If relocation is on the table for you, chances are high you might be choosing between France vs the UK. Language and cultural differences aside, let us explore the context from a more practical angle. This article outlines the cost of living in the UK vs France to see which one is better suited for expats.
France economy vs UK
The official currencies of the UK and France are pound sterling and the euro respectively. For your convenience, all the amounts in the article are denominated in euros at the rate of June 10th, 2025, and are, therefore, indicative. To see the best exchange rates available now for these and other currency pairs, including your home currency and pounds/euros, check the online currency converter on www.profee.com.
France is more than twice as large as the UK, but both have nearly the same population of around 68.5 million people. They are the 3rd and the 2nd economies in the EEA by GDP size: France's economy vs the UK is €2.9 trillion vs €3.4 trillion. Since the pre-pandemic 2019, the economic growth in France has been slightly higher but the UK has picked up recently: in Q1 2025 the year-on-year growth stood at 0.6% for France vs 1.3% for the UK.
Both countries are advanced economies as a lion’s share of their GDPs is produced in the services sector: 70% in France vs 80% in the UK. The former relies heavily on the fashion industry and tourism, being the most visited country in the world. The latter has received global recognition for its finance, retail, and entertainment industries.
Extra reading: French payslip explained.
Quality of life in France vs UK
In all major quality of life rankings, the UK vs France comparison shows the former consistently getting higher scores. For example, in Numbeo’s Quality of Life index, one of the most comprehensive ones, the index of France is 160 vs 171 for the UK. The Statista’s quality of life ranking of 47 European countries shows the UK (16th) at 174.5 vs France (21st) at 166.3 (the 1st being Luxemburg with 220 and the last Albania with 104.3).
When France vs the UK are compared by the OECD Better Life index, the French are slightly less satisfied with life: 6.7 out of 10 (also the OECD average) against 6.8 for the British. Overall, France scores high in work-life balance, safety and social connections; the UK in income, jobs, education, and safety among others – useful to know when evaluating the UK vs France on which one is better for you. But how do these attitudes reflect the balance between the income levels and the cost of living in the UK vs France?
Explore: ATMs in the UK.
UK vs France salaries
A practical indicator to begin the UK vs France salary comparison is the national minimum wage which both countries have in place.
In the UK, as of 1 April 2025, the minimum hourly wage (known as the National Living Wage) for those over 21 is set at €14.40. In France the respective number (called salaire minimum de croissance, Smic) is lower, €11.88. Nevertheless, even considering the difference in the UK vs France minimum salaries, both are among the highest in Europe.
The situation is reversed when it comes to the average gross salary which in the UK is €3,680 and in France €3,755. Both, however, are much higher than the EU average of €3,155.
The above income is subject to social security contributions, whose size depends on many factors (the level of income, social status, age), and to the income tax which in both cases is applied on a sliding scale. Depending on how much you earn, however, the difference in the income tax paid in France vs the UK might be quite big. The tax brackets and corresponding rates are presented in the table below.
Income tax rates in France vs UK 2025/26
| France(1) | UK(2) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Income bracket | Tax rate | Income bracket | Tax rate |
| Up to €11,520 | 0% | Up to €15,045 | 0% |
| €11,520 – €29,373 | 11% | €15,046 – €59,319 | 20% |
| €29,373 – €83,988 | 30% | €59,320 – €147,665 | 40% |
| €83,988 – €180,648 | 41% | Over €147,665 | 45% |
| Over €180,648 | 45% |
(1) Those earning over €250,000 are subject to additional charges.
(2) The rates apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are different for Scotland.
After all the mandatory payments, it is now time to see if your net salary would cover your expenses and what quality of life you might expect in either country.
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Cost of living in UK vs France
Statista ranks the UK as the 9th most expensive European country and France the 12th. Over the last 10 years, the gap in increase in the cost of living in the UK vs France has been impressive: more than 53% vs about 2% (peaked at 5% in 2022).
Today, one should consider the following amounts for comfortable living in France vs the UK and their capital cities, Paris and London. The numbers below exclude rent at which we look in the following section.
Average cost of living: the UK vs France, € (excluding rent)
| Location | Family of 4 | Single person |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 3,825 | 975 |
| London | 4,335 | 1,415 |
| France | 3,355 | 944 |
| Paris | 3,725 | 1,051 |
Rent in France vs UK
One of, if not the largest expense in the budget, rent greatly affects the overall cost of living. In the UK vs France analysis much will depend on what type of property you are looking to rent and where it is located.
Still, when rent is accounted for, the cost of living in London is 30% higher than in Paris, according to Numbeo. The numbers in the table below give a general idea of how much living in France vs the UK costs in a rented property.
