This video is about money — not in a “France is cheap” way, and not as a sales pitch. It’s about why everyday costs feel less hostile after living for about two months in Colmar, in the Alsace region of France.
When I talk about France on this channel, I’m talking specifically about Colmar, the same way when I talk about the United States, I’m talking about my part of it: Taunton, Massachusetts. Small city to small city. Real life to real life.
In this video, I talk about groceries, restaurants, tipping culture, taxes, healthcare access, phone plans, and transportation — and why the predictability of these systems matters just as much as the price.
This isn’t a highlight reel, and it’s not an argument about which country is “best.” It’s one family’s observations after actually living here, without a shiny Instagram filter.
You’re welcome to have a different experience or a different opinion. Just keep it civil.
Thanks for watching, and if you want to keep following along as we figure this out, there’s a lot more coming.
📺 Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@ChaosToCroissants?sub_confirmation=1
Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbwJFZusOgbf_lQj97Ols5g/join
Our other @@ LINKS
LEBARA: https://aklam.io/wsEGOLDf
Discord: https://discord.gg/Sn5vYYhdvj
Blog: http://ChaosToCroissants.com
Spacebook: https://facebook.com/ChaosToCroissants
Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/chaostocroissants
or a Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/chaostocroissants
Patreon: https://patreon.com/ChaosToCroissants
Expat Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfj-D5YPkiYIhrmrUuQXj8-gpKgIt6DXQxn1NtO1arV_33DMw/viewform?usp=header
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ChaosToCroissants
We’re an American family of four leaving the United States to start a new life in (or around) Colmar, France — trading the stress, high cost of living, and endless work hours for peace, charm, and small-city life.
On Chaos to Croissants we share the real experience of moving abroad with kids, covering:
🇫🇷 Moving to France as a family
💶 Cost of living in France vs USA
🏠 Finding housing in France
🛒 French markets & local food
🎓 Education & healthcare in France
🚲 Life in a walkable, bike-friendly city
If you’ve searched for “how to move to France,” “expat life in France,” or “cost of living in France” you’re in the right place.
📍 Small city life • 🥐 Real stories • 📹 New videos every other week (I’m trying)
24 Comments
please don't use ai to illustrate, even bad pictures of real life are better than ai
you have not big issue with train or you don't realy use it you go to basel is the most direct way to go for me
Colmar is for me is big city i live somewere here in alsace but in a smal town and the transport is quite hard sometimes
Just to clarify / confirm, is health insurance, retirement, unemployment all already covered by those 33% taxes in your example? Or is there an additional chunk of money, besides taxes, that gets deducted from people's wages to cover all this scial security?
5:35 French POV : There used to be more doctors in the 1990s, but their professional bodies introduced caps on the number of new doctors each year, which contributed to higher prices.
Social security was also better supported back then; successive governments have been trying to emulate the American system and have systematically underfunded it.
And we're more and more pushed to seek for a 'middle man' (a bit like united healtcare) to cover extra fees.
Make the social security great again !
You need better informations. The tax you showed doesn't go to healthcare and pension and unemployment. The taxes you showed (income tax) are AFTER you already payed for this. If you cost your employee 4000e a month, you will get roughtly 2000e (after cotisation patronales and salariales) and then AFTER you get to pay the taxes you showed (income tax). So whent people say the taxes are 60% they are not wrong (it also includes the 20%VAT you pays for everything)
Hey, if you want to try a nice restaurant in Strasbourg, try "Le clou" or "Chez Yvonne". Both are traditional restaurants, and they're pretty good ! I usually stop by one (or both haha) of them when visiting family in Alsace.
I agree with you ! We are now 22 years here in France and still love it. Taxation is not unreasonable especially for retirees.
Look like you're enjoying our restaurants.
So here's a little ad for my friends of "Café de la harth". It's peaceful and lost in the middle of Colmar vinesyards. I have notice that you don't have a car, so when the weather get's better i recommand you to rent bikes at le vélo libre to get there. You should have a nice experience and a beautiful ride ! 😊 (Important : call or text them for réservation)
We used to have a nearly heaven social system in France that has now become a purgatory.
