheaper in France for almost everything it sounds. Like 75% to 50% or less than what I am paying for things in Western New York. With the exception for gas for the car and tolls.
Fab video, love the variety of items you compared.
I have been a French expat in the US for the last 40 years and thinking retiring in France. Yes life and healthcare is so much cheaper in France, but if instability in the world happen, like the war in Ukraine, the US has so much more material and intellectual resources that its economy is not going to suffer as much as any other countries in Europe. Also, the healthcare system in France might be unsustainable as it represent 12% of GDP vs 3% of Medicare in the US.
You forgot to take into account that prices in France are already including the sales taxes while US prices aren't
if you have an electric vehicle , to fuel the car is still pretty similar to the US even tho recently (since russian conflict) some "eu laws" forced France to rise electricity prices to (domestic "air") gas price.
80€/m for internet is not that cheap in france, should be at least half. i guess u subscribed to some good TV options , here in france i pay 60€ (now 50€ first year) for fiber 8 gb/s including netflix , prime video , disney+, Max , and 280 channels and being with same provider for mobile is 16€/m for real (no throttle so far) unlimited 5g.
ye salary are usually lower but for every employees that also adds retirement plan , unemployement insurance , 5 paid weeks vacancy + officials paid days-off , health care , minimum wage at 9,40€ /h (11,88 gross) , …
also one thing i remember , i think the price of the iphone from US online store is before taxes, in France usual prices must be only shown with all taxes already in it for citizens , except in some cases like for pro but "HT" must be written beside.
Hi Suzy! Thank you for your videos! Always such great information!
We live in California and the costs for everything are HIGH! We pay $205/mo for cell phones (3 lines), high speed internet is $100/mo, auto insurance is $1000/yr for 2 vehicles, gas prices fluctuate between $5.30-4.60/gallon, home owners insurance is $900/mo, healthcare insurance is $900/mo with LOTs of out of pocket expenses on top of monthly premiums, doctor visit costs are typically from $150-$750/visit, especially if going to UCLA or any specialist then you’re looking at $650-750/hr, sometimes $1200 (this doesn’t include any labs!) Labs are extremely expensive! And food here is also crazy expensive with our grocery bills weekly running around $250/wk for family of 3.
One thing I’ve noticed that is cheaper in US compared to France are household items such as pillows, blankets, decorative items, sheets, towels, etc. I also think furniture is cheaper in the US. I’m sure this is because of all the cheap products from China which France doesn’t have. It seems that France doesn’t allow imports of these goods? And things may be changing in US with new tariffs…
But could you speak to the household items in France? Maybe I wasn’t shopping in the correct stores when we lived there for 3 months?…
Warm Wishes!
The price of the iPhone in France are given with tax, which is not the case for the US. I was in New York a couple of years ago and I though that buying an iPhone on the 5th would be a great idea. But I didn't realize that the price was without tax. With 15% tax in New York, it was almost the same as in France…
Cellphone is usualy 15 to 20 €
Internet 40 to 50 € with television+ netfix+ prime
Croissants and baguette are around 1€ here in strasbourg
Are taxes included for IPhone prices in the United States? In France, they are.
Your cotisations pay for the majority of your healthcare not so much your mutuelle and is roughly 13% of your cotisations.
We are in Virginia, USA. We budget 300$ a month for medical expenses (doc appt co-pays mostly)
As an important reminder for your American viewers, to put things in perspective, the MEDIAN net income in France is around €23,000 per year. And the regional differences are considerable. There are millions of workers in rural or small-town France who would dream of making that much, but only get the minimum wage (€17,000 net/year) or slightly more. So yes, France can be a bargain…but having US-based income certainly helps!
I think your responsible for folks in the USA throwing themselves off the nearest bridge. Great video and good info as my wife and I are budgeting for our move. Thank you
En fait , on comprend mieux , pourquoi il y'a tant de milliardaires aux États-Unis…Nous vivons trés correctement , en Bretagne , avec 6000 €…Mes amis à New York , on un budget plus serré avec 16 000 $….et vivent à Brooklin dans 80 m2…Sans la qualité de vie , et bien plus de travail , et des dépenses inconcevables ici….Alors , en fait , je ne les envie pas….
I recently paid $1800 for an MRI because my employer insurance (I pay $50 every 2 weeks) said it was part of my $2000 annual deductible.
That train fare is unreasonable, Dijon needs regular Ouigo HS services. Alors, la SNCF? Tu te bouges, ouais?
You have the best mustard
I enjoyed your video. I might suggest you do a little more research because so many of the numbers were lacking specifics or were just guesses.
I paid 350 for a 15 minute visit to a specialist a couple weeks ago
In my medium French town, public transportation ( a bus network) is free.
Of course we pay the bill with the local taxes.
Last time a was in paris the ticket was as 2,40 and during the olímpics it went up to 4,45, talking about the health care system , to see the real cost you have to add the amount of taxes that you and how your employer pay , and you still need a complementary insurance meaning that you still have to pay , I don’t know how much you have to wait in the us for getting a doctor in a hospital but in France is an eternity specially in emergency, when you pay for something you expect quality and getting a better service , if you have been in a public hospital in France, you will see beds piled up one next to the other waiting to take in charge by a doctor , that’s not a good service
The question is not only about money…; what is your quality of life, restaurants, friends, hollidays, week-end, family, hobbies, love, weather, shares…etc
Apart from money, what do you Americans care about or are interested in in life???
Pfff!!!! And to think that you're swarming my country!!! Why don't you fix your problems in the USA???
Hey… algorithm works sometimes! We're thinking about moving there in a few years, learning French, and visiting about once a year. We're starting our next trip in Dijon and should be there in 2 weeks. Hopefully the planned TGV strike doesn't affect our return trip to CDG. 😂 Salut!