So What Would It Be Like to Retire in Paris?

June 4, 2025 — While many of us have entertained the idea of retirement in a foreign land, the thought usually passes. It either seems too hard, too far away, or too strange. So I was delighted to meet Don and Denise on our recent trip to Paris. This interesting and affable couple has taken the very unusual (and in my mind, brave) step to retire in that beautiful city. Even better, they generously agreed to answer some questions for others considering such a big move, or for folks who would just like to live vicariously from their adventures.

Don and Denise Retire to Paris – Their Story

When did you retire, and where were you living then?

My wife Denise retired in 2022.  I had begun to reduce my workload prior to that and chose to concentrate on selected clients and pursue another endeavor that was transportable. We lived in Rocky River, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

What made you consider retiring abroad? Had you always thought about that, or was it a recent development?

Whenever we were out of the country I usually asked myself “could I live here?” But we became truly serious about retiring abroad a few years prior to Covid. In early 2018 we spent a week in Paris.  We were standing at the Place des Vosges after another great lunch and it began to snow. It was magical, very beautiful and very unlike what we were used to in Northeast Ohio.  That was the exact moment we determined to relocate.

What other places did you consider, and what tipped you to Paris?

France was a natural for us for a number of reasons, although Italy has great appeal. We had first come to Paris and the Loire thirty years prior on our honeymoon.  We liked it so much we continued to vacation here and I lost count how many times we returned during the interim….maybe 20, always to a different part of France.

French village life beckoned, of course (the Peter Mayle syndrome).  But we received sage advice to the effect that we would find more support in Paris than the countryside, which seems blindingly obvious now. Because we needed to establish specialized medical care quickly, Paris was the natural choice.  Also, I had always wanted to live in a mega city like New York.

The medical care is fabulous. I was pretty smug about the care I received at one of the major hospitals in Cleveland. The doctors here actually take your vitals, examine you, speak with you (in English at The American Hospital).  They were shocked at the fact that I hadn’t undergone some of the tests which are standard here.

Don, expat retired in Paris

How long have you lived in Paris?

We arrived August 2, 2022.

What area of the city do you live in?

We’re in the 8th arrondissement, a block and a half from the Arc de Triomphe.

Was it hard finding a place to live – own or rent?

It was a bit nerve racking.  We secured temporary digs for three months in Auteuil in the 16th. I only wanted to move once, to a permanent address, and August is not a good month to look for apartments.  
In certain cities it’s better to rent, and other cities to purchase.  I think Paris is in the former camp.  Most Americans aspire to home ownership but surprisingly, I discovered I like renting.

How about your language skills. Is it easy to get along if you don’t know French? Are you working on your language skills, and if so how, and what do you recommend?

My language skills are pretty weak.  Prior to moving it had been over 40 years since I studied French, and I wasn’t terribly good at it then.  But the dirty little secret is you can get along just fine in Paris without acquiring anything close to fluency.  My motto is “good enough is good enough” and most of the Americans I’ve met who have achieved fluency have a French partner.
I’ve taken immersion classes at the Institute de Francais near Nice and Alliance Française in Paris (I prefer the latter), had a tutor (he was a disaster) but I’m now a committed autodidact.

How does your retired life here differ from what you might have been doing in USA?

Had we stayed in the U.S. in all likelihood we would have relocated to Washington DC, which we love.  DC and Paris are alike in many respects, so I think it would have been a good fit, and I would be leading a similar life.

What are your major activities or the things about paris you find especially great about the city?

Our social life is much fuller here than back home, and the expat communities we’ve joined are extraordinary. I should be trying to hang with more French people, and I think that will come with time.  But I’ve met more French people via other Americans than trying to forge those relationships on my own.
I love classical music.  There are at least three permanent Paris orchestras, two opera companies, recitals galore, and of course there are the museums, restaurants, jazz clubs, parks, English language lectures, movies, architecture, shopping, walking, great public transportation, and proximity to the rest of Europe.

Parisians have a reputation for being a bit frosty to outsiders. Do you feel accepted as an American?

Absolutely.  I think the French by and large love Americans, or at least the idea of America, although less so currently. French politesse (which I prefer) is often mistaken by Americans for frostiness.

Is it expensive, and how does the cost of living compare?

It’s more than Cleveland, of course, but less expensive than New York or DC.  Once you lose your car (or two) and stop filling a large house with possessions, it’s very doable.

What are some of the hardest things you have experienced in living in Paris?

Getting accepted into the French government health care system and attaining long term residency status were not so much hard as just frustrating.  But there are always resources available in Paris to accomplish whatever you need.
I should also say much of January and February are brutal, and I’m accustomed to bad winter weather.  Maybe I’m just getting old.

How is the medical care situation?

It’s fabulous. I was pretty smug about the care I received at one of the major hospitals in Cleveland. The doctors here actually take your vitals, examine you, speak with you (in English at The American Hospital) and sometimes even take the payment.  They were shocked at the fact that I hadn’t undergone some of the tests which are standard here.  Before we were accepted into the Sécurité Sociale and had to self pay, we determined prescriptions cost 10% for the same meds in the U.S.

What do you really love about about retiring there?

Every day is a bit of an adventure.  I definitely feel more alive because of it.  But the funny thing is I’m engaged in many of the same things I did in Cleveland.  The only difference is, when I look out the window, it’s Paris.

What kind of person do you think has the best chance of loving a parisian retirement?

I think it depends on one’s definition of the good life.  I find it hard not to be smitten with Paris although I recognize others will never take to this life.  

Just before we left the US, my cousin hosted a farewell luncheon with some of my family.  One of the men took me aside and told me “you know, what you are doing is very strange”.  He is in his mid-70’s, still working, and plays golf incessantly.  Needless to say, I don’t think he is a good candidate to retire to Paris. To each his own.

Do you think you will ever move back to US?

No, for all the above reasons.

Anything else our readers should know?

I think that about takes care of everything.

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Thank you Don and Denise for sharing your story! Your new life sounds fascinating and so different. I learned a lot, and bet many other people will enjoy (and profit from) your perspective.

Comments? Have you considered retiring abroad? Can you imagine living in a city like Paris? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.