Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving across the Atlantic is a dream for many French people. High salaries, a sense of “anything is possible,” economic dynamism, the allure of cities like New York, Miami, or San Francisco… But behind the postcard image, the reality of daily life can be surprising, sometimes harshly so, especially when you come from a country like France, where social protections and certain public services cushion a large part of financial shocks.
Living in the United States means rebuilding your budget, your relationship with work, health, and safety, and navigating between two cultures. Based on France/USA comparisons, cost of living data, and expat testimonials, this article offers a nuanced overview of the reality for French people.
Cost of Living: A Rich Country… and an Expensive One
When you look at global indices, the difference may seem moderate. Some rankings place the cost of living index around 67–69 for both countries, with gaps of only 2 to 12% depending on the source. But these averages mask very sharp disparities depending on spending categories.
For a French person arriving, the impression is often twofold: not everything is necessarily more expensive, but what is can become decisive in the budget, especially housing, healthcare, education, and to a lesser extent, certain services.
An Overview: France vs. United States
The aggregates show a fairly clear structure: higher average income in the United States corresponds to a significantly higher level of expenses.
| Indicator (average) | France | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost of living – 1 person | $1,762 | $2,515 |
| Monthly cost of living – family | $4,166 | $5,738 |
| Average net monthly salary | ≈ €2,400–€3,000 | ≈ $3,700–$5,000 |
| Rank among most expensive countries (world) | 28th | 10th |
| Local purchasing power index | ~121 | ~162 |
In other words, daily life is generally more expensive in the United States, but incomes are, on average, significantly higher. For an expat, the whole challenge lies in knowing whether their salary really keeps up.
Not living as well as hoped and feeling strong financial stress.
A French couple living in Florida
Housing: The Number One Budget Buster
Rents and real estate prices are, for most expats, the number one shock. The gap between France and the United States is particularly pronounced on this point.
Rent: The American Bill
Comparative data shows rents are much higher in the United States, especially in major metropolitan areas.
| Housing indicator (rental) | France | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Average rent – 1 person (all cities) | $915 | $1,593 |
| Average rent 1-bedroom city center (national average) | ≈ $898 | ≈ $1,671 |
| Rent index | 22.3 | 40.7 |
| Share of monthly budget spent on housing (expats) | 30–50% depending on city | Often > 40–50% in large cities |
Examples by city give a more concrete idea:
| City (1-bedroom apartment – city center) | Estimated average monthly rent |
|---|---|
| Paris | €1,500–€2,400 |
| Lyon | €800–€1,300 |
| Bordeaux / Toulouse / Montpellier / Nantes | €700–€1,100 |
| New York (Manhattan, 1-bedroom center) | ≈ $3,918 |
| San Francisco (1-bedroom center) | ≈ $4,364 |
| Miami (1-bedroom center) | ≈ $2,395 |
| Houston (1-bedroom center) | ≈ $1,443 |
A simple look at these few cities is enough to understand why a French manager, even well paid, can feel “less rich” in New York than in Paris.
The average monthly rent in the most affordable U.S. states and cities, like Iowa or West Virginia, is around $900 to $1,000.
Buying: Price per Square Foot, Size, and Local Taxes
Comparing homeownership between France and the United States is more nuanced. The price per square meter may be higher in France, but the average size of American homes is much larger.
| Real estate indicator (purchase) | France | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Average price per m² (national) | ≈ €3,141 / m² | ≈ $168 / sq ft (≈ $1,808 / m²) |
| Average home size | ≈ 112 m² | ≈ 2,163 sq ft (≈ 201 m²) |
| Median home price (national) | ≈ €240,000–€270,000 | ≈ $362,000 |
| Annual property tax (2-bedroom in Paris) | < €1,000 | Up to $12,500 for equivalent in CA |
Two realities particularly strike the French:
In the United States, the median home price in San Francisco exceeds $1.3 million, while some cities in Ohio have median prices below $60,000.
2. Local U.S. taxation (property taxes, school taxes, etc.) weighs heavily, especially in states with a high level of local services. Paying $10,000–$15,000 in property tax per year for a comfortable home is not unusual in some areas.
For a French person, the trade-off is therefore not just “buy here or there”, but “which city, in which state, with what taxes and what schools nearby?”.
Healthcare: The Real Sinkhole of the American Dream
For many French expats, discovering the American healthcare system is an even more brutal shock than rents. The numbers speak for themselves.
