woolybanana Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Assuming a single person with an annual income of, say, £18000 or €18000 made up of 85% pensions and 15% interest from investments, would you be better off living in UK or France, with home fully paid for?I am not sure how to answer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 wooly, it is impossible to answer, as it all depends on lifestyle and which areas of the UK and France you are comparing. I am always bemused when posters take prices in the Limoussin for example as representative of France in general, in seeming ignorance as to the huge regional variation in everything from grocery and fuel costs to property taxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renaud Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Wooly, your friend would be mad not to live where he more enjoyed living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 I think he was trying to compare living in rural Somerset with where I live in the Vendée which is ruralish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pommier Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I'd have thought he would have enough money to live in either place so it depends where he would prefer to live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Surely it's a 'swings and roundabouts' situation.Council tax in UK is very possibly a lot higher than in the Vendee ( maybe), vehicle costs will be higher in UK, ( VED, petrol / diesel prices ), however, IMHO, food costs could be a lot lower in UK.As someone said, it's down to lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I am sure there have been lengthy threads on why people move TO France from the UK. Maybe a search of those, and sort of reversing the situation, would be helpful.One major reason that people move to France seems to be to take advantage of its cheap property to become mortgage-free. Assuming your friend were unaffected by that aspect, the other most-often cited perceived advantages to living in France would probably be low crime levels, good medical treatment and free education.Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Given that the person in question has an income involving a pension it is unlikely that free education would be an issue. Similarly I imagine that crime levels in rural Somerset are unlikely to be any different to rural France. Medical may be pertinent but only if said person is covered by an S 1 if he moved to France, otherwise it's a case of private health care = expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I think you have to define "better off" - simply financially or taken in the round. And if the latter then the level of language skills would in my book at least play heavily in the answer. Also important would be the level and number of friends that you have that you could contact on a regular (perhaps daily) basis. It's a question that no one except the expat questioner could sensibly answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Even just looking at the figures is difficult because it depends if the pension is a Government one, i.e taxed at source in the UK (with the declaration in France + tax credit system) or one which can be totally taxed in France.In the latter case there would be less tax to pay than in the UK, but of course even with an S1 you need a Mutuelle which bumps up the total.I believe Electricity is cheaper in France.Food in the shops feels more expensive in France, but I can still find good value restaurant mealsI have lived in rural Somerset and urban France and the latter suits my lifestyle better, but then I am reasonable in French and have built up a network of friends which can be hard to do in a new country and a foreign language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 The last paragraph in Norman's post probably sums it up best, in that it all comes down to language competence and assimilation, without which longer term you are probably going to be happier staying in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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