- I moved from New York to Paris and expected to live the European dream, but the reality was a bummer.
- I make about a third of what I was paid in New York City but my cost of living hasn’t changed much.
- Traveling to other countries isn’t as easy as I’d thought, either.
About a year ago, my fiancé and I moved to Paris after living in New York City for 10 years.
I expected some differences — mostly pleasant. I imagined cheap, universal healthcare, a better work-life balance, and a lower cost of living.
I figured adapting to a new place would be a bit rough initially, but the promise of living in Paris was appealing, and leaving my New York burnout seemed like a natural transition into my mid-30s.
However, the reality was different from what I’d imagined.
Healthcare in Paris isn’t as cheap as I’d thought
While France’s healthcare system offers substantial benefits, it’s not as simple as walking into a doctor’s office and never seeing a large bill.
Basic visits may cost less, like a dental cleaning for around $20, but specialized services have cost me more in Paris than in the US.
For example, each visit to my gynecologist costs around $120, and a dermatologist visit costs around $100. When I lived in New York, my health insurance through work covered visits like this and I paid nothing out of pocket.
Finding a job was harder than I’d expected
Initially, I was sending résumés daily without any feedback. That’s typical in the US, too, but what I didn’t realize was these jobs preferred people who were fluent in both English and French. This was not communicated in the job descriptions.
I only realized this later once I’d improved my French and finally started to get job opportunities.
I was surprised that the cost of living wasn’t that much lower
I was aware that salaries in France are, on average, lower than in the US. Still, I expected this to be offset by a lower cost of living. That hasn’t been the case.
My job pays about a third of what I was making in the US. Yet, the cost of everyday items isn’t significantly cheaper. My husband and I pay about $80 a week in groceries here compared to $100 to $120 in New York.
The cost of going to a restaurant isn’t that much cheaper, either. In New York, I’d typically pay between $25 to $30 for dinner. In Paris, it’s about $20 for a similar restaurant.
Other services are even more expensive. I spent about $300 in New York to color my hair, whereas it costs about $350 here.
I also miss the deals I’d get on Amazon. Since ordering on Amazon in Paris is far more expensive than in the US, I’ve stopped using it. I now shop on Facebook Marketplace or go to the Paris equivalent of Target.
Traveling isn’t as easy as I’d hoped
The undeniable benefit of living in Europe is the ease of travel.
However, because my cost of living is almost the same as in New York, I’ve had to budget more for travel than I expected.
Also, I’d hoped that planning for a quick weekend getaway in Barcelona would be easier here, but I’ve found that it requires basically the same level of planning.
I still have to book the flights, pack, and budget for it all, which is just as involved as it was in the US. The only difference is the time I spend on the flight.
People in Paris are more insular than I expected
In New York, I found it easy to make friends. I’d chat with folks at my local café or bar. It only took a few meetings before we were scheduling dinner dates together. I haven’t had as much success making friends in France.
People are more ready to schedule a quick chat over coffee, but it’s taken me more time to build a real connection with them. During the year I’ve spent in Paris, I’ve made a couple of friends, but the relationships still feel more like acquaintances compared to my friendships in New York.
It’s also harder to schedule hangouts on the weekends because the people I know are typically spending that time traveling to nearby countries.
