CITY / CITYVerified city comparison
BordeauxvsParis.
Bordeaux is stronger on 2 of 8 headline facts; Paris on 0. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Bordeaux $1,816/mo, Paris $1,816/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Bordeaux 34.1%, Paris 34.1%. Climate comfort: Bordeaux 8/12 mo, Paris 7/12 mo.
VerifiedUpdated
14 compared criteria · 19 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited
fr / fr · SettleMetric
01
The key differences
The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.
Headline result
Bordeaux leads on 2 of 8
Bordeaux
2
Paris
0
01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Bordeaux
$1,816/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Paris
$1,816/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
02Freelancer tax burden
Bordeaux
34.1%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Paris
34.1%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
03Homicide rate
Bordeaux
1.28/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
Paris
1.28/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
04Climate comfort
Bordeauxstronger
8/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (WMO 1991–2020, Bordeaux-Mérignac 07510)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: Mar (15.5 °C), Apr (18.0), May (21.7), Jun (25.0), Jul (27.1), Aug (27.6), Sep (24.2), Oct (19.6) = 8. November (14.1), December (11.0), January (10.5) and February (12.0) are excluded as too cold; no month is too hot. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is November at 114.5 mm.
- Notes
- March qualifies by 0.5 °C, and August stays 0.4 °C under the ceiling.
Paris
7/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Météo-France Paris-Montsouris 1991–2020)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Count of months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (16.6), May (20.2), Jun (23.4), Jul (25.7), Aug (25.6), Sep (21.5), Oct (16.5) = 7. Nov (11.1°C) and Mar (12.8°C) miss on temperature; no month is excluded on rainfall (Paris is evenly, moderately wet year-round).
05Internet speed
Bordeaux
51 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Paris
51 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
06English proficiency
Bordeaux
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Paris
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
07Private healthcare cost
Bordeaux
$821/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
- Notes
- A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
Paris
$821/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
- Notes
- A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
08Air quality (PM2.5)
Bordeauxstronger
7.9 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the validated (E1a, verification flag 1) 2024 annual PM2.5 means at the two stations the EEA assigns to Bordeaux, queried from the EEA statistics service on 2026-09-24: FR31045 "Bordeaux_GAUTIER" (urban traffic, 1.6 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 7.528 µg/m³ at 96.49% coverage; FR31002 "TALENCE" (urban background, 4.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.181 µg/m³ at 93.39% coverage. (7.528 + 8.181) / 2 = 7.85. The WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) gives Bordeaux 7.855 µg/m³ for 2024 at 94% coverage — exactly these two stations' mean; its row counts six stations because the count covers all three pollutants it reports.
- Notes
- TWO STATIONS, and half the figure is a traffic site: Gautier is an urban traffic station, yet it read lower in 2024 than the Talence background station, which stands in the neighbouring commune of Talence. The EEA held no validated 2025 PM2.5 statistics for France on 2026-09-24. The WHO series for Bordeaux reads 9.63 (2020), 10.27 (2021), 15.33 (2022, on 57% coverage) and 9.42 (2023). About 1.6 times the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³, and under the EU limit of 10 that applies from 2030.
Paris
10 µg/m³
Airparif — Bilan de la qualité de l'air à Paris 2023 (PM2.5, fond urbain)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Airparif's 2023 Paris bilan reports urban-background (fond urbain) PM2.5 homogeneous across Paris at 10 µg/m³ (roadside 10–14). The 2024 regional bilan (published 2025) shows background falling to 7–10 µg/m³ across the agglomeration, so the current Paris value is at or just under 10.
- Notes
- About 2× the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the current EU annual limit (25 µg/m³). It is at the stricter EU limit taking effect in 2030 (10 µg/m³). Urban-background levels have dropped over 35% across 2015–2024.
02
Which city fits your plan?
Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.
Remote IT / freelancer
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
A close call for this plan
01Freelancer tax burden
Bordeaux
34.1%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Paris
34.1%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
02Internet speed
Bordeaux
51 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Paris
51 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
03English proficiency
Bordeaux
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Paris
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Bordeaux
$1,816/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Paris
$1,816/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
05Domestic delivery quality
Bordeaux
Excellent
La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.
Paris
Excellent
La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.
