Cost of living

Cost of living - what it means for retirees

France’s relatively affordable cost of living is often a key factor for Britons considering relocation.

Day-to-day affordability - particularly regarding healthcare (see chapter 18) - can make a significant difference in how far your income stretches, allowing for a longer, more comfortable retirement.

Retirement costs

A November 2024 study by Silver Alliance in partnership with Retraite.com estimated that retired people in France need around €15,000 per year (excluding accommodation and utilities) to cover goods and services necessary to live with dignity.

The fifth edition of the study, Combien ça coûte d’être vieux en France? (“How much does it cost to be old in France?”), analysed 19 products and services commonly used by pensioners, including health insurance, home help, meal delivery, and transport.

The analysis considered five categories:

• Looking after your health: Health insurance, hearing care, optical care, incontinence products, medicines, etc.

• Fitting out your home: Bathroom fittings, support bars, walkers, etc.

• Living well at home: Home help, remote assistance, night care, etc.

• Making the most of your time: Clubs, associations, telephony and communication solutions, etc.

• Other services: Administrative assistance, transport, etc.

Most costs were calculated per year, although items such as optical equipment (three years), hearing aids and medical equipment (four years), bathroom fittings and moving (10 years), and communication equipment (three years) were spread over their expected lifespan. The study also accounted for tax credits and allowances, such as those for home help or night care.

In 2024, the report concluded that an average pensioner (across ages 65–75, 75–85 and 85+) needed €1,260 per month in spending income to live with dignity, equivalent to €15,124 per year, up from €14,596 (€1,216 per month) in 2023 — a 3.5% rise year-on-year.

Over five years, costs for retirees have risen nearly 20%, while inflation averaged 14.8% and the SMIC (minimum wage) increased by 17.1%, according to Retraite.com.

Minimum wage and basic standard of living

The French government sets the SMIC (salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance) as the national minimum wage. For 2025, this is €11.88 per hour, equivalent to roughly €1,800 gross (€1,426 net) per month for full-time work.

This figure represents a basic standard of living across the country, covering housing, food, transport and modest leisure. It is also the minimum income per person required for most long-term visa applications in 2025.

Connexion tip: budgeting

There are numerous online resources to help estimate living costs and forecast a personalised budget:

• Numbeo

• Living Cost

• World Data

• International Living

• Expatica

These tools allow you to enter household size, location, and lifestyle preferences to calculate expected monthly and yearly expenses.

Inflation and the cost of living

Actual costs will vary depending on household composition, property size and location, but by general measures France remains more affordable than the UK for day-to-day expenses in many regions.

Like much of Europe, prices in France rose sharply following the Ukraine war, reaching 7.3% in February 2023. Energy and staple food costs were partially mitigated by state aid. By January 2025, inflation had fallen to 1.7%, and forecasts suggested an average of 1.1% for 2025.

Insee reported in July 2025 that consumer prices rose 1.0% month-on-month, unchanged from June. Slight increases in services (+2.5% vs +2.4%) and food (+1.6% vs +1.4%) were offset by declines in energy prices (-7.2% vs -6.7%).