The Hospital That Ruins You: France/USA Asymmetry
In France, a visit to a contracted general practitioner costs around €25–€26.50, largely reimbursed by the national health insurance, with the rest often covered by a supplemental plan. A major hospitalization like a hip replacement rarely costs more than €8,000, fully covered within the system.
In the United States, the same procedures can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars.
| Medical procedure (order of magnitude) | France (actual out-of-pocket) | United States (gross cost) |
|---|---|---|
| General practitioner visit | ≈ €10 after reimbursement | $100–$200 |
| Specialist visit | variable, mostly reimbursed | $150–$300 |
| Emergency room visit | A few tens of euros | $1,000–$4,000 (deposit $1,000–$3,000) |
| Appendicitis (hospitalization) | Nearly nothing for the insured | $15,000–$30,000 |
| Hip replacement | ≈ €8,000, reimbursed | $20,000–$40,000 |
| Childbirth (no complications) | Hospital cost covered, limited co-pay | $10,000–$30,000; frequent out-of-pocket $5,000–$10,000 |
Economic surveys remind us that healthcare accounts for more than 16% of monthly household spending in the United States. Health insurance becomes a central part of the compensation package. Without adequate coverage, a simple emergency room visit can have lasting financial consequences, to the point that medical bills are cited as a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States.
Health Insurance: Mandatory Items for the Expat
For a French expat settled there, several options combine:
In the United States, employer coverage is essential in skilled sectors because it covers a substantial part of the monthly premium; without it, attracting talent is nearly impossible. For individual contracts on the local market, premiums vary by age, state, plan type (HMO, PPO), and deductible; expect $300 to $500 per month for a single person and $1,500 to $2,000 for a family with decent coverage. Finally, a combination with the Caisse des Français de l’Étranger (CFE) and international expat insurance can maintain a link with the French system, especially in case of return for major care.
The U.S. legal out-of-pocket maximums give an order of magnitude of the maximum financial exposure: $9,450 per year for an individual, $18,900 for a family. And these caps are not theoretical: many households actually reach them in case of illness or accident.
For a French person used to the carte Vitale, the difference in philosophy is radical. In France, healthcare is a universal public service, its cost smoothed by mandatory contributions. In the United States, it is a private insurance product, with a strong individual risk if you are poorly covered.
Education: From Nearly Free to Sky-High
The other major category where the gap between France and the United States is abysmal is education, especially higher education.
University: Two Worlds
In France, annual tuition fees for a bachelor’s degree remain symbolic at public universities: about €170 per year for a French or European student. Certain prestigious schools and private institutions obviously charge much more, but the norm remains heavily subsidized higher education.
In the United States, average tuition fees are at incomparable levels:
| Annual university fees (average) | France (public university) | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s / Bachelor’s | ≈ €170 | ≈ $10,662 (public in-state) |
| Public out-of-state | — | ≈ $23,630 |
| Private university | — | ≈ $42,162 |
For a French expat family with children considering studying in the United States, this single line item can change the life plan. Some opt to maintain ties with the French system (studying in France or at a French-language university), others rely on scholarships, or compromise: undergraduate studies in France, specialization in the United States.
Schooling for Expat Children
When it comes to primary and secondary education, the reality is also contrasted.
Overview of tuition fees and disparities by school type and location for expats.
Free but of variable quality depending on the district, funded by local property taxes. Expats often choose their neighborhood based on the reputation of the zoned school.
Very high fees, especially for French or bilingual schools: a French high school in New York costs about $50,000 per year, while in Austin the rate is around $25,000 per year.
– In France, the vast majority of public schools (elementary, middle, high) are free, most private schools under contract have very modest fees, and only a segment of international or non-contract schools approach Anglo-Saxon amounts.
For a French expat moving with children, this choice between American public school, local private school, or French/bilingual institution becomes a central question, both educational and budgetary.
Daily Life: Food, Transportation, Services
Beyond the major structural categories, the cost of living also plays out in everyday life. This is often where the subjective feeling of “being comfortable” or, on the contrary, “of counting every dollar” is forged.
Grocery Shopping and Eating Out
Detailed comparisons show that grocery shopping is, overall, slightly more expensive in the United States than in France, but with nuances.
– A French household typically spends €500 to €700 per month for groceries for two adults who cook regularly.
– In the United States, an average family spends a little over $1,000 per month on food, with wide variations by state (Miami being among the most expensive, the Midwest among the cheapest).