Family
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
A close call for this plan
01International schools
Bordeaux
1
CIS (Council of International Schools) membership directory — Bordeaux International School
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Sep 24, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Accreditor-verified: Bordeaux International School, 252 rue Judaïque, about 1.4 km west of the Hôtel de Ville, is listed in the CIS membership directory, read on 2026-09-24, as an active member with the status "Accredited" and with IGCSE and A Level among its programmes. It is the only Bordeaux school in the directory.
- Notes
- VERIFIED FLOOR. No Bordeaux school has an IB profile in the Internet Archive, and ibo.org answered our requests with a Cloudflare challenge. The Accredited European Schools list has no Bordeaux entry. The school says it has been a Cambridge International centre since 1991; Cambridge's school finder renders only in a browser, so that, and any other Cambridge-registered school, could not be checked there.
Parisstronger
7
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 14, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Paris-metro schools each confirmed against a named accreditor: (1) International School of Paris (16e) — IB World School, all 3 programmes; (2) École Jeannine Manuel (7e/15e) — IB World School + CIS; (3) American School of Paris (Saint-Cloud) — IB World School (DP); (4) ICS Paris International School (15e) — IB continuum PYP/MYP/DP; (5) Ermitage International School (Maisons-Laffitte) — IB World School (DP); (6) Marymount International School Paris (Neuilly-sur-Seine) — IB (PYP); (7) The British School of Paris (Croissy-sur-Seine) — UK British Schools Overseas (BSO) accreditation, COBIS, ISI-inspected. Aggregators used only to find candidates.
- Notes
- Verified FLOOR of 7 (6 IB World Schools + 1 BSO-accredited British school). Strictly intra-muros the count is 3 (ISP 16e, École Jeannine Manuel, ICS Paris 15e); Paris's international-school scene is heavily suburban (Neuilly, Saint-Cloud, Maisons-Laffitte, Croissy, Saint-Germain-en-Laye). More qualify (e.g. EIB Étoile, Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye) but were not each individually verified this cycle.
02Homicide rate
Bordeaux
1.28/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
Paris
1.28/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
03Private healthcare cost
Bordeaux
$821/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
- Notes
- A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
Paris
$821/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
- Notes
- A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
04Air quality (PM2.5)
Bordeauxstronger
7.9 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the validated (E1a, verification flag 1) 2024 annual PM2.5 means at the two stations the EEA assigns to Bordeaux, queried from the EEA statistics service on 2026-09-24: FR31045 "Bordeaux_GAUTIER" (urban traffic, 1.6 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 7.528 µg/m³ at 96.49% coverage; FR31002 "TALENCE" (urban background, 4.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.181 µg/m³ at 93.39% coverage. (7.528 + 8.181) / 2 = 7.85. The WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) gives Bordeaux 7.855 µg/m³ for 2024 at 94% coverage — exactly these two stations' mean; its row counts six stations because the count covers all three pollutants it reports.
- Notes
- TWO STATIONS, and half the figure is a traffic site: Gautier is an urban traffic station, yet it read lower in 2024 than the Talence background station, which stands in the neighbouring commune of Talence. The EEA held no validated 2025 PM2.5 statistics for France on 2026-09-24. The WHO series for Bordeaux reads 9.63 (2020), 10.27 (2021), 15.33 (2022, on 57% coverage) and 9.42 (2023). About 1.6 times the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³, and under the EU limit of 10 that applies from 2030.
Paris
10 µg/m³
Airparif — Bilan de la qualité de l'air à Paris 2023 (PM2.5, fond urbain)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Airparif's 2023 Paris bilan reports urban-background (fond urbain) PM2.5 homogeneous across Paris at 10 µg/m³ (roadside 10–14). The 2024 regional bilan (published 2025) shows background falling to 7–10 µg/m³ across the agglomeration, so the current Paris value is at or just under 10.
- Notes
- About 2× the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the current EU annual limit (25 µg/m³). It is at the stricter EU limit taking effect in 2030 (10 µg/m³). Urban-background levels have dropped over 35% across 2015–2024.
05English proficiency
Bordeaux
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Paris
Moderate
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Money & crypto
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
A close call for this plan
01Crypto regulation
Bordeaux
Legal regulated
impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.
Paris
Legal regulated
impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.
02Financial control level
Bordeaux
Low
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 1, 2015
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.
