Moving to France: land, costs and rules
Focused on rural France. Temperate to Mediterranean climate. Long, varies widely by region. Everyday costs run roughly 18% below Sweden on our comparison index.
The numbers before you commit
Rural house with some land
€147,200
Farmland per hectare
€6,440
Monthly living, family of four, excluding housing
€2,392
Residency
EU/EEA freedom of movement
Conversions use indicative reference rates, not live market rates. Use them for planning scale, not for transactions.
Climate and growing season
Temperate to Mediterranean
Long, varies widely by region
What works in your favour
- Cheapest farmland in Western Europe
- Strong smallholder support
- Excellent rural services
What to watch
- SAFER pre-emption on farmland sales
- French paperwork
- Language matters rurally
Who is allowed to buy land in France?
Anyone may buy, but rural land sales pass the SAFER agencies, which can pre-empt a sale in favour of a working farmer.
SAFER right of pre-emption
Agricultural sales are notified to the regional SAFER, which may step in and buy at the agreed price to keep land in farming use.
Control of farming structures
Taking on a holding above a threshold, or far from where you live, can require an authorisation to farm (autorisation d'exploiter).
Turn this into a plan for your family
Put in your household, your budget and how self-sufficient you want to be, and get a year-by-year plan for the land, the food and the animals. Free to start.
Until you choose a region, figures and guidance are based on international sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CGIAR and International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Scope: international.