The wealth seems to me to be better hidden less flaunted perhaps.
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Haha, yes good point. Less of “keeping up with the Jones’s” perhaps…?
Maybe but keeping up with the jones exists all over.
That might be true but this chart from “Our World in Data” suggests the French might be “better off” for all that.
I’d be interested to see how the adjustments for “cost of living” were done.
France also ranks much more highly for “Quality of living” than the UK
Definitely true, I think the FT produced some charts but the disparity in the UK between rich and poor is large and growing.
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I can attest to that 
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I would have to research the facts, but the old and the poor seem better supported in France. Although disabled seem more marginalised here.
Apparently 50% of French taxpayers don’t pay tax ie they put their returns in but there’s nothing to pay. I think it was in Que Choisir (a bit like Which? used to be) about 1 year ago. A phenomenally large proportion of workers only earn the SMIC ie the minimum wage . But unlike places like the US they are treated decently - it’s a social thing.
As I learn more about things like the tax system, I realise that even though I’m very confident inFrench having studied it since childhood, worked in French etc…I’ve realised the French viewpoint on things takes listening and learning to understand. The way the government deals with things (like covid), the redistributive tax system, public service funding, which European laws France proposes or adopts and how quickly, and which European law they fudge about delaying… all this has taught me you can understand French perfectly… but there is such a lot more to understand the French point of view on things.
And then of course, there’s observing how your neighbour and other people you meet, handle things. What matters vs what else might be officially the case but actually doesn’t matter.
So funnily I don’t think the question is just about costs, but on what living choices you will make differently in France. So you may not be comparing like with like. Depending on lifestyle shifts or shifts in your values, you may be quite surprised as some things you may not need any more, and some new habits may change the way you use your time and money.
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So true, just understanding the language, demanding as that can be, doesn’t mean understanding the culture or esprit (for want of better words). Thinking back to our own formative years I wonder one can ever?
For example, despite speaking similar languages and having worked with them for decades do I understand Americans? I thought I did and then Trump happened. Conversely, I understand the forelock tugging reasons the Oxbridge crew are in power, but does an American? I understand the republican and unionist issues north and south of the boarder, but does anybody who hasn’t lived it?
I think you might have to be born and/or raised in some cultures to really understand them, no matter how much one reads or however many podcasts one listens to There is a visceral and intuitive aspect that can’t he acquired, it has to be experienced.
Definitely very little smart clothing needed in rural France.
No, just a blue flowery pinny from the Barbe-Bleu van. I never got dressed up or wore make up, still don’t although my DIL nags if I don’t swap my Levis for something a bit more feminine but makeup, no, can’t be bothered and its too hot anyway.
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Possibly varies from area to area… but I’ve noticed that the ladies in our country village will not set foot outdoors unless they are properly clad and “made-up”.
At one point, I couldn’t help chuckling at how they even managed to colour-co-ordinate their masks during covid. We’d made thousands it seems… all the colours in all the sizes… and they worked well … 
Eyebrows or lack of them, drawn on look horrendous on old ladies here I noticed. Look at Joan Collins in recent 90th birthday pictures, looks like she has been at the felt pen. Many have the short back sides too, they all did in Bretagne which according to culture, ladies used to cut their hair after they married. Me, sorry I hate that look, all permed on top and then razored sides - had 20cm chopped off last feb and its still halfway down my back.
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Me too. I recall someone commenting that one of the things they found ‘different in FR’ was that food was expensive.
That struck a note with me at the time, still does and that survey/chart feels like how it is, to me.
My recent return to Spain brought home to me the extra I pay for the same things in FR. And some things I pay for in ES are gratis in ES. For example, a bag of moules in ES is about 1/2 the FR price, are bigger/fatter/juicier and you are given a big bunch of parsley to go with it, free. In fact, you get a bunch of parsley with anything bought at the fish counter, if you ask.
A huge bunch of coriander is 1€ in Mercado Central, in VLC. Things like dried fruits and nuts - dates of various states from fresh to wizened - are luxury items in FR s/mkts but affordable by the kilo in ES. The prices for capsicum ‘peppers’ I find absurd in C4/Leclerc in Vire. I can’t afford them.
I find that it is much easier to get a good red wine towards the bottom of the price range - +/- €3 - in ES than FR. Most FR reds in that price range are pretty plonkish, whereas I have had some remarkably good reds in ES for <3€.
This, with a Lidl score of 86/100 is 2.68€ and is amaaaazing. Lidl ES, that is. There is nothing anywhere close in Lidl FR.
When I loaded a case of Pata Negra tinto [10€/4] from Mercadona [the one in the downtown shopping area of VLC] into a hire car, the Eurocar guy was effusive - “It’s great, isn’t it!? Let’s go export/import to UK with this!” I had to remind him of the pernicious duty getting bulk stuff into UK now.
I find the price of ‘plain vanilla’ emulsion paint in FR to be astonishing. Some tins in Bricomarche are so expensive as to make me laugh. A great deal of hardware and bits in the FR bricos are far more expensive than ES or GB.
That is certainly the case - in spades - for UK but not so for ordinary non-touristy housing in ES.
That may be true - why is that? - but there is an smidge of the illogical here - for every house ‘easy to buy’ someone has succeeded in selling it. Or is that a reflection of the sort of house that Brits tend to buy in which the French have no interest - the old, rural do-ups?
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I would expect a score of 86/100 to be very average wine. Doesn’t the good stuff usually command a score of 90 plus?
Delicious Wine can be bought extremely cheaply… the fun is finding out where and when to buy.
In the early days we watched what French folk were buying in the stores … on the wine shelves… special offers were top!
sometimes plucked up courage to ask why they had chosen such and such… we would buy what they were buying and never regretted it…
Nowadays our cellar is mostly full of wine we’ve bought on-site at the vineyards, after looking at the vines and testing/tasting… never spending much, just a few euros per bottle.
It’s rather good when a delicious wine does come BIB… OH loves that.
This might interest those in the area…2023 will be their second Fête…
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This is right on my doorstep… Sadly I shall be in the Netherlands next week at a beach festival 
No - it’s better than that. ‘Average’ gets no scores.
between 100 and 95 on the Lidl 100-point scale this means it’s ‘a great wine’; 94 to 90 is rated as ‘superior character and style’; 89 to 85 shows ‘special qualities’
Note that it’s 2016 vintage. I bought in 2021 - 28 of 29 bottles - left one for a chap looking on, bemused, as I cleared the shelf. I talked him into it … 
I like to think of the scene en casa as he supped up and told his wife about this loco ingles buying all the Mezquiriz Crianza.
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Anyone visiting the Charente… this Domaine is well worth a visit.
Our club was there last year… delightful family… interesting tour… lovely wines to taste… what’s not to like… 
Some very modern ideas (like plastic corks… which are amazing…) and some tried and tested ideas… the result is just great
this isn’t the exact same cork… just to give an idea… I have one of their corks as a souvenir (after emptying the bottle… 
)