Cost of Living in France

[idun]

Last night, I saw mention on french news that there is a possibility that income tax will go up in France. That as well as the cost of diesel, which should be going up quite a bit and petrol somewhat less.

In consequence I decided to work out how well off we would be if we end up moving back to France at current income tax rates in France.

UK income tax is higher, but we don't pay any stoppages on the pensions and would if we moved back to France, so that sort of equals things up somewhat, we would gain about €50 a month, which would be more than taken up by needing a mutualist. What would that be, getting on for 200€ a month, or more............

At the moment we have free presciptions and bus passes, and they have significant value, getting old, needing more things on prescription than we ever imagined AND we use public transport a lot.

I realise that taxe d'habitation has stopped, but we would buy again so there would be the taxe fonciere to pay and that was never cheap where we lived.

I can only think that we would, at the end of the day, in theory, be worse off, but if french pensions were to go awry for those who get them and do not live in the EU, maybe losing somewhat would be the better call for us.

Certainly an interesting excersize. 

(Remember if we moved back to France we are not entitled to a UK S1, but would be like any other french pensioners in France.)

[alittlebitfrench]

Don't go rural !!! Far more expensive living costs IMHO.

Not that my advice stops anyone before it is to late.

[mint]

What gave me a bit of a scare was not to do with any of the points you have mentioned although, of course, they are relevant for comparison purposes as you have explained.

The biggie was when the exchange rates took a steep dive at the same time that interest rates practically dried up.  So bang went roughly 50% of our income.

The exchange rate won't affect you so much should you move back to France because your income is in euros.

[idun]

It was interesting to work it all out.

I think that knowing that income tax is cheaper without working it all out, could have got an idea in my head that our income would have been the same. So we shall see what is in store and the good thing is, based on current figures, I now know what I am working with.

I have done living en campagne, it was lovely for about twenty years and then bit by bit didn't want to be there any longer, at least to live in.  La campagne is for holidays, visiting, not living in again. I live in a town now and would have to live in a town or city with proper public transport and services.

Idun, just getting her ducks in a row.[Www]

[Patf]

If you live in a non-materialistic rural area, as we did, there's no 'keeping up with the Sabatiers' etc. Everyone is equally scruffy. No carpets or curtains in the houses. Eat homegrown or scavenged.

OTOH you need to have 2 vehicles at least.

I agree about the exchange rate, Mint.

[NormanH]

Doesn't need to be rural to be scruffy....here most places are almost derelict and there are people scavenging in the dustbins by my house, but for the moment there are still plenty of services..

If you do buy remember that the TF is very likely to rise to compensate for the TdH going. They are a planning a re-valuation of the 'valeur locatif'  and of course that will be upwards..

[nomoss]

Idun. The choice is not just between la campagne and a cité.

We moved from pretty rural to a town of around 2000 souls only 5 km away.

We have a very basic bus service to Carcassonne and surrounding villages, which we don't use yet, as we have cars which we are still capable of driving.

However, we have a Casino Contact, a Mr Bricolage, our Groupama office, Notaire, a petrol station and a small row of shops within spitting distance of our house, La Poste and our pharmacie are 400m away, and the bustling town centre, with 2 markets per week, all the usual shops and banks, and the Mairie 100m further.

Within this 500m there is a surgery with 3 doctors, a clinic with 4 nurses, a dentist, a chiropodist, and there is a garden centre and a builders' merchant just the other side of town.

The pompiers are less than a km away, and when my wife had an accident recently, they arrived within less than five minutes, and had her in Carcassonne hospital within half an hour from their arrival.

I doubt we would ever find anywhere in England to compare with the life we enjoy here, and we're only an easy hour's drive from the beach or a feed of oysters[:D]

[idun]

My old village had much of what you mentioned, and it was not enough in the end. So I would need a town or a city, need more these days.

I am currently minutes from the sea and my life is pleasant. Certainly not worse than in France and in many ways better and our money goes further.

I imagine believing that such a move would be a retrograde step, would make it a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy and hard to make it otherwise.

NH, I had considered that the taxe fonciere may end up as much as the combined taxe d'h and tf. Daresay if we move back, it'd be on a par with what we are paying now..

[nomoss]

[quote user="idun"]My old village had much of what you mentioned, and it was not enough in the end. ................... [/quote]

What was missing, if I might ask?

[woolybanana]

A night club with naked, dancing bears?

[idun]

Missing, all the silly things that my son has in the city he lives in, in France.

Cinemas, theatres, bars, lots of restos, lots of public transport, and little shops that are open all hours.

And remember my first two years were in a city, so I know the difference.

My old village was quite dynamic, at least 30assoc, two primary schools, pharmacie, dentist two drs and some shops, including three bakers and even a fairly regular bus service, but not every 15 minutes.

But I lived there a quarter of a century, I have made wonderful friends who I love dearly, but I know the village. How it ticks, the under currents and the families who are just about sworn enemies.

I am sat here smiling, as in my last couple of years, without my saying I wanted to get back to 'civilisation' had on two separate occasions, 2 women at the house they didn't know one another, and both lived the city I had lived in, and they were VERY dismissive about living in a village and the mentality of the 'paysans'. I do get that and remember friends selling up and leaving a hameau, as they didn't want their kids in a village school, so they moved to a city.

No wooly, no nekkid dancing bears, just an old nekkid man, who used to mow his lawn, the garden was walled with huge gates which he would leave wide open. And the gates were next to the path that led to one of the maternelle/primary schools, AND the council offices overlooked said garden.... he did wear a sunhat in summer!

[idun]

Tonight I actually looked at house prices, and I say this in all honesty, most would need work and I felt suddenly panicked about the price of getting jobs done in France.

Here, I do not hesitate to get people in to do jobs, but in France, well it is quite another kettle of fish. And something that would need careful consideration.