American Who Moved to Paris Finds It More Affordable Than She Expected

• Sage VanAlstine, 25, moved from a small American town to Paris after graduating from college in 2022.
• She was surprised at how affordable it is to live there compared to comparable places in America.
• She can get better quality food and drinks for about the same price as in the United States.

This essay as told is based on a conversation with Sage VanAlstine, 23, and his decision to move from Okemos, Michigan, a town of 25,000 outside Lansing, to Paris for a job in marketing . The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

To be honest, no one was surprised.

I was the girl who threw Paris-themed birthday parties, and I was the girl who came back from studying abroad and thought, “Studying abroad changed my life.” .

I visited other countries that I would like to live in and discover too, but for me it was always France – and always Paris.

My mother was a French teacher. She was actually My Eighth grade French teacher, which sparked my love for French language and culture.

I came for the first time when I was 11 years old. My mother had family friends who lived here in France, so my family was lucky enough to be able to visit her.

I always knew that living here was what I wanted to do, but I didn’t really think it would be possible. When I started to see that it could be possible, it was 100% what I wanted to do.

I studied abroad in France, then I knew I wanted to settle down permanently

I’m from Okemos, Michigan – it’s a small town just outside of the capital, which is Lansing.

I grew up in Okemos most of my life. Then I went to Michigan State University, which is in East Lansing, the town right next to Okemos. My parents’ house was on the border between Okemos and East Lansing, so I didn’t go far at all for school.

I was able to study abroad in Tours, France – it’s a small town in the Loire Valley – for two months after my first year of college. It was a wonderful immersion into French culture – very different from my other friends who were studying abroad in a bigger city.

After studying abroad, I said to myself, “I’m moving here.” I met my current best friend while studying abroad and we both promised to move to Paris after graduation. We didn’t know how, but we were going to do it.

I was able to get an internship between my first and last year and I lived in Paris for three months. When I returned to the United States for my senior year, I knew I wanted to come back to Paris.

I got an internship there, I know I can get a job there, I have contacts there now – I was very clear: “I can do it”.

I graduated in early May 2022, then two to three weeks later I moved to Paris.

Paris wasn’t as expensive as I thought

I have friends who say to me, “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’ve come this far. This is a huge step forward. This must be very scary.”

Of course it was. But as I had the chance to visit Paris before and do an internship there, it was the city in which I felt most comfortable. I felt more comfortable moving to Paris than New York simply because I knew the city – it was the city I knew best.

Coming from a small town, I figured that by moving, I should be prepared for things to be more expensive than I’m used to. My boyfriend had already moved to New York, so I had heard so much about New York prices. I was like, “I need to be prepared to budget when I move.” »

Then I got here and was a little surprised because it’s a big city and I felt like the prices were pretty similar to my small town in Michigan.

I expected the prices to be crazy. I expected them to be bigger than a small US town, but I was able to find restaurants and grocery stores and things like that where the prices are pretty similar.

It’s Paris, so it really depends on where you are, but I was a little surprised to find that if you’re looking for a cheaper option, you can definitely find it. If you’re right next to the Eiffel Tower, things are going to be a lot more expensive than if you’re closer to the outskirts of the city.

I currently pay rent similar to what I paid when I lived in an apartment on campus at my university. Living in an apartment in a small town in Michigan and then paying a similar amount to live in Paris – the city of my dreams? It was really surprising.

There was a range between $600 and $1,200 for an apartment or room, right in East Lansing. I found that I could pay about 800 to 1,200 euros (or about $868 to $1,302) for a nice studio — 1,200 euros being a nice studio in Paris.

I live in a studio in the 10th arrondissement, so I don’t live in the most glamorous apartment, but I have a very comfortable lifestyle.

You can go to a nice restaurant in Paris and pay a good amount, or you can find a nice meal at a restaurant for around 12 euros (about $13). I am able to find a good meal for this amount. But I also tend to choose these restaurants rather than the ones right next to the Eiffel Tower which will cost maybe 25 euros for a burger, fries and a salad.

I would probably pay $15 for a full meal at home in Michigan, so prices are pretty similar between Paris and my small town for some things like eating out and maybe getting a drink too.

I think the biggest difference in price is really in the wine. You can buy a very good bottle of wine in Paris for around six to eight euros ($6.50 to $8.70), which is a big shock compared to American prices for a good quality bottle of wine.

I’ll go order a cocktail in Paris and it will cost about 10 euros (less than $11), and I’ll pay $10 for a not-great cocktail at a college bar in Michigan. Whereas in Paris, I get a good cocktail for 12 euros ($13). I think they are similar prices, but higher quality. The food here seems to me to be a little higher quality and so are the drinks. Turns out things get a little better if you pick the right places.

I never get bored in Paris

I love the architecture of the city, it is so beautiful. I will never just walk around and be truly grateful to live here.

I love how many things there are to do here. There are so many museums. Before, I wasn’t really a big museum fan, but I really enjoy walking around the museums in Paris. There are so many restaurants to try. There are so many little random activities.

You don’t have to have a plan. You can just walk around the city and eventually find something to do. You can always come across a cool restaurant, a cool event, something happening.

I really enjoy the food here. Not even specifically French cuisine, but just a wide range of cuisines.

I love Mexican food – I know American Mexican food isn’t necessarily real Mexican food – and there aren’t as many options for it here.

But Paris is quite an international city, so things that I thought I was missing, I found here. I found Americans with whom I can speak in native English, with whom I joke, and who know the lingo used.

There aren’t many things that I don’t do it like about Paris. In town there are rats and mice – I don’t like that.

I always wanted to move to Paris, so I’m very happy to be here. Even things that are perhaps less practical are fun: the joys of living in the city.