Paris
Low
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 1, 2015
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.
03Freelancer tax burden
Bordeaux
34.1%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Paris
34.1%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Calm lifestyle
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Bordeaux fits better — 2 of 4
01Homicide rate
Bordeaux
1.28/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
Paris
1.28/100k
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
02Air quality (PM2.5)
Bordeauxstronger
7.9 µg/m³
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the validated (E1a, verification flag 1) 2024 annual PM2.5 means at the two stations the EEA assigns to Bordeaux, queried from the EEA statistics service on 2026-09-24: FR31045 "Bordeaux_GAUTIER" (urban traffic, 1.6 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 7.528 µg/m³ at 96.49% coverage; FR31002 "TALENCE" (urban background, 4.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.181 µg/m³ at 93.39% coverage. (7.528 + 8.181) / 2 = 7.85. The WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) gives Bordeaux 7.855 µg/m³ for 2024 at 94% coverage — exactly these two stations' mean; its row counts six stations because the count covers all three pollutants it reports.
- Notes
- TWO STATIONS, and half the figure is a traffic site: Gautier is an urban traffic station, yet it read lower in 2024 than the Talence background station, which stands in the neighbouring commune of Talence. The EEA held no validated 2025 PM2.5 statistics for France on 2026-09-24. The WHO series for Bordeaux reads 9.63 (2020), 10.27 (2021), 15.33 (2022, on 57% coverage) and 9.42 (2023). About 1.6 times the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³, and under the EU limit of 10 that applies from 2030.
Paris
10 µg/m³
Airparif — Bilan de la qualité de l'air à Paris 2023 (PM2.5, fond urbain)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Airparif's 2023 Paris bilan reports urban-background (fond urbain) PM2.5 homogeneous across Paris at 10 µg/m³ (roadside 10–14). The 2024 regional bilan (published 2025) shows background falling to 7–10 µg/m³ across the agglomeration, so the current Paris value is at or just under 10.
- Notes
- About 2× the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the current EU annual limit (25 µg/m³). It is at the stricter EU limit taking effect in 2030 (10 µg/m³). Urban-background levels have dropped over 35% across 2015–2024.
03Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Bordeaux
$1,816/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Paris
$1,816/mo
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
04Climate comfort
Bordeauxstronger
8/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (WMO 1991–2020, Bordeaux-Mérignac 07510)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: Mar (15.5 °C), Apr (18.0), May (21.7), Jun (25.0), Jul (27.1), Aug (27.6), Sep (24.2), Oct (19.6) = 8. November (14.1), December (11.0), January (10.5) and February (12.0) are excluded as too cold; no month is too hot. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is November at 114.5 mm.
- Notes
- March qualifies by 0.5 °C, and August stays 0.4 °C under the ceiling.
Paris
7/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Météo-France Paris-Montsouris 1991–2020)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Count of months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (16.6), May (20.2), Jun (23.4), Jul (25.7), Aug (25.6), Sep (21.5), Oct (16.5) = 7. Nov (11.1°C) and Mar (12.8°C) miss on temperature; no month is excluded on rainfall (Paris is evenly, moderately wet year-round).
03
The full comparison
Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.
01
Taxes
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileBordeaux34.1Paris34.1
What this measures
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days
Bordeaux
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
Paris
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme at €60,000 turnover, single (1 part) = micro-entrepreneur (micro-BNC, scheme fr-micro-bnc): micro-social 25.6% = 15,360; CFP 0.2% = 120; income tax on 66% of turnover (34% allowance) = 39,600 → 11%/30% bands = 4,984. Levies 20,464 → 34.1%. The versement libératoire (28% flat) is blocked at €60k by the RFR cap; a SASU all-dividend chain runs ≈43.7%.
02
Legalization
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−Remote-work legalization easeBordeauxLong stay pathParisLong stay path
What this measures
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
Bordeaux
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 14, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- France has no dedicated digital-nomad or remote-work visa. The long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur) forbids any professional activity, so it does not fit an actively-earning remote worker. Non-EU self-employed freelancers use the 'entrepreneur/profession libérale' long-stay visa or the Passeport Talent (for qualifying founders/investors/highly-skilled). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens work and freelance freely with no permit. Classified 'long-stay-path'.
