omg, that sounds like an easy question - but, but, there's a boatload of buts that come with it for a clear picture
as you know - I can't speak of Paris (well, I can a bit, but, lets leave that aside - that's too hard)
One can give a sort of simple answer - and, I'm happy to - but, it really doesn't mean a lot because everything here (France - atm I'm in Croatia) is just so different to how I lived and know how to live in Oz
A pure rent to grocery comparison?? - in a Department capital - like Burgundy - I'd say - cheaper than Oz by quite a way - lets take reasonable apartments ------- maybe 600 euro a month - that would give you a nice apartment - way better than dirt cheap and not as flash as something for say 1000 euro a month -- if there were 2 of you and you lived 'french' - mainly eating at home - ?? I'm really guessing - but, I'd say 20 euro a day would cater for 2 people easy - and, that would be eating pretty well.
but, it's the differences that make it almost incomparable - it's just not like Oz - for a start - we are talking apartments - and, we are talking apartments because it's a medieval city - and, there's a lot of things different there - 1. you are close to everything you need on a day to day or week to week basis -------- you wouldn't need a car - and, if you had a car - you have nowhere to park it. If you did have a car - you leave it in a public car park area.
You can eat out to your hearts content - and, a lot of Burgundians do - as opposed to a lot of Parisians - who won't eat out because it's too expensive and not good quality - Burgundy is different - as are a lot of places outside Paris.
The whole property gig is totally different - I have an old mate who said - he's been thinking of coming over and living here - he asked me about property - what am I going to do - I said - I've been struggling with it for months -
I said first off - you might want 2 places - a summer place and a winter place - but, if you only had one - them, it would probably be a place in the South - so, that's my real thing - to explore the south - and find a winter place somewhere -
I'd rent. He said - I don't want to rent I just want to buy - I said - well, you might want to think that through - because this is not Oz - property is totally different here.
First up - if you go to a new place - you've got absolutely no idea about it - where is good, where is not good etc. -- then, there's the tax laws - this is NOT Oz
I went through this - I thought - easy peasy - I'll have a place in Chamonix and a place in the south somewhere ---------- gosh ------ hang on a minnie - you really need to be across the tax laws here - or else you can easily end up with a bill for hundreds of thousands a year - if you are well oiled and go about buying a couple of places that are in the millions of Euros - and, a million Euros doesn't go far in Chamonix -- once you crack over about?? property value of 700 or 800 k Euro - they smack hard - if it's a second property - hmmmmm -
so, first up - you rent or lease to learn just how different it is.
I thought about getting a place in Auxerre - I really like Auxerre - and, I toyed with a place in Paris as well - if I'm to explore Paris - I really need to be comfortable - because - well, I just don't fit there so far - but, it's all so different.
ATM - I'm living right in the guts of a medieval city - not France, but, there's a lot of similarities - and, it's vastly different to a suburb in Melb. or a lifestyle block in the mtns of Tas or a gold coast unit - it's just wildly different - would I want to do it for a living base?????????? don't know - out the door - into the street - a whole 2 metres wide - probably 150 m to the supermarket, less to restaurants, hang your socks and undies out the window, if you park a car - it's about the longest walk you do.
then, someone asks you about the costs - well ----------- yeah, there's the rents - but, so much else is so different that - it's not really a comparison that one can relate to in Oz - in my experience
ask me again in a couple of months - I have to make some decisions when I get back in a couple of weeks - atm I'm ?? well, leading up to making some sort of commitments - but, I'll dilly dally as long as I can \
I'm pretty good at that.
Anyway - more walking here and I want to explore Spain a bit - so, I'll be thinking that through as well - I've no idea where I want to go there - I like to go to a place and stay pretty still - like here - I've been here now for?? don't know - almost 2 weeks I guess - I've been out of town max. - ?? 15 km - but, I've probably walked ? 150 or more km. - found a great early ruins today - big too - Roman stuff - god they built things - I'll put the video up on lifestyle in the next hour or so
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