The only reason you find it cool is because you compare it to the hell you come from.
I'm a British subject who has traveled worked and lived across France as an EU citizen for best part of 30 years and since Brexit applied for and gained French residency.
Due to family ties I have known Alsace and Colmar since the beginning. Although I love the sun and sea and live mainly in the south, I have recently purchased a property in Colmar Sud, which I believe is not far from where you live as in many of your videos you show the chateau d'eau. Firstly can I say welcome to Colmar and secondly you have made a very good choice, thirdly, you live in a very good part of Colmar. I appreciate that you are recalling your personal view of what is a very small area and not typical of the rest of France, even the Alsatian culture is unique having changed ownership and languages many times throughout the centuries. I wish you a happy life living at the crossroads to Europe, on a clear day from my new apartment I have a view of the Vosges, the Black Forest in Germany and far in the distance the mountains in Switzerland, it makes you feel truly European.
How are you going to work in France? I’ve looked into trying to move to France because I speak French at a B2/C1 level and love the country, but it seems nearly impossible to work as a non eu citizen. I’ve heard even for French people it is hard to find a job.
I pay 10 euros for a cell phone plan that’s bundled with my home internet (50 in total). I get roaming when I visit family in the US. It’s straight up more affordable to use my French number in America 😂 like the same plan in America would cost me at least 80, and it would include only the cell phone plan (with no roaming ofc)
About tipping delivery drivers: I hope you're tipping them in cash and not through the app. Uber, Deliveroo etc have schemes for effectively stealing the tips (like lowering they pay for their next delivery).
I live and work in France, regarding taxes your information about income tax is right but what you are not mentioning is that salary workers in France have about 52% of there monthly salary deducted for "charges social" (social taxes) that inclued health care, Retirement (like social security)… example: If you are making 2000€ as a salary, your employer is paying a little over 3000€ per month.
Getting real cheese must've been a weird experience, too I'd imagine. None of those craft singles or full yellowy-orange cinderblock sized cheesebricks.
Sadly, the incomprehensible tips culture is making its way into France. More and more shops in Paris are using a payment terminal that displays a screen asking how much do you want to tip! I really hate it because most of the time it's not even a bar or a restaurant where the waiter actually served me. So you have to go through the challenge of looking into the eyes of the guy/girl and click on 0 or to pay 5€ for no service whatsoever. Your choice.
A quick suggestion: please don't buy those cheap baguettes. add 1€ and enjoy a real one from any bakery 🥖
Colmar is beautiful i love it
I've just watched some of your previous videos, they're relevant and interesting (and not only because you're interested). Cool work dude! Keep it up in your next travels.
Btw, if you're impressed by accommodations in France, you should come in Switzerland once (!). Public transportation is like a religion here.. Have a good day!
Welcome in France. I Wish you and your family the Best life possible. ❤
Wow, never thought I'd hear the name Taunton again Ha! Fellow ex-masshole here! Couple years ago, I left the chaos of MA to the calm of OR…but now it might be time for a bigger move. Thanks for explaining the tax system, it make so much more sense! Best of luck to you and your family's journey!
Your kid is already french, straight to the middle seat at the end of the bus is where EVERY teenager wants to be lmao
Les salaires sont beaucoup beaucoup plus bas. Je suis psychologue, je gagne 2000 €. C'est une autre façon de gérer.
Il ne faut pas oublier les -23% sur le salaire entre le brut et le net.
Donc on est taxé de 23% directement à la source puis le reste est taxé une deuxième fois (pour ma part 35%) puis le reste du reste est taxé dès que vous l'utilisez.
Attention aux fisc français!
Sinon bienvenue en France et bonne chance.
PS: les baguettes à 0.30€ ne sont pas bonnes, allez chez un vrai boulanger ça sera entre 1 et 1.30€ mais bien meilleur.
If you ever feel like visiting Brittany and want to get in touch, give me your work email address. I live in Saint-Malo (a "touristic town)" and I can tell you about Brittany's history: the Roman occupation, the Celts, the invasion of France, and show you some really cool places with their stories.
But also good restauraants and more