Paris
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 14, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- France has no dedicated digital-nomad or remote-work visa. The long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur) forbids any professional activity, so it does not fit an actively-earning remote worker. Non-EU self-employed freelancers use the 'entrepreneur/profession libérale' long-stay visa or the Passeport Talent (for qualifying founders/investors/highly-skilled). EU/EEA/Swiss citizens work and freelance freely with no permit. Classified 'long-stay-path'.
03
Cost of living
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentBordeaux1,816Paris1,816
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days
Bordeaux
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
Paris
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- INSEE national-accounts household final consumption by COICOP, 2024. Functions sum to €1,543.8B on-territory; subtract housing rentals (actual €77.0B + imputed €220.7B = €297.7B) → €1,246.1B non-rent. Per-capita on the household basis (to match peers): ÷ 31.377M households (Jan 2024) ÷ avg size 2.14 ÷ 12 = €1,546/capita/mo (2024). CPI-uplift mid-2024→mid-2026 ×1.030 = €1,593/mo. ×1.1399 USD/EUR = $1,816/mo. Per-capita basis to match Czechia/Spain/Austria; a lone single-person household spends materially more.
INSEE — La consommation des ménages en 2024 (Insee Première 2056, COICOP functional breakdown)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Each INSEE 2024 COICOP function (€B/yr) → per-capita USD/mo by ÷ 31.377M households ÷ 2.14 ÷ 12 then ×1.030 CPI uplift ×1.1399 FX. Housing (04) shown net of rent (actual + imputed rents excluded). Items sum ≈ $1,814 ≈ the $1,816 headline. Health is households' out-of-pocket/non-reimbursed only — France's universal Assurance Maladie plus near-universal mutuelles cover most care, so this line is structurally low.
Transport283 USD
Food & non-alcoholic beverages273 USD
Restaurants & hotels191 USD
Housing (water, energy, maintenance — excl. rent)185 USD
Insurance & financial services182 USD
Recreation, sport & culture158 USD
Other goods & services (personal care, social protection, misc.)138 USD
Health (out-of-pocket & non-reimbursed)85 USD
Furnishings & household equipment84 USD
Information & communication80 USD
Alcoholic beverages & tobacco74 USD
Clothing & footwear65 USD
Education16 USD
04
Housing
Rent by apartment type
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
Bordeaux
Paris
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Sep 30, 2025
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- « Estimations ANIL, à partir des données du Groupe SeLoger et de leboncoin »: the 2025 edition of the ministry's rent map, published on data.gouv.fr on 11 December 2025 and read on 2026-09-24, models Bordeaux as a single commune — asking rent per m² per month, charges included, for an unfurnished flat let in the third quarter of 2025: €18.538 for 1–2-room flats (reference 37 m², 56,919 listings) and €14.605 for 3 rooms or more (72 m², 28,156). It has no finer geography, so the split comes from the Observatoire local des loyers de l'agglomération bordelaise (2024 results, https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/resultats-des-observatoires-locaux-des-loyers-par-agglomeration), which divides the area into five rent zones. Zone 1, a single contiguous zone that contains the Hôtel de Ville, has a median of €15.0/m² for flats; zones 2, 3 and 4, which cover the rest of the commune, have €14.1, €12.7 and €12.2. Weighting zones 1–4 by the number of Bordeaux IRIS districts in each (25, 25, 26 and 12) gives a commune mean of €13.683, so the centre multiplier is 15.0 / 13.683 = 1.0963 and the outside one (zones 2–4, €13.160) is 0.9618. Centre: €20.323/m² for 1–2 rooms and €16.010 for 3 or more; outside €17.830 and €14.047. Studio and 1br take the 1–2-room rate, 2br and 3br the 3-room-plus rate, times the floor areas used for Paris and Nice (studio 30, 1br 40, 2br 60, 3br 85 m²), converted at the ECB reference rate in data/fx-rates.json (EUR 1 = USD 1.1534, 2026-08-13): studio $703 / $617, 1br $938 / $823, 2br $1,108 / $972, 3br $1,570 / $1,377.
