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LIVING IN FRANCE

MAP: The 20 cheapest French towns and cities to live in

The cost of living is a hot topic in France and across Europe right now - so where are the cheapest places to live?

Published: 25 November 2022 15:28 CET
MAP: The 20 cheapest French towns and cities to live in
(Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)

At a time when purchasing power has never been so central to French people’s concerns, French daily Le Parisien has compiled a list of towns and cities where your money will go the furthest.

In order to produce this ranking, Le Parisien compiled the average salary in each location and then looked at the price of the average supermarket shop, the cost of transport (fuel as well as public transport), property prices (to buy or rent), property tax rates and the cost of a cinema ticket. 

READ ALSO Food, fuel and transport: Which prices will rise in France in 2023?

And it turns out smaller is better.

Of the 96 towns and cities tested, Niort, in the département of Deux-Sèvres in south west France (population around 60,000) came top,

Laval, in Mayenne (population around 50,000) was third; Saint-Brieuc, in the Brittany département of Côtes-d’Armor (population around 45,000), was 8th, and Rodez, down in the southern département of Aveyron (pop: c 25,000) was 10th.

The 20 most wallet-friendly towns in France are:

  1. Niort
  2. Châteauroux
  3. Laval
  4. Nevers
  5. Belfort
  6. Chaumont
  7. Épinal
  8. Saint-Brieuc
  9. Saint-Étienne
  10. Rodez
  11. Châlons-en-Champagne
  12. Quimper
  13. Arras
  14. Foix
  15. Poitiers
  16. Le Mans
  17. Colmar
  18. Montauban
  19. Bourg-en-Bresse
  20. Nantes

READ ALSO The 20 small towns most popular with house-hunters in France

Niort gains, the study found, in part because it has offered free local public transport since 2017 - a policy that other towns that rank well also implement, including second-placed Châteauroux (Indre), Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain, 24th) and Gap (Hautes-Alpes, 63rd).

For various reasons, including infrastructure, offering free public transport that meets higher levels of demand in larger cities is unviable, the report said. 

In fact, France’s larger cities are noticeably low in Le Parisien’s rankings. Lyon stumbled on to the list in 58th, Paris in 77th, Marseille 84th, and Montpellier 90th. Nantes, coming in 20th, is the only ‘large city’ representative in the top 20.

READ ALSO Wild boar, fast internet and kindly neighbours – why small-town France has the best of all worlds

The report stated that, despite salaries being little higher than average in larger conurbations, people also pay more for shopping, public transport, movie tickets, and housing.

The survey found that, on the whole, your euro goes further in the west of the country - where supermarkets are cheaper, and towns aren’t too congested, while the cost of a tank of fuel is lower, as are - researchers discovered - the more abstract costs, such as insurance, for the same level of service as elsewhere.

READ ALSO OPINION: An inflation ‘tsunami’ is about to hit France

Eastern France, the study found, benefited from relatively cheap property prices - offering more bang for a house-buying buck than the expensive ‘coastal bounce’-affected south or the Ile-de-France region, which orbits the cost-of-living singularity that is Paris.

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For members

TAXES

Tax benefits of having children in France

Parents in France benefit from a number of tax deductions, including for childcare or school costs, accommodation or even alimony payments, some of which can continue even when your kids are adults. Here's a look at some of the tax breaks that you may be entitled to.

Published: 24 April 2024 15:23 CEST
Tax benefits of having children in France

Having children in France is just as brilliantly difficult and gloriously maddening as it is anywhere in the world. But it can also be a major money-saver.

A not-uncommon topic of conversation is the generous support for parents. Three is the magic number of children for a family, for tax purposes – though that has to be offset against the realities of actually parenting three children.

READ ALSO Family-centred society: What it’s really like being a parent in France

We’ll leave that last calculation to you, and just deal with the French tax system, which is rather less complex.

So as tax declarations for 2024 are now open, here are the tax breaks you get for being a parent in France.

READ ALSO The 2024 French tax guide

Childcare

Let’s start with little kids, when you’re likely to be paying out for childcare.

Parents of children under the age of 6 on January 1st of any given tax year can obtain a tax credit towards the cost of childcare. This can either go towards crèche fees or the cost of an approved childminder or nanny.

The child concerned must be under 6 years of age on January 1st of the tax year. The credit is equal to 50 percent of the sums paid on childcare, up to a limit of €3,500 per child per year.

You must declare the net annual salary you pay any childminder/nanny, and any social security contributions.

School

A child in full-time education who does not have an employment contract entitles parents to a tax reduction of €61 if they’re in collège, €153 if they’re in lycée, and €183 if they’re in higher education, as long as they’re part of their parents’ tax household.

READ ALSO What you need to know if your child is starting school in France

In addition to the tax breaks, parents of school-age children are also entitled to various types of financial aid to help cover school costs including the ‘back to school’ bonus that is intended to cover those September costs for new uniform, stationery etc.

Divorce

If you’re divorced, then alimony payments may be tax deductible, depending on your childcare arrangements. The amount varies according to the financial situation of the parent paying the support. On the other hand, the cost of maintaining visitation rights, such as train tickets, are not tax-deductible. 

If parents have agreed shared custody of any children, any alimony payments are not deductible, because each parent is entitled to an increased tax share of their individual household.

Adult children

You might think that tax breaks are only available when your children are still young, but even when they reach the age of 18 there are still some tax benefits available.

Accommodation for adult children

If your adult child – that is a child over the age of 18 – lives with you and is attached to your tax household, you can deduct a lump sum of €3,968 from your income on your declaration for 2023 earnings, which is due now. According to the tax authorities, this amount corresponds to the cost of board and lodging.

“When the child’s accommodation covers only a fraction of the year, this sum must be reduced in proportion to the number of months concerned, with any month begun being deducted. Even if it is a lump sum, the amount deducted must be declared by the beneficiary”, the tax authorities’ website states.

Financial aid for children with no income

Parents who provide monthly financial assistance to adult children up to the age of 25 living on their own can declare the sums paid up to a limit of €6,368 per year. This aid is fully deductible. 

“You must keep all receipts for expenses, as they may be requested by the tax authorities. If the parents are taxed separately, each parent can deduct expenses up to this limit,” the tax office website says.

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