Discover the truth about the cost of living in Southern Europe as we compare five Mediterranean countries head-to-head!
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We dive deep into real data from Spain (Cádiz), France (Montpellier), Italy (Salerno), Greece (Chania), and Cyprus (Larnaca) – comparing healthcare costs, travel expenses, dining prices, fuel costs, and rental markets.
The results will surprise you: one city offers €557 monthly rent while another demands €963 for the same lifestyle!
Find out why Greece’s Chania ranks as the cheapest place to live in the Mediterranean, offering incredible value with low living expenses in Greece.
Discover how Cyprus provides the lowest cost of living in the Mediterranean for fuel and capital city access, while France delivers unbeatable healthcare despite higher overall costs.
If you are considering retirement in Europe or searching for the best places to live in the region, this data-driven comparison reveals the true cost of living Mediterranean lifestyle.
Learn which southern European destinations offer lowest cost of living, and why popular assumptions are wrong.
Perfect for expats, retirees, and digital nomads seeking affordable Mediterranean living without sacrificing quality of life.
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This video is based on this article: https://expatriateconsultancy.com/easiest-countries-in-europe-to-obtain-citizenship/
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💡 TOPICS IN THIS VIDEO 💡
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🔎 EXCERPT 🔎
Choosing the wrong country in Southern Europe could cost you 70% more for the exact same lifestyle.
That’s not an exaggeration.
That’s the real difference between the winner and the loser on this list: Spain versus France versus Italy versus Greece versus Cyprus.
After helping hundreds of expats through their European relocations, I kept hearing the same question: which Mediterranean country offers the best value?
So here, I just compared the real costs of living in all five countries using data that actually matters to expats.
Plus the prices that I saw there with my own eyes – except for France, I travel to these countries multiple times per year.
The results will shock you.
One country offers €557 monthly rent and €33 doctor visits. Another has €963 rent and €66 medical appointments.
One country dominated with consistently low costs, while another demands double but offers something incredible no other country can match.
And the final rankings prove that popular assumptions about European living costs are dead wrong.
The Five Cities That Will Change Your Mind About Europe
To say that France is more expensive than Spain actually means nothing, because prices vary significantly depending on city size and location within each country. For example, Narbonne in France, a town with 51,000 residents, costs much less than major cities like Paris or Marseille.
33 Comments
Hey, here is the comments section, where you can complain about my accent! My best-selling books on living abroad: https://bit.ly/expatbooks Videos mentioned: A New European Haven for Americans: Southern France https://youtu.be/dqVKmUfPZQw?si=fo3kUk0t_GsFoeXt The Best and Cheapest Cities to Retire in 15 European Countries https://youtu.be/GjQa6DdWv2U?si=-zi-CurlKGx7tzbY If You Hate Taxes, Consider Retirement in Greece https://youtu.be/5o2aWfaRq-M?si=AmHuZ-q21DGN9Gp6 FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME: Grab your Expat Wealth & Lifestyle Compass ($108 value) today! https://bit.ly/ExpatWealthLifestyleCompass Here is my SECRET Weapon to learn new languages: LingQ. Try for free: https://www.lingq.com/accounts/new/?next=/accounts/subscription/basic_2024/12/b_12levi/checkout/&referral=LevideSouza
The rating system applied here seems rather odd. Capital travel was considered a major factor because you will occasionally need to visit your embassy? That outweighs food costs? Utilities costs? Really? This would normally fall into the miscellaneous/rare expenses category. Dining out seems a rather bad choice, too, given that residents will mostly cook and eat at home. So market food prices should outweigh dining out. Fuel prices can be a consideration, but the cities you chose are generally walkable and/or have public transport. The only categories I really agree with in your comparison are health care (particularly important for, say, retirees) and housing. Overall, I like your videos, but I think that you missed the mark on this one. ❤
Great video, please do the comparison of Nice vs the other larger cities, thanks!
Well researched and presented vid! I'd like to see a video comparing the larger southern European cities although I think mid sized cities are probably best for me.
VAT
As someone who has lived in three very HOT U.S. states (South Carolina, Florida and Texas) the only choice of these five locations would be France. My relatives are from Greece and live in Athens and a Greek Island and its almost as hot there as it is in Austin, TX where I live. Cadiz Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Southern Italy are all very hot.
I wish you included Portugal in this study…
I love cheap and limited.
You forgot Turkey, Morocco, Libya, Algeria, Egypt etc. The Mediterranean doesn’t only include the few you mentioned
Priorities: costs of living, nearby practical amenities (schools, shopping, medical), quality of the medical care, area safety, the nature of the citizens in the area, interesting things to do, and the transportation system.
I might have included Malta as well, but five countries is a good cutoff, and this is a solid video. Thank you for this comparison. I was unaware of Larnaca and its English history.
Please make the video with the larger cities. Thank you.
I think there are better locations in Italy to use for low cost of living….
A good general rule of smaller size, but still having amenities.
The smaller it is, typically, the less costly it is.
So silly.
Yes, I'd be interested in comparing large cities' cost of living in these Mediterranean countries.
Thanks for the video
Really enjoyed the video as I do all of yours. It would've been nice to have grocery prices instead of dining out, and some interesting factors not mentioned are as far as I understand there is nowhere in Greece where you can flush your toilet paper and Cadiz tends to actually flood throughout the city, so those are two big items for some of us. Plus, if you're from the US , the tax treaty with France is better than anything else (saves you money), and any special tax treatment you get in Italy, and I believe Greece as well, is based on having a public pension which very few Americans have, and being that this is all in English I'm assuming the target audience are North Americans and Brits. Thanks!
Great breakdown! But beyond costs, I’m curious—how do healthcare, residency rules, and quality of life compare in these countries? Anyone here living in one of them long-term?
I miss the taxes on income/pension and assets. I think a very important fanancial burden.
Great video, but no one accounts for taxes. This could cut your income by half, or more, in some countries.
I agree with you,I live in Italy some of year,it has cheap properties but it's not that cheap to live there or practical and the paperwork is a nightmare.I travel through France which seems expensive to me but has great roads!
Well researched and presented. Also would have loved to see a comparison on food and groceries costs as well since most people would rely more on home cooking than dining out on a daily basis. Very helpful content and I appreciate the time dedicated to get all this information. Thank you 💯
good info, thanks.
Portugal Spain Italy and Greece relationship is very strong. We are like brothers and there is no hate.
Through these countries you can feel you have a travel across history, influences of another cultures or common way of life.
Getting a visa in these counteies will become harder and most of them dont like expats coming over and raising prices. So dont expect to be welcome.
El canal deberia llamarse " El emigrante " . Y sino pagas impuestos regresa a ti pais
Mucho tacaño avaricioso queriendo aprovecharse del trabajo de otros paises
tax comparison?
I like you include cost of going to embassy. I’ve been to Chania (and several other places in Greece ), Salerno, France, Spain, not Cyprus though. I’m in love with Greece though enjoyed other places. Other considerations … are you ready to live on an island year round? Not everyone is. The people and culture, you may prefer some and others less so.
Choose Albania instead, way way cheaper
What about Croatia 🇭🇷? Bulgaria 🇧🇬?
Great video. And your accent is perfect. Nice quality in your speaking Sir! Love the information, helps a lot in choosing my country!
With a shitty exchange rate I wouldn’t go to any of these.