Living in Paris How much

Question

Hi everyone.

I would love to live in Paris when i finish university here in Australia, My talent is art and i am just wondering how i would be able to live and work in Paris as an artist in maybe 10-5 years or so. My unlce lives in Paris also and i have been there twice and absolutely love it. So it all depends on the areas and prices. If anywhere i would live in Montmartre. but anywhere in Paris would be fine.

Answer 1

Not to mention that the apartments listed on Fusac are far more expensive than those listed on regular sites like www.pap.fr or www.seloger.com, which aim at the regular French person and not rich expats used to Manhattan or SF prices. You'll find many maid's rooms/studios around 300 € - 400 € and 1BDR apartments around 600 €-700€ in very desirable parts of Paris.

I am not familiar with Australian prices but compared to the US, French utilities are super cheap too (especially electric and gas), same for internet connection and phone.

So as long as you find a way of moving and working there legally, price should not be an obstacle if you are ready to settle for smaller living areas than what you are used to in Australia. Good luck!

Answer 2

Paris is not cheap (it is now the 6th more expensive city in the world) but there are cheaper areas, and no, they are not dangerous. I have been living in Paris for 20 years and the city is safer than ever. It is outside the city, in the outskirts, that there are unsafe areas (especially in the north).

Montmartre covers several areas. The top of the Butte and south is more expensive, but it is not the most expensive area of Paris. North (the other side of the Butte, or Plaine Montmartre) is cheaper. You just have to be careful not to live near Métro Marx Dormoy, which is really not nice.

Other cheaper areas: the east, near Métro Gambetta, or north-east, in Belleville, or the top of Belleville. There are many artists there, as there are a few beautiful old houses with gardens and some studios.

Answer 3

I'm sure you realize that this won't be easy and that Paris is not a cheap place to live especially as you have a close relative who lives there but I don't believe the situation is quite as hard as the first responder suggested.

I often rent an a furnished apartment for a month when visiting Paris and just last October got a very nice ground floor, one bedroom, apartment around the corner from the Pantheon for about US$2000. Since rates for short term, tourist rentals of furnished apartments are obviously higher than for a long term lease I would think that you could find something suitable for considerably less.

In fact, I just took a quick glance at the FUSAC website (http://www.fusac.com/housingfr.htm)  and noticed an ad for a 1 bedroom apartment in Montmartre for 1200 euro/month.

So don't be discouraged! Dreams can come true.

Answer 4

My GOD... If you are going to have a WET DREAM..  it may as well be a good one.

I lived in Paris for 2 years in the mid 1980's... had an "Artist Garret" on the top floor of a 4 story building... complete with a 21 foot ceiling and a sky light.  It was just about 5 or 6 blocks from the Moulin Rouge.. Rue Clairaut... and when I FIRST moved in... the rent was the equivalent of $750 U.S.D.  and by the time I moved out 2 years later the rent was about $1,600 U.S.D. per month.  I don't know for sure but I would guess the rent is about $3000 U.S.D. for that same apartment today, 20 years later.

There are CHEAP areas of Paris and there are SAFE areas of Paris... and they aren't the same.  Paris is a much more dangerous city today than it was in the 1980's.