Does France Offer a Better Quality of Life?
- Jun 24
- 5 min read
As I wrote in part one of Quality of Life: France vs. the US, the richness of our lives is based on how we experience each day. We all have different needs, standards and goals, which often change throughout our lives. Quality of life is about how well our life matches those needs, standards and goals.
I’d dreamed of living in Europe ever since my first visit to Paris at the age of 30. I almost took the leap and move to France. Would my life have been better or worse if I had? I’ll never know. But I do know that moving to France in my 60s was the right thing at the right time. I’m enjoying the best time of my life. And a big part of that is the quality of life here.
Here’s a few more reasons why I’m experiencing a better quality of life in France.
Community spirit and connection
From my first visit to Brittany, I felt an openness and welcoming vibe from the people I met (the French, the British and the Danish). I had the sense that it wouldn’t be a struggle to meet people and make friends, and I was right.
You’d think living in the French countryside would be lonely and isolating. But it’s just the opposite. I can’t speak for all parts of France, but in Brittany there is a strong sense of community. People look out for each other and support each other on a regular basis. Whether that’s giving a neighbor a lift, sharing the fruit and vegetables from your garden and just being there to listen. That community spirit was a major factor in choosing this area of France.
Cultural events
There’s always something going on in the French countryside. Theatre, festivals, dances, concerts, art galleries, community yard sales and craft shows to name a few. It’s definitely quieter in the wintertime, but that’s when I go to the larger cities for museums, concerts and special events.
Mental stimulation
Life in France means dealings with the daily challenges of navigating cultural differences, not always understanding the language, and slogging through a totally different bureaucratic system. While it can be stressful, a part of me is grateful for the experience as all these mental challenges are keeping my mind sharp. I can no longer go through life on autopilot. I have to stay on my toes. Of course, the longer I’m here, the more I learn the language and the more I familiarize myself with how things work, the easier life gets.
Access to good and affordable healthcare
Although there are shortages of doctors in some rural areas of France, the country offers quality healthcare at reasonable prices with the majority paid for by the government. When I see my general doctor, I pay 9 euro ($10.22), which is 30 percent of the 30 euros he charges. The French government’s Assurance Maladie pays the 70 percent. My mutuelle or wraparound insurance, for which I pay 121 euros ($137.40) a month, reimburses me for the 30 percent that I paid. If you have a serious illness like cancer, the French government pays 100 percent of your medical expenses.
Beautiful surroundings
Living in an aesthetically pleasing environment is important to me. Just like America, France has its unattractive industrial areas, usually on the outer edge of cities. Then there are the newly constructed subdivisions and their white concrete boxes without a smidge of architectural charm.
But for the most part, France is a visual feast! Driving around the countryside I enjoy views of stunning chateaus, thousand-year-old cathedrals, quaint stone houses, rolling hills, deep forests and pastoral scenes. Even stone walls and crumbling ruins are a joy to behold. I never tire of the beauty and history of France.
A more sustainable life
Living in rural France may mean living in a house that is smaller than the US standard. However, many rural houses come with far more land than a typical house in the US. In France, I was able to afford a lot over three times the size of a typical lot in Portland, Oregon.
Rural folks learn to be self-sustaining. You never know when the power will go out, or water restrictions will be implemented. With land, you have the space to grow your own food. On my 16,000 square foot lot, I have four apple trees, a pear tree, a plum tree, a fig tree, four hazel nut trees and a massive walnut tree. I love berries and have planted a large, raised bed of Autumn Bliss raspberries, as well as strawberries and four blueberry bushes. This year I put in a large vegetable bed where I’m growing sweet corn, celery, cucumbers and several types of squash.
I have the space to compost not only food, but all of my tree trimmings and weeds. I’m building a dead hedge, an upright structure of woody cuttings woven between vertical stakes. It not only provides a safe environment for wildlife, it means I no longer have to waste gas hauling tree trimmings to the dump.
It’s good to be more self-reliant and sustainable, and not be so reliant on outside sources of food, water and power as we never know when those resources might not be available.
Safety
You only have to look at the crime statistics to see that France is statistically safer than the United States, especially if you are living in rural France. Many of my friends don’t even lock their doors. France’s homicide rate is around 1.5 per 100,000 people compared with roughly 6 per 100,000 in the US. In large French cities, pickpockets and petty theft are common. But your odds of being in a terrorist attack are miniscule.
Gun violence is rare in France and is mainly concentrated in drug-trafficking disputes in certain neighborhoods of major cities. There are between 15 and 20 privately-owned firearms in France for every 100 inhabitants, compared to about 120 guns for every 100 inhabitants in the United States. According to a study by GunPolicy.org, an American is 30 times more likely to die from a gunshot than a French person.
Good mass transit and roads
If you live in a European city, you have access to good mass transit and you don’t need a car. In the countryside, a car is essential. I love driving around France because it’s visually beautiful and the roads are in good condition. But I also have the option of taking the train that stops in my little village. In 35 to 45 minutes, I can be in either of two major cities, or change trains and be in Paris in two and a half hours via a TGV fast train.
In summary
As a retiree, I appreciate the quality of life France offers me. For younger people who are working and starting a family, there are even more benefits to living in France. Although wages are lower and taxes are higher than in the US, workers receive six weeks paid vacation. Parental leave is 16 weeks (6 weeks before and 10 weeks after birth) for mothers and for fathers. And attending a French university is a fraction of the cost in the US.
If you are living in France or visiting the country, I’m interested in knowing how you find the quality of life compared to the US. Comment below.
