The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
31 of 100Weak
Price level 0.766 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), France. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
42 of 100Mixed
Toulouse, the main city: 6 comfortable months a year (May to October).
Source: Climate normals 1991–2020, Toulouse-Blagnac (WMO 07630). Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
34 of 100Mixed
Global Peace Index 2026: 99th of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
73 of 100Strong
WHO UHC service coverage index 82 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
Unknown
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
60 of 100Mixed
Expat Insider 2026 Ease of Settling In: 16th of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 15 October 2026.
Lifestyle
72 of 100Strong
Expat Insider 2026 Quality of Life: 9th of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 15 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100Mixed
Mixed: fixed broadband is 48.9 per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line, but the official pages reviewed describe no residence route made for remote work for foreign employers, and the visitor card does not allow work.
Source: Carte de séjour "visiteur" (visitor residence card); Carte de séjour "entrepreneur/profession libérale"; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
85 of 100Strong
Strong: the "visiteur" card is for people who stay without working, and Service-Public lists it among the permits that count towards the five years needed for the EU long-term resident card.
Source: Carte de séjour "visiteur" (visitor residence card); Carte de résident de longue durée-UE (étranger en France depuis 5 ans). Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
100 of 100Strong
48.93 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024), above the 30 line.
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
60 of 100Mixed
EF EPI 2025 score 539 (38th of 123), between the 499 and 550 anchors.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: France. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
85 of 100Strong
A visitor card is open without a French job offer: valid 1 year at most and renewable, no minimum age, no deposit, and resources of about EUR 17,700 a year (about US$19,900 at the ECB rate of 9 October 2026), well under US$60,000. To be safe, have more than EUR 18,000 a year. It does not allow work. A one-year renewable card is read here as a year or more.
Source: Carte de séjour "visiteur" (visitor residence card); Visa de long séjour (séjour de plus de 3 mois à 1 an). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Canada passport
85 of 100Strong
A visitor card is open without a French job offer: valid 1 year at most and renewable, no minimum age, no deposit, and resources of about EUR 17,700 a year (about US$19,900 at the ECB rate of 9 October 2026), well under US$60,000. To be safe, have more than EUR 18,000 a year. It does not allow work. A one-year renewable card is read here as a year or more.
Source: Carte de séjour "visiteur" (visitor residence card); Visa de long séjour (séjour de plus de 3 mois à 1 an). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Australia passport
85 of 100Strong
A visitor card is open without a French job offer: valid 1 year at most and renewable, no minimum age, no deposit, and resources of about EUR 17,700 a year (about US$19,900 at the ECB rate of 9 October 2026), well under US$60,000. To be safe, have more than EUR 18,000 a year. It does not allow work. A one-year renewable card is read here as a year or more.
Source: Carte de séjour "visiteur" (visitor residence card); Visa de long séjour (séjour de plus de 3 mois à 1 an). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, New Zealand passport
85 of 100Strong
A visitor card is open without a French job offer: valid 1 year at most and renewable, no minimum age, no deposit, and resources of about EUR 17,700 a year (about US$19,900 at the ECB rate of 9 October 2026), well under US$60,000. To be safe, have more than EUR 18,000 a year. It does not allow work. A one-year renewable card is read here as a year or more.
Source: Carte de séjour "visiteur" (visitor residence card); Visa de long séjour (séjour de plus de 3 mois à 1 an). Checked 15 October 2026.
Cities
Cities in France.
Each city page shows which figures are its own and which are the country's.
Topics
The detail on France.
Guides
France, by passport.
Each guide is written for citizens of one country.
For your situation
France for different circumstances.
Compare
Side by side with another country.
The same measures for both places, with no ranking.
Questions about France.
How do prices in France compare with the United States?
Prices overall in France are about 0.77 of United States prices at market exchange rates (World Bank, 2025), an economy-wide average, not a household budget. Rent differs by city: the 2025 asking-rent indicator for small flats is €16.33 per m² a month in Toulouse, €22.80 in Cannes and €30.02 to €40.43 across Paris.
How long can I stay in France without a visa?
US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passports get 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area without a visa. A 1949 agreement lets US citizens add 90 days in mainland France, and a 1947 one does the same for New Zealanders. We found no extra days for Canadians or Australians. Longer stays need a visa.
Can I work remotely from France?
