The thing about fruit and vegetables is I suppose there’s far more variety grown in France (certainly compared to Scotland where I grew up along with the Côte d’Azur) and we eat them seasonally and for ages we didn’t particularly bother importing any except from the dom/tom, so for someone coming from a city in the UK there would seem to be little choice.
I never think to take the £/€ rate into account (but then I am paid in €).
Hi we have been here 17 years on and off, we don’t earn in £ so don’t feel the exchange rate pinch this is just my experience of the cost of living here for us v the UK. We also used a private school in France and that increased by over 50 percent. House prices are the only thing that seem fairly stable.
Yes we earn in euros too…but I just wonder whether the exchange rate does affect some people’s comments as must have hit hard in 2018.
I suppose it could just be that since OH got his state pension last year we feel flush, so more relaxed about prices.
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Over the past 15 years our weekly shop has increased by around 40% so way higher than inflation which has averaged around 1% per annum over the same period. France - Inflation Rates
I buy lots of fruit and veg imported from Spain and Morocco as well as India, Peru and Chile - especially the seedless grapes and blueberries. Stuff solidarity and supporting the local market - I can’t afford to, not when the better quality imported stuff is so much cheaper. Just take a look at the price of French strawberries - ridiculous!
Also love the frozen NZ Lamb legs - half the price of French lamb, less fatty and more tasty!
Even the Lidl imported Cab Sav from Chile or South Africa, and the Zinfandel from California, and the Cloudy Bay Australian Chardonnay are cheaper than French equivalents!
PS - markets are fine if you’re happy to eat the stuff the same day and pay double.
Honestly? I think there’s lots of ‘Emperors New Clothes’ (aka denial) syndrome at play when people talk about French prices.
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And Simon is back 
Absolutely agree about the New Zealand lamb!
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Just wanted to thank you all again and to let you know that my first name is actually Jaye Lynn: Two words, one name, Southern style! My Grand Nana, “Honey Beth”, was a true steel magnolia from Georgia, and one dasn’t EVer refer to her as “just” Nana Honey. 
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Mmm… that’s interesting…
Personally, I’m used to seeing a hyphen between two words if they are meant to be paired and, of course, that goes for double-barrelled names as well…
Apologies … will try to get your name right in future… 
Yep - you’ll fit in really well in France! Just like with many French first names although, as Stella points out, they are always hyphenated (as they normally are in the US!)
Please, no apologies needed - “double dubbing” is quite confusing to those not accustomed to the practice. A passage from Southern Living magazine (a US publication):
“Down here, we don’t kid around when it comes to double names. Not only do double names roll off the tongue in a signature Southern drawl as sweet and slow as pouring honey, but double dubbing is often about bridging family names with classic or meaningful ones, which is why we also know to never assume Anna Grace just goes by Anna, or that James Wyatt goes by James. That cardinal rule is permanently etched into the Southern code of etiquette, praise be. And why settle on a single moniker when you can double the love with two? After all, it gives Mama something firm and weighty to yell out when you’re in deep trouble.”
No hyphens are ever used as lots of folks think they look ugly
Jaye Lynn (or you can call me Legs)
Wasn’t this thread originally titled ‘Prices and Numbeo’ ? Numbeo is a cost of living comparison site therefore the original title would have been correct and actually make more sense than ‘ Prices and Numbers’
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Ahhhh well Legs…thankfully (or ‘praise be’ !!) we’re very used to double dubbing in France - no big deal 
Praise be, eh? Sounds a bit too Handmaid’s Tale for me. (Under his eye, blessed be the fruit, may the lord open, etc etc)
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Nellie, the original title was Prices and Numbeo - not sure when (or how???) the title was changed. Nice catch!
Glad you’re accustomed to the whole doubling down “thang” in belle France, Simon! I used belle as I always think of France as being feminine, in a gorgeously powerful way.
And speaking of feminine — Veronique, the book absolutely infuriated me and there was no way I would subject myself to the series, no matter how well acted or plotted!!! Instead of being treated and feted like the goddesses they are, many of the few fertile females are enslaved? Oi!
With all of your help, I feel much better about having correct numbers to ponder. Numbeo’s crowd-based average prices seem far from the Madding crowd (sorry, couldn’t resist).
Merci!
Apologies… I thought it was a misspelling and edited it for you 
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sorry… my fault… thought it was a spelling mistake or fingers going back to front as happens with many of us…in our excitement… 
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Reminder to self… no wine at lunchtime… hic
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Well Legs - grammatically it is! Socially? well that’s a whole new discussion…
Phew… Numbeo is fascinating… just Googled it…
but… many of their costs do not match up to my own figures…
and does anyone really pay 81€ for a pair of jeans?
LOL they really do Stella! One of my completely spoilt / ruined nephews (19) wouldn’t dream of paying any less! He also wouldn’t dream of wearing them more than once before ‘Mummy’ has to wash them…whereas Uncle Simon gets most of his stuff from Sportsdirect or M&S online. Funny old world…
Today on SportsDirect - only 6,99€ delivery to France…
Ha ha… just goes to show… Cannot always rely on Numbeo type results… 'cos some of their “figures” depend on whether or not the person tapping in the data… is a spoilt child… or is a sensible grown-up… 