An Expat Talks about Moving to Paris, France

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Paris

What type of housing do you live in? Is this typical for most expats in your area?

I live in an apartment provided by the state as my husband is a government employee. This is definitely NOT typical of expats because most of them would not be allowed to have this kind of housing. Most american expats would want something in better condition. We are willing to do work ourselves though because the rent is less than half of what it would be normally. Also, we were on a waiting list for a LONG time before we got this place. Most expats don't have that much time. Most of them also make more money too.

I love our huge terrace and the view of the Eiffel Tower! I love our neighborhood - no tourists, near a nice park, friendly neighbors. I like that the toilet is separate from the bathroom, but wish there was a sink in there with it. I hate how kitchens in France are completely empty and closets don't even have shelves or something to hang clothes on. I love that our apartment has a large walk-in closet, but he had to construct the inside ourselves.

Are your housing costs higher or lower than they were in your home country? What is the average cost of housing there?

Well, because it's a state home our rent is very cheap. Still you can't compare to all of America. Normally rent here is much cheaper than New York City. But it's still much higher than, say, in Tucson, Arizona where I also lived. I know before, apartments in Paris could run from 125 - 150 FF per square meter. You do the math for Euros!