Montpellier and OccitanieĪs the fastest growing metropolitan area in France, the city of Montpellier has a lot to offer those seeking endless entertainment opportunities on a manageable budget. Two-bedroom homes in Sarlat start at around $228,000, and two-bedroom apartments in the town center average about $175,000. Count on spending a bit more near the dynamic expat hub of Sarlat-la-Caneda, with the payoff of a vibrant English-speaking community at the ready. The region has great value-for-money on homes and apartments, with more popular areas commanding higher real-estate price tags. You’ll want to save your extra euros for gourmet meals out, and visits to picture-perfect hamlets like Domme, La Roque Gageac, and Beynac-et-Cazenac (whose cliff-side castle dominates the river valley). Pockets of this sun-laden, sunflower-filled area in southern France could easily fall into the lower budget category as several villages have homes for sale under $150,000. Medium Budget ($2,400 to $2,800) The Dordogneįrance’s land of 1,001 castles, the Dordogne is the name for both the region and the picturesque river which flows through it. Although you can find homes for sale for under $100,000, the average is closer to $160,000-with certain areas (the coast and Rouen) climbing to around $220,000. Residents can reach Paris, by train, in about an hour-and-a-half. Fans of the City of Light can look to settle near Rouen, an elegant city whose cathedral was a favorite subject of the artist Monet. The region boasts some stunning coastal cities, like Dieppe, and captivating cultural enclaves like Calvados (14)-a département rich in culinary traditions. If you can overlook the rainy weather, you’re in for a cultural treat, as well as some great savings on real estate. NormandyĪs Brittany’s next-door neighbor, Normandy shares similar geographical features, including a fairly soggy climate for many months of the year. Homes in Brittany start at under $100,000.

Dinan, a port city lined with old-stone houses and waterside restaurants, is thought to be one of the prettiest towns in the region. Brittany contains four different départements (French counties), with the Côtes-d’Armor (22) being one of the more retirement-friendly destinations. With 800 miles of cliff-side beaches, dotted with idyllic fishermen’s villages and eye-catching ports, they have good reason to be. Residents of this windswept stretch of coastline in western France are a fiercely proud, independent lot with a passion for their region’s history and traditions. Whatever your taste, or retirement budget, France has opportunities for everyone’s dream of living la belle vie.Īre you interested in retiring abroad? Yes | Not Sure Yet Lower End Budget ($2,000 to $2,400 a month) Brittany ©/RolfSt The more budget-conscious can head northward to the rugged, lost-in-time coastlines of Brittany and Normandy where hearty, cream-rich cuisine and maritime traditions seduce expats and residents.įor destinations that combine affordable real estate with sunny skies, look no further than the castle-filled Dordogne region or the pastoral, inland corner of southern France known as the Var. If you’d like to hear the waves lapping along the French Rivera, be prepared to stake a pretty penny into an apartment or villa in the cities of Nice, Cannes, or Antibes. While utilities tend to be cheaper in France (the country has one of the lowest electricity rates in Western Europe), the real budget savings come from housing costs. Prehistory, castles and gastronomy are particularly attractive to tourists.Whether you imagine yourself in a cozy village tucked away in the vineyards of Provence, or in a sleek, ultra-modern apartment steps away from the legendary Champs-Élysées, France offers lifestyle options for every taste and budget. It is thanks to this exceptional wealth that has developed a tourism that should be described as 'cultural', so many good reasons to come to Dordogne. Thanks to the diversity and preservation of its heritage, the Dordogne is one of the most sought-after tourist regions for French and foreign tourists. Welcoming and steeped in history, the Lot-et-Garonne offers a host of cultural, recreational and leisure activities for beautiful holidays in the heart of the South West.

gastronomy and local products are all part of its identity. Agen prunes, Marmande tomatoes, strawberries, kiwis, wines. Gourmand and generous, it is the first French department for the diversity of its cultivated fruits and vegetables. Authentic and friendly, it promises warm encounters to all lovers of green tourism. South-West in Lot-et-Garonne! Located in Aquitaine, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, the Lot-et-Garonne embodies all the values that found the spirit of the Southwest.

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