- Notes
- DERIVED SPLIT. The level is the rent map's modelled asking rent (charges included, unfurnished, Q3 2025); only the ratio between the centre and the rest comes from the observatory, whose medians describe rents in the private rental stock at 1 January 2024 — a different basis, used here only for proportions. The zones are rent-level zones, not districts, and zones 1–4 also take in parts of Le Bouscat, Talence, Mérignac, Pessac and Bègles; weighting by IRIS count assumes each IRIS holds a similar number of rented flats. Bordeaux is under rent control (encadrement des loyers, per service-public.gouv.fr on 2026-09-24); asking rents are not adjusted for it. Studios read low because the 1–2-room rate is modelled on a 37 m² flat.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Furnished asking-rent €/m²/month by type (SeLoger, 2025): studio 40.30, 1BR 35.00, 2BR 33.80, 3BR 33.30 — €/m² already embeds Paris's steep size gradient. Central/outer factor from the 1BR arrondissement spread (central arr. 1–8 ~€40.3/m² vs citywide €35.0 vs outer arr. 18–20 ~€33.0): center ×1.15, outside ×0.94. Monthly € = adjusted €/m² × sizes (studio 30, 1BR 40, 2BR 60, 3BR 85 m²) × 1.1399 USD/EUR. E.g. 1BR center = €35.00×1.15×40 = €1,610 → $1,835. Central asking rents cluster at the DRIHL loyer de référence majoré (the legal cap for a new lease).
- Notes
- ASKING rents for a new lease (what a mover pays), furnished basis (the typical choice for internationals); unfurnished runs ~10–12% lower. Paris has statutory rent control (encadrement des loyers) — the loyer de référence majoré caps a newcomer's rent, and central asking rents sit right at that cap. 'Outside' uses outer arrondissements (18–20) as proxy; petite-couronne suburbs vary widely. Per-cell figures carry ~±10–15% modeling uncertainty.
01Studio
Bordeauxcheaper
$703$617 outside
Paris
$1,585$1,295 outside
021-bedroom
Bordeauxcheaper
$938$823 outside
Paris
$1,835$1,500 outside
032-bedroom
Bordeauxcheaper
$1,108$972 outside
Paris
$2,659$2,173 outside
043-bedroom
Bordeauxcheaper
$1,570$1,377 outside
Paris
$3,710$3,033 outside
05
Safety
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearBordeaux1.3Paris1.3
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days
Bordeaux
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
Paris
Eurostat — police-recorded intentional homicide (crim_off_cat, ICCS0101, unit P_HTHAB)
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Police-recorded intentional homicide, 2024 (value 1.28; 2023 was 1.30). Dataset last updated by Eurostat 2026-04-29; cross-checked against decoding the full crim_off_cat matrix. Moderate by European standards — above the safest EU states (Austria 0.85) but well below the global average.
06
Climate
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearBordeauxstronger8Paris7
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Higher is better· pleasant months/year· re-verified every 3650 days
Bordeaux
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (WMO 1991–2020, Bordeaux-Mérignac 07510)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Months whose mean daily maximum is between 15 and 28 °C and whose precipitation is under 150 mm: Mar (15.5 °C), Apr (18.0), May (21.7), Jun (25.0), Jul (27.1), Aug (27.6), Sep (24.2), Oct (19.6) = 8. November (14.1), December (11.0), January (10.5) and February (12.0) are excluded as too cold; no month is too hot. The precipitation test excludes nothing: the wettest month is November at 114.5 mm.
- Notes
- March qualifies by 0.5 °C, and August stays 0.4 °C under the ceiling.
Paris
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals (Météo-France Paris-Montsouris 1991–2020)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Count of months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: Apr (16.6), May (20.2), Jun (23.4), Jul (25.7), Aug (25.6), Sep (21.5), Oct (16.5) = 7. Nov (11.1°C) and Mar (12.8°C) miss on temperature; no month is excluded on rainfall (Paris is evenly, moderately wet year-round).
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Bordeauxstronger7.9Paris10
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Lower is better· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· re-verified every 730 days
Bordeaux
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the validated (E1a, verification flag 1) 2024 annual PM2.5 means at the two stations the EEA assigns to Bordeaux, queried from the EEA statistics service on 2026-09-24: FR31045 "Bordeaux_GAUTIER" (urban traffic, 1.6 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 7.528 µg/m³ at 96.49% coverage; FR31002 "TALENCE" (urban background, 4.2 km from the Hôtel de Ville) 8.181 µg/m³ at 93.39% coverage. (7.528 + 8.181) / 2 = 7.85. The WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) gives Bordeaux 7.855 µg/m³ for 2024 at 94% coverage — exactly these two stations' mean; its row counts six stations because the count covers all three pollutants it reports.
