Cost of Living in Paris

Paris is wonderful, and I love it here, but the stereotypes some real truth to them. I stepped off the plane to a protest, my airbnb host was incredibly stylish yet didn't wear deoderant, and I met the rudest waiter I've ever encountered in my entire life on day 3 (though most Parisians are super nice!)

During my brief trip to Paris, I was surprised to find few people spoke English. I speak French moderately well and always began speaking with people in French. At the hotel, I had some questions I couldn't ask in French and was surprised that the front-desk staff seemingly only spoke a few words of English. Aside from that, I did not find people rude, just businesslike. My favorite neighborhood was the Quartier Latin - I would live there if I could! I didn't see any tourists in that arrondissement, and loved being able to hang out with a coffee for hours without being pressured to move along. The Jardin des Plantes was a very unique place to explore. I loved the laid-back feel and enjoyed watching families with children playing. I felt very safe the entire time I was in Paris - even late at night. The bicycle taxis are a great way to get around! The only thing that would prevent me from moving there (aside from the cost) is the driving. People in Paris are very aggressive drivers and I definitely would not be doing any driving there. I wish I had stayed longer, and hope to return again soon...

After a month in Paris I can honestly say I have never enjoyed myself more from a culture perspective. The eating, drinking, and nightlife is excellent. People often complain that French people are rude but they have it all wrong. They are very formal. Dining is quite different as it doesn't align with the experience in America. In France restaurants are a space you are invited into and the waiters and chefs are professionals who know how best to treat you during your experience. They are in control and you have to turn trust to that. In the USA, we are like entitled children who want everything a certain way or we will leave a negative review. Honestly, that alone makes me sad to be an American. We had trouble with the metro but Paris is very accessible -- if you get used to it. The month we were there was during the yellow jacket protests and strikes. It made getting around challenging -- read the metro was truly hell. We did have to find cafe's where we could work and paid a fee. That was fine though as the cost of running a business in Paris is significant.

A few tips:
My favorite place to eat and experience overall:
*Le Comptoir // This is Yves Camdeborde’s bistro in the 6th. Great spot. He also has L’Avant Comptoir de La Mer and L’Avant Comptoir du Marché, both great places to go stand and have a glass of wine and share some small plates. He’s one of the most admired chefs in Paris, and backs it up with his food. You have to go to at least one, if not multiple of these spots.

Super fun and beautiful city. I find Parisians are actually very patient and warm if you at least attempt to speak French; in my experience, most people who complain that they're rude are the ones making zero effort to speak the language. Expensive though and not very easy to meet other nomads.

I tried to like Paris, but it is definitely not my kind of destination for digital nomading. Spent half a year in Paris and here are my Pros and Cons:

Pros:
* Beautiful City
* Good places to relax in (bars, cafes)
* There's live music bars or jams all the way through the week
* The cheeses and wines

Cons:
* Expensive
* Traffic is hell, pay attention when crossing the street (even if you have the priority)
* People act annoyed if you don't speak French - not all young people speak English here - one of the least English-friendly places I've been to
* Most cafes are not friendly to laptop workers - there are cafes where you can work but you might need to pay a fee per hour
* Can be quite polluted sometimes

Overall, I would only consider Paris for a short chill trip. Plenty of other better places for a longer stay that involves working as well.

Parisians are not as rude as some people say, most of them speak English when your approach is respectful, and you try to speak French, and begin by saying Bonjour, or Bon soir. It is very expensive, but like any other big city, there are always alternatives to different type of food or lodging. Public transportation is very efficient and not that expensive.

Parisians tend to be rude and arrogant. The city is nice but there are much nicer places in other parts of France.
Also the people make no effort to speak english 80% of the time so do bring a french/english dictionary

People are very rude. This place is very crowded and silly expensive and not very nice for all it talked up to be. The place is can be very ghetto.

Not a very "freelance/artist" friendly city.
The look of someone working inside a coffeeshop is still unusual and unappreciated.
Extremely not accessible and not disable friendly (Metro, bus, building, coffeeshops and restaurants...)