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France is getting a bit pricey?


milkeybar kid
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For this post can we leave out the exchange rate -simply " do you find the day to day living in the last 12 months has gone up dramatically in France or not"?

Without exception all our visitors this year have said they are shocked how expensive things are in France. Perhaps its because things have gone so cheap in the UK - what do you think?
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I can't compare with any where else, except by looking at Internet sites for say Tesco and Auchan.

I do feel that the price of food has gone up, but haven't kept a record. I find fruit and vegetables, which I tend to buy from markets because of the higher quality  are rapidly becoming something I have to think twice over, or buy reluctantly from supermarkets.

Other things such as  public transport, utilities, and local taxes are a matter of public record

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Yes. 

My recent trip back to the UK highlighted the difference in prices most acutely.

But comparable hotel accommodation and (on the whole) meals in comparable restaurants are cheaper in France.

Swings and roundabouts?? 

But my weekly shop here in France seems to continue to go up rather than down.

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I have never thought France to be cheap and with the ability to check local supermarket prices against those at Tesco online (to name just one) it comes as quite a shock to see just how expensive day to day living is. Having said that I can't say I have noticed any massive price increases in France and am struggling to think of something thats gone up by very much in the last few years. Beer at our 'local' has gone up 10 cents in 8 years, coffee about the same and my usual loaf of bread about 5 cents (I just checked on Tesco's website and my round loaf is about 5 cents cheaper in the UK).

I don't think people really who just holiday here realize just how expensive France really is.

Fags are still  cheaper, mine would be 6.58 Euros in the UK as opposed to 5.20 Euros here. Beer and wine are also cheaper and so is the cost of running a car. So if you are an alcoholic car owner who smokes and does nothing else its cheaper to live in France.[;-)]

I saw that the EU are now going to allow 'bent' and strange shaped veg. I was thinking about some of the carrots and cucumbers they flog round here. If they got anymore bent the would be disappearing up their own ......... well you know what I mean.

Although the OP doesn't want us to take exchange rates in to account you can see why people on just UK state pensions living in France are finding it difficult.

Mind you we didn't come to France because it was cheaper, we came because the quality of life is better or so we are told. [:D]

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Maybe Clair or Cat could dig out the inflation figures relating to food out of the INSEE statistics (if they exist). General inflation figures are not really relevant as most retirees don't buy a flat screen TV for each room or several pairs of kids shoes each year.

And, yes, I'm one of those who think that food especially has gone up a lot in the last twelve months.

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Right or wrong, Benjamin, I know for a fact that the amount in my shopping trolley now compared with three years ago is a lot less for the same amount of money. My daughter and her family vissited us last August and she was amazed at thepricesof certain things. So much so, this year they are going to the USA to visit her sister there as the exchange rate is so much better. When I go back to England I am gobsmacked at some of the food prices and also to eat out as well, Eat as much as you like Chinese, which is excellent, for £5. We hardly ever eat out over here now as the prices are too high, we are on pensions, and have lost over a third due to the exchange rate. So all in all, maybe we should have stayed in England but I know my OH would live on bread and water before he ever went back.
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Normal day to day food shopping has gone up year on year for the past 3 years as far as I'm concerned. France is not a cheap place to live. It really makes you wonder if you watch the old uk tv out here when you see the adverts for the supermarkets. A whole load of food for four people for a bbq for £4.50! You struggle to get to chicken breasts for 4.50 Euros here. But as others said its the way of life we came for just wish it was Bl**dy cheaper. 
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Our local market in France a pair of ladies sandles that a similar pair in the uk would be about £20 they were asking 55 euros for .... The French like custard tarts...4 in a pack ASDA 65 pence ..wont find them anywhere near that price in any French supermarket I know ...Yes ... France has got expensive this year ...we have noticed it ....and my family who are now carting more food over now than they used to when they go to the house.
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[quote user="valB"]When I go back to England I am gobsmacked at some of the food prices and also to eat out as well, Eat as much as you like Chinese, which is excellent, for £5. We hardly ever eat out over here now as the prices are too high...[/quote]

We have found that valB, we can eat out twice in the UK for the price of one meal out in France...and the food in the UK is as good as anything in France.

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Can I mention cars as I've been researching them lately?

New Hyundai Santa Fe (but pre-registered and delivery mileage only) £15000.  Same car today in the Hyundai Garage in Cognac €30000.