UK vs France rent comparison, €/month
| Flat type / Detail | UK | London | France | Paris |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom (central) | 1,220 | 2,600 | 765 | 1,410 |
| 3-bedroom (central) | 2,025 | 4,845 | 1,410 | 3,110 |
| 1-bedroom (suburban) | 990 | 1,950 | 595 | 1,030 |
| 3-bedroom (suburban) | 1,600 | 3,200 | 1,095 | 1,980 |
| Share of rent in monthly expenses | 28% | 40% | 21% | 31% |
Unsurprisingly, the most expensive properties are let in the capital cities. For example, in London the highest monthly rent is close to €4,500 while in Galloway, Scotland, one can find a property for slightly more than €600 per month.
In the cost of living in the UK vs France comparison, the situation on the French property market is similar. You can find a studio in Paris for about €1,300 and pay less than half of that, €600, for one in Marseille. Again, remember that these are average numbers to give you a gist of the cost of living and renting in France vs the UK.
Utilities
Rent is not the only house-related expense as you also need to pay your utility bills like electricity and gas, water, the internet connection, and so on.
When comparing the electricity prices in France vs the UK, the former is generally cheaper plus there are state-regulated tariffs that might help you to have greater control over the cost of living.
The UK, like France, has the so-called energy price caps set by the government. For example, if you pay by direct debit, the electricity rates until 30 June 2025 are capped at 27.03p per kWh plus standing charge of 53.80p per day on average, and these will decrease between 1 July and 30 September to 25.73p and 51.27p respectively. The overall energy price cap in July-September is set at £1,720 per year for dual-fuel (electricity+gas) households that pay by direct debit. The specific cap rate will depend on the location.
Living in France vs the UK is bureaucratically similar in terms of paying local property taxes, such as the council tax in the UK or “residential tax” (taxe d'habitation) in France. In the first case, the charges are set by the respective city council while in the second they will depend on the property’s market value.
The cost of communication in France vs the UK is similar. For a monthly mobile phone plan with data you may expect to pay around €20-€30, and the broadband connection costs in the range of €40-€50 per month. In the UK you will also need a special TV licence to watch broadcast programmes, which costs slightly above €200 per household annually.
Cost of food in France vs UK
When it comes to grocery shopping, the data in the table below show a lower cost of living in the UK vs France. Both on the national level and in the capitals, one needs to pay around €6 more in France for the same set of items.
Average food prices in France vs UK, €
| Grocery type | France | Paris | UK | London |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread | 1.77 | 1.77 | 1.46 | 1.92 |
| Rice, 1kg | 2.28 | 2.52 | 1.94 | 2.21 |
| Chicken fillets, 1kg | 12.14 | 12.15 | 7.84 | 7.65 |
| Potato, 1kg | 2.05 | 2.29 | 1.44 | 1.51 |
| Milk, 1l | 1.15 | 1.38 | 1.48 | 1.55 |
| Banana, 1kg | 2.03 | 2.11 | 1.44 | 1.73 |
| Apples, 1kg | 2.75 | 3.03 | 2.60 | 2.96 |
| Eggs, 12 | 3.74 | 4.38 | 3.53 | 4.30 |
| Local beer, 0.5l bottle | 2.24 | 2.41 | 2.49 | 2.83 |
| Total | 30.15 | 32.04 | 24.22 | 26.66 |
In addition, the French prioritise local produce especially cheeses, wines, berries, and so on. Expect these to be more expensive than across the Channel and, if these are part of your regular diet, affect the difference in the cost of living in France vs the UK.
At the same time, eating out in France costs less than in the UK. One can have a meal in an average restaurant for €10-€25 while the price of a three-course dinner for two varies between €60 and €120. In the UK, the amounts are €12-€35 and €60-€120 respectively. This might be an important factor in your assessment of living in France vs the UK if you are not a fan of home cooking.
Transport
Travel expenses can have a significant effect on the quality of life in France vs the UK. The overall share of the monthly budget spent on transportation is almost 12% vs about 10% respectively. However, the expenses vary depending on your travelling routine. To understand the France vs the UK difference, let us compare some of the popular fares in both capitals.
| Type of fare | Paris | London |
|---|---|---|
| Single journey | €2.50 (or 1 hour) €2.07 | €2.50 |
| One day | €12.00 | €6.20 |
| Weekly pass | €31.60 | €51.00 |
| Monthly pass, starting from | €88.80 | €200.00 |
As you can see, the difference in the cost of living in the UK vs France can be quite substantial and will depend on your preferences. The good news is that in either country an expat should not worry about one thing: financially supporting his or her loved ones back home. Because the quality of life is high and because both the UK and France residents have access to Profee to manage their international remittances.
A licensed online money transfer service, Profee is your go-to solution whether you want to deposit money to your savings account or start investing back home, or simply send your family a money gift. Transfer via Profee are fast, secure, and performed at the unmatched currency exchange rates and with very low to no fees. Check the Profee’s currency converter or get the iOS/Android app to unlock all the benefits.
