We’re biased, but we can confidently say that Paris is a wonderful place to live. Whether you’re hoping to enjoy the food, the history, the art, the parks, the big city or quieter neighborhoods — or simply the French culture and way of life - there’s something for absolutely everyone.
To illustrate, we’ve gathered some of the best parts about living in the French capital.
At the same time, living in Paris does have some drawbacks, and we’ll explore those below. These include the noise, the smells, the cost of living, and the occasional rude Parisian.
But the pros easily outweigh the cons. Let’s see if we can prove that to you.
| Sommaire |
The positives of living in Paris are really too many to name, and also obviously highly subjective. But here are just seven that really make the city shine in our eyes.
Whether you’re a budding French speaker looking to level up, or learning a second language for the first time, you’ll be right at home in Paris. The city welcomes hundreds of thousands of foreign students every year, on top of the many thousands more who come to learn French by living it.
You’ll quickly be using functional French phrases and having conversations with strangers, which is a real thrill.
But if your ability to learn the language is what’s holding you back, you also need not fear. Compared with other French cities and towns, Paris is far more multilingual. No matter where you’re coming from, you’ll find people speaking your native tongue.
In fact, the only downside to this language diversity is it can be harder to fully immerse yourself. You may need to insist that your colleagues or classmates speak to you first in French, and only speak English on occasion.
But if learning French is a priority, it’s hard to think of a better place than Paris.
If learning French isn’t your primary driver for moving to Paris, food may be. The city is full of diverse dining experiences, from Michelin-starred restaurants to charming street cafes and vibrant food markets.
French food is renowned for being among the most technically refined cuisines in the world, and is the basis for most culinary training.
But you don’t have to be a gourmand to be blown away. A simple croissant or pain au chocolat at virtually any corner boulangerie can bring immense joy. A baguette, some cheese from a fromagerie, and a little rosé creates the perfect little picnic in the park. All of which will likely be cheaper (and better) than what you’re used to back home.
You’ll spend years happily discovering the best French food and drinks in your neighborhood.
But Paris isn’t limited to traditional local cuisine. There are incredible pockets of East and West African eateries, two different Chinatowns (which also feature Vietnamese, Thai, and more), fantastic Mediterranean and Levantine restaurants, and plenty of South Asian food too.
Part of the joy is finding and exploring these ethnic hubs. You can eat a different cuisine every day of the week (or the month!), and be delighted the entire time.
It’s simply impossible to pack all of Paris’ historical and cultural delights into a few short paragraphs. Few cities have seen so many movements, moments, and monuments, most of which can still be enjoyed today.
Here is an incredibly short, non-exhaustive list.
Château de Versailles
Live in Paris and you’ll visit all of the above multiple times, plus the world’s biggest traveling exhibitions, artists, musicians, and public speakers. Very few cities can truly compare.
Perhaps the biggest downside of life in the capital is the lack of beaches, lakes, and (swimmable) rivers. But it’s far from a pure concrete jungle. Paris has many beautiful parks and gardens, providing green spaces to relax, read a book, or kick a football around.
In fact, you’ll find small neighborhood parks around virtually every corner — too many to list here. You’re never short of playgrounds, ping pong tables, and quiet reading nooks.
And then there are the parks worth planning your day around.
The most famous include the Jardin de Luxembourg, Les Tuileries, and the Jardin des Plantes. These man-made, highly-manicured parks are beautiful to stroll through and great for people watching. They’re less ideal for huge gatherings or sports, as there’s not always a lot of grass to sprawl out on.
Paris is bookended by two very large parks, the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. Both feature large lakes with rowboats to rent (but no swimming), endless running and cycling paths, and open spaces.
Bois de Boulogne also has the Fondation Louis Vitton gallery, while Bois de Vincennes has a zoo and chateau to explore. Both are easily accessible by public transport, and make for a great weekend activity in nice weather.
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is another man-made park built on a hill between the 19th and 20th arrondissements. It has lovely paths, a lake with landscaped cliffs and a waterfall, and open green space to relax and picnic in. There are also a few popular bars, restaurants, and kiosks to keep you fed and happy.
Parc Monceau is a similarly popular and very beautiful park in the north west of the city — a little less well known and quieter than many. And for something a bit different, the more modern Parc de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement sits on two sides of the Canal de l’Ourcq. You’ll find flat, open grass for picnics and football matches, children’s playgrounds and outdoor fitness areas, and a wonderful science museum.
There’s plenty to see and discover in Paris itself. But the city is also a regional, national, and international stepping stone. For travelers and explorers, this is the ideal home base.
Let’s start with the quick train trips available to you around the Paris region. Visit Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Chantilly — all extraordinary castles on the local train lines.
Extending out a little further, you have Monet’s famous residence in Giverny, or the glorious cathedral in Chartres. Both are just a regional train trip away. And you can easily spend the day in Champagne or the Loire Valley and be back in time for dinner.
Cathedral in Chartres
For most expats, traveling around France by train is a miracle. Most countries have nothing like the breadth and quality of train network.
You can be in Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, or Montpellier in just a few hours, without the added stress and security of boarding a plane. Most trains leave from central Paris, and you only need to arrive 15 minutes early.
Particularly if you’re coming from another continent, the chance to live in and explore Europe is special. You’re a short train trip from Brussels, Amsterdam, and London. A longer — but completely manageable — train trip gets you to Milan, Barcelona, and Berlin.
And of course, you can fly virtually anywhere in Europe within about three hours. That could be north to Copenhagen or Stockholm, southwest to Madrid or Lisbon, or east to Athens, Dubrovnik, or Rome.
