OpenTube

MUST WATCH If Retiring to Southern France!

Storybook Living France

6,676 views

✈️ SOUTH OF FRANCE SCOUTING TRIP (Vote on dates/budget!): 👉 Help me plan our 6-day South of France trip (Nice, Avignon, Aix, Menton) by taking this quick 2-min survey: https://my.trovatrip.com/public/l/sur...
Nice & Provence? Watch Now!: Come Scout France With Me - Help Plan Our ...
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👉 FIND YOUR FRENCH CITY (Free & Paid Tools): https://storybooklivingfr.gumroad.com/
👉 FREE Relocation Guide & Scouting Trips: https://storybooklivingfrance.kit.com...
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Where should you retire in the South of France? This guide compares 8 sunny, affordable cities for retirement, with real rents, healthcare access, walkability, expat communities, and train connections in every one: Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Narbonne, Perpignan, Pau, Menton, and a hidden gem that my data crowns the sunniest city in France. We also cover the retirement visa for Americans, the US-France tax treaty, senior residences, and the three rules expats wish they had known before moving. If you are researching the best places to retire in France or the cost of retiring in the South of France, start here:

Chapters
0:00 Montpellier
3:53 Introduction
4:23 Retirement Tips
5:08 Find Your French City
5:22 Aix-en-Provence
8:37 Retirement Housing Options
9:12 Arles
12:04 Tiger Mosquitos & Dog Vaccinations
13:10 Narbonne
15:26 Air Quality
16:36 Perpignan
18:52 Pau
22:00 Taxes and Inheritance
22:18 Come Scouting!
22:28 Menton
25:02 Honorable Mentions
25:27 Healthcare in France
26:05 Hyères
29:45 Full Data
29:57 Summary

From free trams in Montpellier to lemon groves in Menton and €450 rents in Perpignan , Southern France offers a retirement for nearly every budget, and the numbers in this video come from my master relocation data plus the honest impressions of expats already living there. Grab the free 2026 France Relocation Guide above, explore the senior residence and community links, and let the City Finder match you to your own top three.

Link to the graphic
https://canva.link/5ujm45359vdrojw
Link to download the graphic
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yhNj...

Air Quality Blog Post : https://storybooklivingfrance.com/whe...

For media inquiries contact: info@storybooklivingfrance.com
(Please do not email with optimization requests.)

👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, Hype this video! And turn on the bell to be notified when your next region guide appears.
📍 Note: Data and currency conversions are subject to change. Always check the latest information before making relocation decisions, and always do your own research before committing.

https://buymeacoffee.com/tiak

Facebook Group: Expats move to France (Highly valuable resource): Facebook: 23814372316

Links mentioned in the video:
Montpellier
https://www.chu-montpellier.fr/fr/
https://ticket-tam.com/
https://www.montpellier-france.com/st...
https://en.institut-agro-montpellier....
https://www.montpellier-france.com/di...
https://www.museefabre.fr/
https://www.montpellier-france.com/di...

AIx-en-Provence
https://www.lametropolemobilite.fr/
https://www.ch-aix.fr/
https://www.aixenbus.fr/fr/YNV-Abonne...
https://www.theluberon.com/things-to-...
https://www.avignon-et-provence.com/e...
https://levelo.ampmetropole.fr/en/about
https://www.aagp-provence.com/index.htm
International Coffee Morning (No link)
https://www.bookinbar.com/
https://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/...

COMPLETE LIST OF LINKS
https://storybooklivingfrance.com/8-f...

▶️ WATCH NEXT:
Nice vs Montpellier: Nice vs Montpellier - Which French City Wins?
Montpellier Part 1: Montpellier France - The Sunny City That R...
Montpellier Part 2: The Best Neighborhoods in Montpellier France

Baguette Bound Channel: (For tons of French Info!): @baguettebound

Media, Photo & Image Credits: 🎥:
Music: No.9 “Esther’s Waltz” — Esther Abrami @estherabrami

Master Image Credit Ledger for Storybook Living France - Part 2
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12...

#RetireInFrance #SouthOfFrance #CostOfLivingFrance #LivingInFrance #MovingToFranceFromUSA #BestPlacesToRetire #Perpignan #Montpellier #Narbonne #Menton #AixEnProvence #Arles #PauFrance #Hyeres #ExpatInFrance

20 Comments

@storybooklivingfrance Creator 1 month ago Pinned

What did you think of the 8 (10) cities we covered and are there other cities you wish I had mentioned? This channel has a LOT more coming so let me know what you’d like to see! More comparison video’s are coming as well as my deep 2 part series for city. So stay with me, ring the bell, and let’s talk below! Merci!
Don’t forget to grab your free city finder or the more in depth tools that are also linked right here:
https://storybooklivingfr.gumroad.com/

@hannahthaplanna 1 month ago

Such a great video! Really, nobody else is doing a mosquito index! I love how thorough you are! And this video is the first I've seen to cover Menton! My kids and I went there a few years ago and fell in love! Such a magical place!

