Costs are broadly similar — roughly £2,500/month for a couple in France and £2,500 in Spain.
Cost of living, side by side
| France | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Modest (couple/mo) | £1,700 | £1,800 |
| Comfortable (couple/mo) | £2,500 | £2,500 |
| Premium (couple/mo) | £3,800 | £4,000 |
Indicative monthly estimates for a couple — real costs vary by location, lifestyle and exchange rates.
France: There are no nationality restrictions on owning French property: non-residents can buy freehold (pleine propriété) apartments, houses and land on the same basis as citizens. Every sale is completed by a notaire, who guarantees legal title and collects taxes.
Spain: Foreigners can buy property freely in Spain, with full ownership.
France: EU/EEA nationals need no visa; others (including UK citizens) generally use the long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur), requiring stable income of roughly €1,400+ a month, private health insurance and accommodation, renewed annually.
Spain: The non-lucrative visa is the usual route for retirees with sufficient income and health cover.
France: France's public health system is excellent; after three months' residence you can join it (PUMA), and UK state pensioners use an S1 form so the UK covers their care. Most residents add a top-up mutuelle policy, often EUR 50-150 a month, to cover the balance the state does not.
Spain: Spain has excellent healthcare; legal residents can access the public system (retirees often via a UK S1 form or a paid convenio especial after a year), while the Non-Lucrative Visa requires private cover in the meantime, typically £100-150 a month at older ages.
France: Under the UK-France treaty most UK pensions, both state and private, are taxed in France at progressive rates after a 10% allowance, while UK government-service pensions stay taxable in the UK. S1 holders are exempt from France's social charges on pension income, a valuable saving.
Spain: Spanish tax residents (183+ days) pay progressive income tax on worldwide income, combining state and regional bands from about 19% up to roughly 47%, so a UK private pension is taxable in Spain under the treaty (UK government and Crown pensions stay taxed in the UK); rates vary by region, so take advice.
France: Temperate in the north and west with mild, wet winters and warm summers, turning Mediterranean and hot in the south. Late spring and early autumn are especially lovely. France is safe and well-run, with petty theft mainly a big-city concern; they drive on the right, and while English is spoken in cities and tourist spots, some French is important for rural life and officialdom.
Spain: Warm Mediterranean climate on the coasts with hot summers and mild winters, and the Canaries mild year-round; spring and autumn are ideal. Very safe and well set up for retirees; English is widely spoken along the costas, driving is on the right, and daily life is straightforward.
France: Budget around 7-8% of the price in frais de notaire on an existing home (much less, 2-3%, on a new build), mostly transfer duty of up to 5% plus the notaire's fee and registration; agency commission is often already in the price. Completion typically takes about three months.
Spain: Budget around 10-14% in one-off costs, resale transfer tax (ITP) of roughly 6-10% depending on region, or 10% VAT plus 1.5% stamp duty on new builds, plus notary, registry and legal fees; note the Golden Visa closed in April 2025.
France: The Dordogne for its long-established British community and countryside; Provence and the Occitanie south for sun and Mediterranean life; Brittany for a familiar green coast close to the UK; and the Riviera for glamour at a price.
Spain: The Costa Blanca (Alicante, Torrevieja, Jávea) and Costa del Sol (Fuengirola, Estepona, Nerja) for sun and big British communities, the Balearic and Canary Islands for scenery, and cities like Valencia for culture at lower cost.
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