Can an American move to France on an income of $2,000 per month?

While some Americans move to France to do highly-paid jobs or with large pensions, some make the leap without as much financial security. 

If you have an income on the lower side, of around $2,000/month, there are many budget considerations, starting with the costs involved in obtaining residency.

Your visa application will involve a processing fee of $220 plus a visa fee which is usually €99 but is zero for partners of French citizens.

In the first months in France you will then have to either ‘validate’ your visa at a cost of €300 or apply for a first residency card, usually costing €350 (€150 for some reduced-cost categories).

Depending on your reason for moving, you may also have annual residency card renewal fees, typically €250.

Exact costs of the visa and residency process can vary depending on the reason for moving, as well as how long you plan on staying in the country.

More about current costs can be seen in our article here. 

Other visa requirements

Many Connexion readers are retirees looking to move to France, using their US pension as monthly income. 

It is important to note that this limits them with regard to the type of visa they can obtain, and they usually obtain a first VLS-T visiteur visa, which they can then renew annually. They may be able to convert it to a 10-year carte de résident after five years in France. 

If you are coming to France as a retired individual, the visa you obtain will not allow you to work in France – although income from sources such as pensions, certain forms of rental income etc are allowed – and you will need to have income above a minimum threshold. 

This threshold corresponds to France’s minimum wage (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance, often called SMIC). 

Currently, the net (after social charges) SMIC is €1,477.93, about $1,728. 

Ideally couples should have double this. Reports suggest that there is often flexibility, especially if they are homeowners, however they are always expected to have a higher combined income than one SMIC if applying together. 

Note that other requirements for your initial visa, including private medical insurance for the first year, may also lead to high initial costs. 

Income is assessed as part of each residency renewal, so if it was to drop significantly this may affect your rights to live in France.

Renting or buying?

Travel and removals will be another significant cost, which we will not, however, address further here. It is then necessary to consider living costs once you have arrived in France. 

Taking the figures above, you can see that $2,000 (around €1,748) is above the country’s minimum wage. 

This is also above the average French pension, which sits at around €1,705 (gross or brut) according to government research and statistics agency Drees (based on 2024 data). 

So, depending on where you move to, this may be enough for a reasonably comfortable life. However, there are many factors to take into account. 

Firstly, many French pensioners will own their homes mortgage-free, which may not apply to you if you require a mortgage to buy, or if you rent. 

If you are planning to purchase a property with a lump sum payment independent of your ability to draw an income of $2,000 per month, consider that your ability to obtain a mortgage in France is restricted. 

While non-residents can obtain a mortgage, they are usually required to put down a higher deposit (between 20% and 30%, sometimes up to 40%) of the costs, and may have more restrictions on their borrowing. 

This is especially the case for older buyers, with banks reluctant to lend money to them for a prolonged period.

French mortgages are often limited to a 35% debt-to-income ratio (meaning the monthly payment cannot exceed 35% of your income, in this case around €600).

Read more about Americans acquiring a French mortgage in our article here. 

Location is a major factor in the cost of a property, and property prices vary greatly across the country. 

Popular American hotspots in France include Paris and the French Riviera, although these rank as among the most expensive areas to live in the country. Away from these, you will find lower prices but may not have access to a significant expat community, if this is important to you. 

A €600/month mortgage could get you a studio or one-bed flat in a mid-size city in the south of France, or a house of between 60m² and 90m² in a rural department such as Corrèze, Nièvre, or Creuse.

In larger cities such as Paris, Nice, and Lyon, it is unlikely to be enough for a suitable property, however.

For renting, landlords and agencies will apply a similar debt-to-income ratio as a mortgage provider, leading to a €600 limit. 

This will give access to a roughly similar property to a mortgage, but actual properties available on the market will differ if looking to rent rather than buy, with rural areas likely to see fewer properties listed but plenty of smaller rental properties in larger cities.

An explainer on renting in France is available in our article here – note you may have issues if unable to provide a guarantor (garant), a stumbling block for many non-French individuals looking to rent in the country. 

A comparison on renting or buying in France is available in our article here. 

Other housing costs 

Alongside your mortgage, you must factor in several other outgoings related to your home, including insurance and bills. 

You may also need to pay additional fees such as co-ownership charges (if living in a block of flats).

Do not forget, you will also need to pay property taxes such as taxe foncière if you own your property. 

This annual tax can be paid in a one-off sum or in 10 monthly instalments, and varies considerably across the country.

Depending on where you are looking to live, these costs can take up a considerable chunk of your monthly income.  Estimates suggest that roughly 25% of French expenditure relates to non-mortgage/non-renting housing costs.

Everyday expenses 

In terms of everyday expenses, costs again vary considerably based on your household profile. 

However, France consistently ranks cheaper than the US for bills, housing costs, and even groceries. 

For the latter, there is little price variation in France based on location, with supermarkets generally stocking goods for the same price across the country (although larger cities and Paris may see slightly higher costs). 

Monthly French grocery bills are around 30% to 50% cheaper than American bills, although this is difficult to accurately estimate as household sizes and consumption habits vary greatly across both countries.

The French habit of shopping for food more regularly but in smaller quantities – particularly for city-dwellers with limited pantry and refrigeration space – may take some getting used to for Americans, initially leading to higher costs before settling into the pattern. 

Bills are also cheaper in France than in the US, with electricity consumption per household considerably lower. 

Once you join the French healthcare system, healthcare costs are also typically significantly less compared to the US, though you should bear in mind there are plans (currently not being prioritised, however) to require some newcomers to pay a new healthcare fee.  

A more in-depth comparison of costs is available in our article here.