For those living in Europe for the first time, the sheer amount of destinations at your doorstep can even be overwhelming.
It’s hard to describe how beautiful Paris’ buildings, bridges, and public spaces can be, particularly during the famous evening “golden hour”. The city somehow manages to have both a quintessential “Paris style,” and rich diversity in its architecture.
Most famous is the Hausmannian architecture, the artfully designed and constructed buildings lining the streets downtown. But you also have fascinating modern architecture, from the Pompidou Center, to the Philharmonie de Paris, to the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
Architecture fans will find endless joy in the history and engineering. But anyone can experience the beauty and sense of place moving through these famous streets.
Le Louvre
The locals are known to complain about the daily commute, but public transport in Paris is a real marvel. There’s an extensive and efficient system including the Metro, buses, and regional trains, making it easy to get around without a car.
For most people, the commute to work or school is well under an hour, and you shouldn’t have to put up with traffic jams or fluctuating fuel prices.
Paris is also well set up for bikes, and is a very walkable city. So even those who don’t enjoy the underground experience have real alternatives.
It’s only fair that we explore some of the downsides to life in Paris. By no means do these offset the many joys and extraordinary experiences to be had in the capital city.
But if you’re looking for reasons not to live in Paris, consider these.
Paris is among the most expensive cities in the world to live in. Rent in particular can be costly, as can some entertainment and dining at higher-end restaurants. These expenses can come as a shock as you begin to adapt.
But some expenses — most notably healthcare, public transport, and staple foods — can be cheaper than you’re used to. And there are practical ways to keep costs down. People from all over the socio-economic spectrum call Paris home, and cost shouldn’t be a rigid barrier for most expats.
Read our guide to the cost of living in Paris.
Whether you live in a small or spacious apartment is always a matter of perspective. But if you’re used to living in large houses with ample living space, the typical Paris apartment can feel intimate.
A standard Paris apartment can be anywhere from 30-70m2 for a couple or small family. They can be creaky and noisy, particularly if you get a bit unlucky with your neighbors. And you shouldn’t expect climate control.
But they’re also often very practical. People have been living in what feel like small spaces for hundreds of years - quite comfortably. You’ll soon realize that a small apartment is easier to clean, furnish, keep cool or warm, and that you weren’t really using that extra space anyway.
Well, that’s not entirely true. Part of Paris life is whiling away the hours on a café terrace or in a quiet park. But walking down the street or catching the metro to work, you can expect people to move fast and take no prisoners.
You’ll also hear horns honking at all hours, and see bikes and cars speeding through red lights to avoid waiting a few more minutes.
For those moving from New York, London, Tokyo, this might be entirely normal. And you adjust quickly — soon you’ll be walking extra fast and crossing busy roads like a local.
But if you’re used to a slower pace and a less intense attitude, you’ve been warned.
This is a particular frustration for Brits and other Commonwealth expats, where formal queuing is engrained at a young age. If you consider disrespecting an orderly line to be the height of rudeness, prepare for a shock.
It's perfectly normal to see an unstructured mob formed around a checkout or ticket counter, or to have three random lines grow out of one. The only real solution is to follow the crowd and try not to get stressed about it.
It may not be as fair or efficient as it could be, but somehow it works.
Like most major cities, Paris can struggle with pollution. To combat this, the city has drastically reduced the number of roads (and increased cycle lanes), and you’ll frequently find car-free zones on the weekends. Still, you can expect more haze or smog than you would in smaller, coastal cities.
The city is also well known for bad smells, particularly during the hot months. Without being too descriptive, these can include garbage, and human and animal waste. Thankfully the city is hosed off on an almost daily basis.
The other major source of pollution that may surprise many expats is smoking. Compared with many anglo-saxon countries, where smoking rates have reduced dramatically in recent years, cigarette smoke lingers in the Paris air.
The good news: smoking is banned in indoor spaces and some outdoor public areas, and many smokers are switching to vaping or other less intrusive methods — or quitting altogether).
But it can still be confronting to sit on a quiet terrace and have wafts of cigarette smoke coming from all angles.
As mentioned above, there are no beaches, lakes, or swimmable rivers in Paris. The Seine runs through the middle of the city, and there are several canals, but none of these provide the same benefits as the ocean.
Which can be an issue when it’s hot. In Summer, Paris can reach mid-to-high thirties celsius (over 85 degrees fahrenheit), with very little wind. In those moments, you’d give anything to jump in a lake or bathe in the ocean.
Which is exactly why many Parisians leave the city for weeks in Summer. You’re only a few hours’ train from the coast or the alps, with a sea or mountain breeze to take the edge off.
Normandy beach
It’s hard to judge others who want to experience the magic of the City of Lights. But expats living in Paris will soon want to avoid certain areas of the city, particularly during the busy tourist season. And tourist season can feel like the entire year.
If you want to visit the Chateau de Versailles, the Louvre, or Disneyland Paris, you’re best to avoid them on the weekends. Same goes for most of July and August, or any European public holiday weekends.
No matter what, you can expect queues at the major sites. Just take your time and go with the flow.
One upside: tourists usually know how to form an orderly queue!
Whether a city suits you or not is entirely subjective. For some, the lack of a beach or mountains is simply the end of the story. For others, the cost of living and cramped conditions may not make it worth it.
But virtually everyone will find handfuls of reasons to love Paris life, despite its irks and quirks.
It’s on the shortlist of cities where almost any opportunity or experience imaginable is available to you. No matter what your priorities or motivation in life, you can find it here.