I haven't logged into MMM for awhile, but it popped into my mind today. Back when I was working toward FI, I spent a lot of time here to get through the hard days, so maybe this will be inspirational to someone else.
I retired from my academic job about six years ago, and my FI came from a combination of saving income and buying foreclosures to rent back when they were cheap. I sold the investment houses off one at a time and then moved from the southern US to Paris, France in January of this year. I recently uploaded my documents to renew my residency permit for another year.
Because I hated my job and the place where I lived, I went for a moderately lean FI of about 3000 USD per month, which right now is about 3090 EUR. The exchange rate introduces another level of uncertainty into my future, but I have purchased enough euros to get by for a year or so, which would at least give me time to move someplace cheaper if needed. The average salary for a singleton in my neighborhood is about 2300 EUR/mo, so I'm well above average at the current exchange rate.
My total housing costs (rent, insurance, utilities, fees) are about 1700 EUR/month. I have a 1 BR apartment in the Latin quarter.
Food costs vary a lot depending on eating out, but about 80-200 EUR/month. I found a market with good quality seasonal produce for 1-2 euros per kilo (50 cents to 1 USD per pound), and a budget grocery store for the rest. You can spend a ton on food if you want to, but you can also find high-quality inexpensive food if you're willing to accept the inconvenience of walking to it.
Miscellaneous non-food items are also about 100-200 EUR/month, although I could get that down if I needed to.
I go on one weekish-length trip every few months. These cost a few hundred euros each. If I'm going alone I camp (backpack camping is normal in France) but I've also done trips where I split the cost of a hotel room with a friend. I've done multiple day trips that cost very little. A round-trip train ticket in the Ile-de-France region maxes out at 10 euros and you can get a week pass for about 22. A surprising number of museums in Paris are free, and of course just walking around and soaking in the ambience is free. I walk on average a few hours per day. At first my back and feet complained but within a few months it was nothing.
I had a dental emergency that ended up costing me a little over 100 euros, although I will get 70% of that back when my health insurance card comes in. This could take years. I was required to buy an insurance policy that would cover a major medical event in order to get a visa. Also, my dental emergency happened at the end of July, just as everyone was going on vacation, so I had to wait a month until things started up again in September before it could be completely resolved.
The cost to get the visa was about 1000 USD, with the biggest expenses being the aforementioned insurance and also plane tickets to fly to the nearest consulate. I have a visitor's visa (VLS-TS) which is very easy for FI people to get. You just have to jump through the paperwork hoops to show that you can afford to live here. This visa does not allow me to work and is renewable on a yearly basis. After five years I will be eligible for a 10-year residency card, which would allow me to work. I could also apply for citizenship at that point, which requires a mountain of paperwork and several years but would give me the right to live and work anywhere in the eurozone. It would also get me out of the 225 EUR fee every time I renew my residency permit. I plan to try for this.
In terms of my general quality of life and mental state, moving to France is one of the best life decisions I've ever made. The combination of increased exercise and beautiful surroundings make more of a difference than I would have thought. Making friends has been pretty easy, and it feels like my personality fits the French way of life much better than the US way of life. People here work less and spend less in order to have a less stressful life, and enjoy the simple things. Although there are some social tensions, they are just nowhere near as nasty as they have gotten in the US. There are social protests but they are not typically framed as personal attacks on the other side. It's more just keeping a social balance going. The whole social structure just seems a lot more stable. People think in terms of solidarity. There is a campaign to reduce electricity usage this winter, even though our electricity generation is not dependent on fossil fuels, in order to be able to share the saved electricity with neighboring countries.
The thing that is the biggest hang-up for American expats here is that there is no expectation that life will be convenient. The big news this week is that refinery workers are on strike, leading to gasoline shortages. People in "service jobs" do not think that they exist to serve you. Sometimes the trains stop running and there is nothing you can do about it. Being here as a foreigner requires navigating a maze of bureaucracy. You have to figure out how to work within the system, which has rules that are rules, and rules that are flexible. Some people thrive under this system, and some just never adjust.
So if you frustrated with the US, consider doing some research into life in other places. I don't think it's for everyone, but for me, it's even better than I thought it would be.
