The 10 best places to live in France in 2024
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France regularly features in the Top 10 list of the best countries to move to. Here we analyse where are the 10 best places to live and work in France in 2024, covering the best French cities to work, to retire, to invest in property and the best places to study in France. We also cover the cheapest places in France to buy property.

France has always been a popular destination for UK nationals to retire to. If you are thinking of retiring to France from the UK during 2024, we highlight the popular places for retirement in France and some key information on pensions, tax, healthcare and living in France for retirees.
Spending time by the beach in France throughout the year is a great plan. This collection of Coastal long term rental properties in South France, are all available for 3 to 9 month rentals from Autumn 2024 through to 2025.
The Lot department in central Southern France is a very popular area for customers searching for long term rentals in France. The Lot department borders Dordogne to the West and the city of Toulouse is 1 hour to the South. The Lot contains some of the most beautiful villages in France, it is generally cheaper to live here, than compared to Dordogne and the local Cahors wines, truffles, foie gras and Rocamadour cheese are celebrated throughout France.
If you are thinking of buying or building a new house in France, the award-winning architects, François Brunner & Olga Sanina, have provided some key professional advice about how to build a new house in France - the costs, the pitfalls and how to get it right. I also have obtained some key information from Paddy Gibbins, Managing Director of Artaxa Estate Agency, about the process for buying land in France to build a house.

This selection of houses for long stay rentals in France are all currently available from October 2024 to 2025. Some of the properties will take 12 month all year around rentals, but some are reserved for weekly rentals during the summer months. The prices quoted exclude the utility bills (which as a rough rule of thumb come to around 15-18% of the monthly rental price).
The French health care system is widely regarded as the best in the World. If you are planning on moving to France and to live here for more than 3 months at a time, then it is a legal requirement for you to have health insurance in place. There are 4 different ways to arrange healthcare coverage in France. To understand each health insurance option and which one will suit your circumstance, you firstly need to understand how the French healthcare system operates.


The cost of living in France is certainly not as cheap as it used to be. The French government advise that a single person will need at least €1,800 euros per month to move to France and live comfortably (and €3,600 euros for a couple). This is certainly the minimum income that is required for a long stay visa for France.