@monnica7005 1 month ago

Will you do something similar for northern cities for those of us who can't take southern heat? 😊

@tea98988 1 month ago

Thank you for the "mosquito index" warnings because I am very allergic to the bites. The tiger mosquitoes sounds terrifying to me. Lol. I think cooler Brittney region is more for me.

@ElizabethBidinger 1 month ago

Fantastic video . . The practical details are very helpful and rarely addressed (if ever) in many videos. 😊

@storybooklivingfrance Creator 1 month ago

Incredibly, my scheduled video did not go live at 10am 😅 I apologize to anyone who was looking for it. That happens sometimes but it’s live now 🤦🏻‍♀️🙏🏻

@kathygolden2103 1 month ago

Thank you for talking about the mosquitoes. I absolutely take living in high mosquito areas to heart. They seem to love me. I do not return their affection. Kathy

@seamusp5991 1 month ago

You lost me at “it gets very hot”! Lol. But you KNEW that. 😂 Still, an amazing rundown, Tia, as always. Like a wine (or cheese?!), your channel keeps getting better. 😊

@kakonroy8826 1 month ago

Really thorough and well-researched guide on retiring to the best cities in Southern France, man! Thanks for breaking down the costs, lifestyle, and climate details so clearly. By the way, noticed the conversation overall felt a bit lengthy—adding some chapter timestamps or tighter pacing throughout could have made navigating the 31-minute runtime even smoother.

I work as a professional video editor and thumbnail designer, and I've put together a few custom thumbnails tailored specifically for travel and retirement relocation content like yours. Let me know the best way to share those with you.

@royalbritishmusketeersmc1166 1 month ago

Appreciate the effort you took in compiling this fabulously helpful, considered video. Many thanks.

@COREADM 1 month ago

We are Paris based for the moment but about a year ago we started construction of a new-build detached house just south of Perpignan and it should be complete by next month - basically for the price of a 2 room apartment in Paris you can get a full villa on it's own lot near Perpignan and built up to the latest energy and environmental norms!

@larahday2697 4 weeks ago

Great information. Hyeres / Toulon is where I feel at home. I went exploring this year and when I walked out of the train station in Toulon, without ever seeing it or knowing much about it I said to myself "this is it". And it was confirmed even stronger upon visiting the beaches.

@susieq9341 1 month ago

You really made my day with this video! Thanks so much for the information, I need it. Still it's hard to choose where to visit first, but at least I can narrow it down a little. XOXO

@diannamoynihan1377 1 month ago

Merci great info in this video❤

@ElizabethBidinger 1 month ago

Awesome video that I have been looking forward to. I plan to move to southern France in 2 years and truly appreciate it. Thanks much Tia!

@jodiehebert8285 1 month ago

I am in Collobrières near Hyères and it seems much hotter in Hyères during hottest days this past summer and a bit cooler driving back into Collo, just an observation.

@CroisMoi 1 month ago

Hi. Great video. I went to your website and the link to go scouting with you is broken. Could you tell us where to get info on that? Thanks.

@susanc-c7817 1 month ago

Apartments are over a 1090 per month then add water electricity parking. Good budget 250 per week ! Thst will be you eating in ! Do not know where you are getting your info from

@susanc-c7817 1 month ago

If you choose Montpellier you will end up in one of the awful new apartment blocks that have destroyed the beautiful one off charming houses. Unless you would like to share your apartment with 25% social tenants and no outdoors Montpellier is for you. It’s a location for a few days visit !

@patrickinsocal 1 month ago

Aix! What a wonderful place! 🥰 It's been nearly a year since my three week research visit there, and it was lovely seeing it again in this video!!

Here are some of the things I discovered: 1) All of the good things Tia mentions are true, but you will not be the first foreigner to discover them. 2) Wealthy Parisiens also love Aix, and many of them own second or third homes there. 3) Competition for affordable housing is fierce, with students and locals struggling to find it. This is mainly due to the high number of units that have been converted in to AirBnb style short-term rentals. 4) I would say that Tia's income/budget estimate is a bit low. US $6,000 per month converts to roughly 5,000 euros, and I believe you'll need that much to qualify for an apartment with a landlord who will rent to a foreigner, but hey, you might get lucky. And if you do I will be so, so jealous! 😉