- Notes
- TWO STATIONS, and half the figure is a traffic site: Gautier is an urban traffic station, yet it read lower in 2024 than the Talence background station, which stands in the neighbouring commune of Talence. The EEA held no validated 2025 PM2.5 statistics for France on 2026-09-24. The WHO series for Bordeaux reads 9.63 (2020), 10.27 (2021), 15.33 (2022, on 57% coverage) and 9.42 (2023). About 1.6 times the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³, and under the EU limit of 10 that applies from 2030.
Paris
Airparif — Bilan de la qualité de l'air à Paris 2023 (PM2.5, fond urbain)
Official source
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Airparif's 2023 Paris bilan reports urban-background (fond urbain) PM2.5 homogeneous across Paris at 10 µg/m³ (roadside 10–14). The 2024 regional bilan (published 2025) shows background falling to 7–10 µg/m³ across the agglomeration, so the current Paris value is at or just under 10.
- Notes
- About 2× the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³) but well under the current EU annual limit (25 µg/m³). It is at the stricter EU limit taking effect in 2030 (10 µg/m³). Urban-background levels have dropped over 35% across 2015–2024.
07
Healthcare
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldBordeaux821Paris821
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days
Bordeaux
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
- Notes
- A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
Paris
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has universal public health cover (Assurance Maladie, ~70% reimbursement) topped up by a COMPLEMENTARY private 'mutuelle santé' — supplementary, not full-replacement. Mutuelle pricing is age-banded, not health-rated. Market data (goodassur, 48,082 individual quotes, July 2026): age 25–34 avg €68.98/mo, 35–44 avg €90.68/mo; a mid-market intermediate plan for a healthy 35-year-old ≈ €60/mo = €720/yr → $821/yr at 1.1399. Range ≈ €35/mo ($479/yr) to ≈ €90/mo ($1,231/yr).
- Notes
- A supplementary top-up on the mandatory public system, not a full private replacement policy (like Austria's Sonderklasse). ~95%+ of residents carry a mutuelle; employees usually get a subsidised group contract (employer pays ≥50%), so this individually-purchased premium is the situation of a freelancer/self-employed person. Mid-market monthly range ≈ €50–70.
08
Money & crypto
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−Crypto regulationBordeauxLegal regulatedParisLegal regulated
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
Bordeaux
impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.
Paris
impots.gouv.fr — Plus-values sur cessions d'actifs numériques (cryptomonnaies); AMF/MiCA CASP regime
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Legal and regulated. Capital gains on digital assets for private/occasional investors are taxed at the flat PFU — 31.4% from 1 Jan 2026 (12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies; the social part rose from 17.2% when the 2026 Social Security law lifted CSG on capital income 9.2%→10.6%), with the option to elect the progressive scale instead (since 2023). Total annual disposals ≤ €305 are exempt. Crypto-asset service providers authorise as CASPs under the EU MiCA regulation (the former AMF 'PSAN' regime from the 2019 PACTE law), with the AMF as competent authority.
02+−Financial control levelBordeauxLowParisLow
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
Bordeaux
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 1, 2015
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.
Paris
Official source
- Data as of
- Sep 1, 2015
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Composite: France uses the euro, fully convertible, with EU free movement of capital and NO exchange/capital controls. The main constraint is a cash-payment cap — a French tax resident may pay at most €1,000 in cash to a professional (since Sept 2015; non-resident tourists up to €15,000); cash between private individuals is unlimited (written proof required above €1,500). The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Regulation adds an EU-wide €10,000 cash cap from 2027. Non-resident banking is available with standard KYC. These are ordinary AML measures, not capital controls → 'low'.
09
Infrastructure
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−Domestic delivery qualityBordeauxExcellentParisExcellent
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
Bordeaux
La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.