The price of a baguette in France is between €1 and €1.20, while a good local wine costs €4 to €8 and cheese or market fruits and vegetables €2 to €4 per kilo, illustrating a better quality/price ratio than in the United States.
On the restaurant side, the raw differences are not huge on the plate, but the tipping culture changes the game:
| Restaurant meal (order of magnitude) | France | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Simple lunch menu (plat du jour, weekday) | €13–€18 | $15–$25 (excluding tip) |
| Full bistro menu (3 courses, excluding drinks) | €25–€35 per person | $25–$40 (excluding tip) |
| Standard tip | Service included, “tip” optional | 15–20% nearly mandatory |
Many French people living in New York or Los Angeles explain that “going out to eat” quickly becomes a luxury to manage with caution, especially when you add babysitter, transportation, and local taxes.
Transportation and Mobility: The Reign of the Car
The other major daily difference is the lifestyle. Where most large French cities allow you to live without a car, in the United States, the private car remains the center of daily organization in most areas.
Gas is cheaper per liter than in Europe, but long commutes, frequent use, and multiple cars per household increase the transportation budget. Public transit is developed in some large cities (New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco), but remains limited in most metropolitan areas and suburbs.
For French people who appreciated in France the ability to do everything on foot or by metro, this dependence on the car is both a cost and a change in quality of life. Some see it as freedom, others as a constraint (traffic jams, insurance costs, maintenance, parking).
Safety and Quality of Life: Perceptions and Realities
Comparisons between France and the United States regarding safety present a contrasting picture. Violent crime and homicide rates are significantly higher in the United States, notably due to the prevalence of firearms. At the same time, some American metropolitan areas offer very high levels of safety in their residential suburbs, sometimes higher than socially fragile French neighborhoods.
Key Statistics
| Safety indicator (national average) | France | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100,000 inhabitants | ≈ 1.3 | ≈ 5.6 |
| Gun deaths per 100,000 inhabitants | ≈ 0.2 | ≈ 4.1 |
| Overall crime index (perception) | ~55 (moderate) | ~49–55 (moderate) |
| Feeling of safety during the day | High | High |
| Feeling of safety at night | Medium to low depending on area | Medium to low depending on area |
A French person moving to New York, Miami, or Houston often observes a strong spatial segregation of crime: some neighborhoods combine poverty, drug trafficking, and violence, while affluent residential areas are extremely safe. Most expats do not live in the most exposed neighborhoods, but the American safety culture (police presence, media discourse, safety tips) influences the feeling.
In France, crime is mainly marked by thefts (pickpocketing, burglaries), vandalism, and other petty crime, with a much lower homicide rate. However, the media perception of rising insecurity remains very present.
Quality of Life Feeling
Quality of life indices generally rank both countries at a high level, with slight variations depending on the components:
Key indicators comparing France and the United States on essential criteria
Purchasing power in France is higher than in the United States.
France scores better than the United States in the health domain.
France has a notable advantage in global climate indexes due to less extreme climatic diversity.
Pollution levels are generally slightly lower in the United States than in France.
For an expat, beyond indicators, quality of life is also measured by work rhythm (weekly hours, vacation time), the ability to feel “on vacation” without going far, and the psychological cost of potential precarity (health, employment).
In France, the combination of 35-hour workweek, minimum five weeks of paid vacation, universal healthcare system creates a safety net that many Americans lack. As an American expat in Nice once remarked, even with a modest salary, “you can still go to a restaurant, take a weekend trip, enjoy life,” which she found much harder on a small salary in the United States.
Being French in the United States: Integration, Culture, and Daily Shocks
Beyond the numbers, the experience of a French expat rests on constant cultural adjustments. Some are amusing, others trying.
Work, Career, and Relationship to Risk
Several French entrepreneurs based in New York emphasize one point: economic opportunities are real, especially in tech, cultural, or creative sectors, but they come with a higher personal risk.
A founder who left France to start his start-up in Brooklyn explained, for example:
– In France, a manager’s compensation remains tightly regulated, social charges are high, but the safety net cushions failures;
– In the United States, the founder is sometimes the lowest paid in the team at first, living essentially on equity, but can, in case of success, multiply the value of his personal wealth several times over.
This “anything is possible” climate attracts many French people, especially in tech and creative fields. One entrepreneur also pointed out that in New York, “you feel you can succeed at anything if you launch a project,” a feeling reinforced by the market’s dynamism and the ability to raise capital.