The official pages we read describe no residence route made for remote work. The visitor card is for staying without working, and applicants hand in a statement that they will not work in France; the pages do not say how that applies to a foreign employer, so ask the consulate. Freelancers use a separate card.
How much money do I need to live in France long term?
Visitor card: a net monthly income for a single person, so to be safe, have more than €1,500. Freelance card: an activity able to earn the gross minimum wage each month, so to be safe, more than €1,900. The minimum wage is revalued each year, so check the figure when you apply.
Do I pay tax in France if I work remotely from there?
France treats you as tax resident if your home or main place of stay is there, you work there other than incidentally, or your main economic interests are there. The scale for 2025 income is 0% up to €11,600 per tax share, rising to 45% above €181,917. Your home country's rules are a separate question.
Is healthcare good in France, and can I join the public scheme?
The WHO service coverage index for France is 82 out of 100 (2023); it measures access to essential services, not hospital quality. If you work in France you can join the public scheme (PUMa) once your application is accepted; without work you wait 3 months, then must live there 6 months a year.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), France, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 76.57 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. France ranks 9th of 31 countries.
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. France ranks 16th of 31 countries.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: France, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 539, global rank 38 of 123 countries and regions; the 2025 edition was the current one on 15 October 2026.
- [G1] Unveiling the Diversity of France's Climate and Geography, Atout France (France.fr, official tourism board website). Checked 15 October 2026. Four coastlines totalling 3,427 km; bounded by the Rhine, Jura, Alps and Pyrenees.
- [G2] France's mountain ranges, Atout France (France.fr, official tourism board website). Checked 15 October 2026. Alps, Pyrenees, Vosges, Jura, Massif Central and Corsica.
- [G3] Unités urbaines: La France et ses territoires, Insee. Checked 15 October 2026. 2020 delimitation: 2,467 urban units, nearly 2,000 under 10,000 inhabitants; those under 10,000 hold 13% of residents.
- [G4] Rural population (% of total population), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 21.2% of the population is rural (national definitions), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [G5] Agricultural land (% of land area), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 52.8% of land area, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [G6] Populations de référence 2023 des communes (fichier d'ensemble), Insee. Checked 15 October 2026. Population municipale at 1 January 2023, in force 1 January 2026: Paris 2,103,778; Marseille 886,040; Lyon 519,127; Toulouse 514,819 (the four communes over 500,000).
- [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Toulouse-Blagnac (WMO 07630), Météo-France (WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 via NOAA NCEI). Checked 15 October 2026. Toulouse, the main city for France's climate grade: monthly mean daily highs 9.7 to 28.5 °C; 6 comfortable months (May to October).
- [W2] Climate normals 1991–2020, Clermont-Ferrand (WMO 07460), Météo-France (WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 via NOAA NCEI). Checked 15 October 2026. Alternative city: mean temperatures 4.3 to 20.6 °C, a range of 16.3 °C between the coolest and warmest months.
- [W3] Climate normals 1991–2020, Lyon-Bron (WMO 07480), Météo-France (WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 via NOAA NCEI). Checked 15 October 2026. Alternative city: mean temperatures 4.1 to 22.6 °C, a range of 18.5 °C between the coolest and warmest months.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. France ranks 99th of 163 countries (score 2.083).
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. France: 82 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory API on 15 October 2026.
- [K1] Carte de séjour "visiteur" (visitor residence card), Service-Public.fr (French government information service). Checked 15 October 2026. Page verified 1 June 2026: valid 1 year at most and renewable; resources of EUR 1,477.93 net a month for a single person; health insurance; no work in France.
- [K2] Carte de séjour "entrepreneur/profession libérale", Service-Public.fr (French government information service). Checked 15 October 2026. Page verified 1 June 2026; the route for freelancers and self-employed people, not a remote-worker route.
- [K3] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 48.93 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [R1] Carte de résident de longue durée-UE (étranger en France depuis 5 ans), Service-Public.fr (French government information service). Checked 15 October 2026. Page verified 1 June 2026: five years in France on listed permits, including the temporary "visiteur" card, count towards the card.
- [V1] Visa de long séjour (séjour de plus de 3 mois à 1 an), Service-Public.fr (French government information service). Checked 15 October 2026. Page verified 9 October 2026: more than 3 months in France needs a long-stay visa (type D) from the French consulate, valid from 3 months to 1 year; one of its cases is a visitor who can live on their own resources; it does not allow work.