Paris
La Poste / Colissimo (Pickup) and Mondial Relay network figures
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- France has one of Europe's densest out-of-home parcel networks. Colissimo/Pickup: 26,000+ pickup points (≈17,500 relay points + ≈6,500 automatic lockers, incl. ≈4,500 24/7 Pickup Station lockers). Mondial Relay: ≈17,000 points (≈9,000 lockers + ≈8,000 relais). Plus Relais Colis, Chronopost, DPD, and La Poste home delivery ~6 days/week, with nationwide next-day/2-day standard options → 'excellent'.
02+−International delivery easeBordeauxMinor frictionParisMinor friction
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
Bordeaux
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market — most European cross-border parcels arrive like domestic ones). For non-EU imports the EU removed the €150 duty-free threshold and from 1 July 2026 applies a temporary flat customs duty per item on ≤€150 consignments (VAT already collected at checkout via IOSS since 2021). Predictable but no longer duty-free — the same EU regime as other member states.
Paris
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Intra-EU shipping is frictionless (single market — most European cross-border parcels arrive like domestic ones). For non-EU imports the EU removed the €150 duty-free threshold and from 1 July 2026 applies a temporary flat customs duty per item on ≤€150 consignments (VAT already collected at checkout via IOSS since 2021). Predictable but no longer duty-free — the same EU regime as other member states.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadBordeaux51.4Paris51.4
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days
Bordeaux
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
Paris
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for France
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Median of the 344 daily country-median download values for FR in 2023 (~10.47M download tests; daily medians ranged 24.9–61.1 Mbps). M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style or advertised figures (French fibre commonly markets 300–1000+ Mbps) — comparable only within this criterion. 2023 is the latest full year in M-Lab's public stats API.
- Notes
- France has extensive FTTH fibre coverage; the M-Lab single-stream median understates real-world line speeds and is used only for cross-country comparability on one consistent method.
10
Language
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−English proficiencyBordeauxModerateParisModerate
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
Bordeaux
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
Paris
EF EPI 2025 — France (score 539, rank 38/123, Moderate band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First): France score 539, global rank 38, 'Moderate' band (EF cutoffs: Moderate 500–549), up 11 places and +15 points vs 2024. English is workable in Paris tech/expat circles and tourism-facing Côte d'Azur, but French is essential for administration, most workplaces, and daily life — France sits below the very-high Northern-European tier.
11
Education
CriterionBordeauxParis
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countBordeaux1Parisstronger7
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Higher is better· accredited international schools, count· re-verified every 730 days
Bordeaux
CIS (Council of International Schools) membership directory — Bordeaux International School
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Sep 24, 2026
- Verified
- Sep 24, 2026
- Method
- Accreditor-verified: Bordeaux International School, 252 rue Judaïque, about 1.4 km west of the Hôtel de Ville, is listed in the CIS membership directory, read on 2026-09-24, as an active member with the status "Accredited" and with IGCSE and A Level among its programmes. It is the only Bordeaux school in the directory.
- Notes
- VERIFIED FLOOR. No Bordeaux school has an IB profile in the Internet Archive, and ibo.org answered our requests with a Cloudflare challenge. The Accredited European Schools list has no Bordeaux entry. The school says it has been a Cambridge International centre since 1991; Cambridge's school finder renders only in a browser, so that, and any other Cambridge-registered school, could not be checked there.
Paris
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 14, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 14, 2026
- Method
- Paris-metro schools each confirmed against a named accreditor: (1) International School of Paris (16e) — IB World School, all 3 programmes; (2) École Jeannine Manuel (7e/15e) — IB World School + CIS; (3) American School of Paris (Saint-Cloud) — IB World School (DP); (4) ICS Paris International School (15e) — IB continuum PYP/MYP/DP; (5) Ermitage International School (Maisons-Laffitte) — IB World School (DP); (6) Marymount International School Paris (Neuilly-sur-Seine) — IB (PYP); (7) The British School of Paris (Croissy-sur-Seine) — UK British Schools Overseas (BSO) accreditation, COBIS, ISI-inspected. Aggregators used only to find candidates.
- Notes
- Verified FLOOR of 7 (6 IB World Schools + 1 BSO-accredited British school). Strictly intra-muros the count is 3 (ISP 16e, École Jeannine Manuel, ICS Paris 15e); Paris's international-school scene is heavily suburban (Neuilly, Saint-Cloud, Maisons-Laffitte, Croissy, Saint-Germain-en-Laye). More qualify (e.g. EIB Étoile, Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye) but were not each individually verified this cycle.