Daily Cultural Shocks
Testimonials from French expats highlight recurring “mini shocks”:
Differences include food (texture, taste, “chronic food disappointment”), politeness (formal in France vs. informal in the United States), child-rearing (no screen time for an 8-year-old French girl in Florida, American financial rewards vs. French family duty), and schoolwork (strict academic expectations in France vs. self-confidence and sports in the United States).
Isolation, Friendships, and Integration
Many French people find that it takes longer than expected to make real American friends. Preconceived notions about “hospitality” or the omnipresence of “close-knit friend groups” seen in TV series collide with the reality of very structured lives, often centered on family and sometimes religious community.
No one actually opens their door to invite you over, and asking a neighbor for flour was not a given.
A French woman who moved to Mississippi
Many recommend that newcomers:
– Join clubs, associations, gyms, Meetup groups;
– Join expat networks (French-speaking communities in large cities, chambers of commerce, cultural associations);
– Accept that building deep connections takes years.
In a city like New York, the French community is highly visible: more than 19,000 people born in France live there, numerous bilingual schools exist, and neighborhoods like Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn are nicknamed “Little France”. For some, this community fabric makes integration smoother; for others, it can become a bubble that hinders immersion in American culture.
Taxation and Administrative Constraints: The Other Side of the Coin
It is often forgotten: expatriating to the United States, especially long-term (work visa, green card, naturalization), also means entering a different tax and administrative logic.
U.S. Taxes: Worldwide Taxation and Strictness
The American system is based on two principles very different from the French model:
1. Self-declaration: everyone is responsible for calculating and declaring their own taxes. Errors, even unintentional, can be costly. 2. Worldwide income: as soon as you are considered a tax resident (or citizen, or green card holder), all worldwide income must be declared, including bank accounts and investments remaining in France.
U.S. authorities require in particular:
Threshold above which declaring foreign accounts via the FBAR form is mandatory, for aggregate accounts reaching this amount.
Penalties for non-declaration can be extremely high (up to 50% of the undeclared amount per year in some cases), even without obvious fraudulent intent. Many French people who have lived in the United States for a long time discover these obligations late and must turn to “soft regularization” procedures.
Franco-American Tax Treaty: Avoiding Double Taxation… In Theory
Good news for the French expat: there is a bilateral tax treaty covering income (and another for estates and gifts). It aims to avoid double taxation and defines which country has the right to tax which type of income.
A few key principles emerge:
Salaries are taxed in the country of employment, U.S. pensions remain taxable in the United States, dividends and interest are subject to limited withholding in the United States before French taxation with a credit, and capital gains on real estate are taxed in the country where the property is located.
However, this treaty never exempts a U.S. citizen or green card holder from filing their federal returns. Moreover, it does not solve everything: French social contributions, for example, do not interface simply with U.S. law, and state taxes (California, New York, etc.) are not covered by the treaty.
For a French person settling permanently in the United States while keeping assets in France, it becomes essential to be accompanied by tax specialists who master both systems.
In the End: Who Gains What, and at What Costs?
Cross-referencing economic data and testimonials, a picture emerges: the United States offers higher average salaries, sometimes incomparable professional prospects, a more fluid labor market, and an environment where entrepreneurship and career mobility are highly valued. But this “bonus” is paid for with high social insecurity, financial mental load, and a higher cost of living on the structural items when the employer does not compensate.
In France, despite a more modest gross salary and high contributions/taxes, you benefit from a top-tier healthcare system, very inexpensive education, generous paid leave, and high security, creating a rare foundation of quality of life.
For a French expat, the question is therefore not to know which country is objectively “better”, but rather to clarify:
– what level of financial risk they are willing to accept (illness, unemployment, life accident);
– how much importance they place on social protection, vacation time, free time, children’s schooling;
– how much they want to test their professional limits in a highly competitive environment, with the possibility of considerable gains but also sometimes harsh setbacks.
Living in the United States, when you come from France, means accepting to trade part of security for potential. For some, this trade is a powerful motivator; for others, it becomes exhausting after a few years, to the point of triggering a return to Europe.
Reflection from a French expat
The only mistake would be to go without clear-eyed awareness, imagining you will live “like in France, but with more money.” The figures show, on the contrary, that you need to reorganize your priorities, negotiate your package carefully (base salary, bonus, health insurance, retirement, schooling), and accept that the cost of living, quality of life, and daily realities do not have the same grammar on both sides of the Atlantic.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
