With increased fuel and food prices hitting the UK hard at the moment and the domestic property market looking bleak, you'd be forgiven for thinking that most Brits are staying home and avoiding all risk right now, but recent figures show that the cost of living in France is less than a third of that in the UK. Could it be cheaper to live across the channel than staying at home?
According to specialist expat adviser Siddalls houses in France offer better value for money than their UK counterparts, with average prices around 50% cheaper across the channel.
A recent study conducted by Siddalls into retiring in France revealed that the overall cost of living in France compared to the UK is approximately 30% lower.
While fuel prices were found to be on a par with those in the UK, French drivers pay no road tax. Affordable food in France was also found to be more readily available as people tend to consume more seasonal, local food rather than imports, where a lot of the big price hikes have been seen.
Another surprise for expats moving to France is how much less they pay in income tax. Whilst the common perception is that France is a country with high taxation, the majority of expats pay less tax than at home.
Source: Siddalls UK