If I do go for one, there's no guessing which country I'll be buying the car from. 

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[quote user="Thebiga"]Normal day to day food shopping has gone up year on year for the past 3 years as far as I'm concerned. France is not a cheap place to live. It really makes you wonder if you watch the old uk tv out here when you see the adverts for the supermarkets. A whole load of food for four people for a bbq for £4.50! You struggle to get to chicken breasts for 4.50 Euros here. But as others said its the way of life we came for just wish it was Bl**dy cheaper. [/quote]

I dread to think what's in the load of food for 4.50 in the uk......... I think it is a bit unfair to compare cheap rubbish sausage and burgers with chicken breast - I know which I would rather eat. Give me French food every time [:D]

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When I said give me French food every time, I probably should have thought about it a bit longer.

I never buy processed food French/UK or otherwise.

That's one thing I really enjoy about retirement, I have time to cook everything from scratch - No E numbers or hen's feet here !!! [+o(]

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I am scared to go food buying in the markets in France .....touch anything on the stall you get shouted by the stall holder and given a look that means " touch again and I will chop your hands off "

Result... we choose what we want in the Super U

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It's not all about food either, my monthly gas and electric dd payments in UK have just come up for renewal, Gas has increased from £40 per month to £130 per month, Electric from £35 per month to £65 per month. Not even going there with the increase in Council tax ...... Personally, can't wait to make the visits to France permanent!

Expensive groceries or not!

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The thing we find is that the prices vary so much from one supermarket to another. A recent example is melon, Champion - 1.95, ED - 1.30, LeClerc - 0.98. Now I can understand a slight variance but that was ridiculous and to make matters worse the ones in Leclerc were bigger but still the same type. Its the same with petrol, we have three garages in our village. Naturally the supermarket garage is the cheapest but the others vary by as much as 20 cents a litre.

The other thing is we have to shop in different places for different things. ED has far better veg than Champion but their meat is not as good and they don't have such a big slection of goods.

I think it is also important to have one or more big freezers so you can buy meat for example when its on offer. Pork at the moment in 8 Euros plus a kilo but at different times in the year they sell it for 2.50 a kilo. We, like the other locals, buy like 100 pork chops 20 roles and stick them in the freezer. They have other meats as well at cheap prices at different times of the year. You have to look out for special offers on other goods as well and although we all hate the stream of pub that drops through our mail box's are invaluable for finding out who has what on offer and where.

I guess we were rather spoilt in the UK where you can shop all in one place, any time you want and buy anything you want be it in or out of season. I mean its only 3 years ago our local Champion started staying open at lunch time.

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[quote user="Quillan"]Its the same with petrol, we have three garages in our village. Naturally the supermarket garage is the cheapest but the others vary by as much as 20 cents a litre.[/quote]

Quillan, do you have a sapeur-pompiers caserne in your village? If so, I would put money on the garage that they use to fill the vehicles is the most expensive one, nice little guarenteed income.

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[quote user="Maricopa"]

[quote user="Quillan"]Its the same with petrol, we have three garages in our village. Naturally the supermarket garage is the cheapest but the others vary by as much as 20 cents a litre.[/quote]

Quillan, do you have a sapeur-pompiers caserne in your village? If so, I would put money on the garage that they use to fill the vehicles is the most expensive one, nice little guarenteed income.

[/quote]

Funny enough, yes, and they happen to be about 200m away from the most expensive. The local Gendarmerie is however under 100m away from the same garage. [;-)] Strange that isnt it! [:D]

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Just bought some toms in one shop because they were half the price of another for exactly the same thing [:@] .

Reading WB's post and remembering a guest asking for chicken feet (we were serving roast chicken) I get the impression that in some parts of France they are a bit of a delicacy? Many French guests quite often ask for the wings. I know when in Thailand you see crispy chicken feet quite regularly on the menu.

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quote user Jo my monthly gas and electric dd payments in UK have just come up for renewal, Gas has increased from £40 per month to £130 per month, Electric from £35 per month to £65 per month. Not even going there with the increase in Council tax ...... Personally, can't wait to make the visits to France permanent!

Expensive groceries or not!

Jo if you think your electricity or gas bill will be much less in France not to mention water you may have a surprise coming, for me tax d'hab plus tax fonciere came to around 1200 euro so agin not that different to council tax.
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