Starting Over in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence is known for being the most expensive city in France—almost at Parisian real estate levels (maybe Île de Ré too... 🤪) Local Aix forum members can probably give you more precise info.

Thanks Jean-Michel, you're right—it's apparently expensive there. But hey, sunshine doesn't have a price. I used to live in Paris, and now I'm in Haute-Savoie where rents are through the roof. Still, if anyone has a great tip for something more affordable, that'd be awesome.

if Aix isn’t your thing, there’s the Var… (huge retirement home…)

Hi, I can confirm that Aix is a very expensive place, with not many rentals available. A lot of people prefer to live in the Var area and commute to work in Aix. However, when it comes to jobs as an educator, there’s no problem—there are plenty of potential clients in Marseille.

😏 Thanks for your replies. It’s awesome if I can find work easily—it’s true that Marseille is the second-largest city in France after all. As for housing, we’ll see. In two weeks, we’re taking a little trip to the area to scout things out and maybe visit some houses. Fingers crossed!!! Do you know if people are open in the area? Is it hard to meet people? Is life there pretty laid-back?

If you really, really want to do it, just go for it—you’ve got to follow your heart.

The good things about Aix: the climate, the markets, the city is incredibly beautiful, the surrounding areas are stunning (the hinterland, the Calanques, the Camargue...), the summer festivals (in Aix, Marseille, Avignon...) are amazing—free ones, popular ones, high-end ones, all of them. There’s a ton of stuff to do.

I had some of my best years there, as well as in the Var and the 06.

That said, don’t think everything will be easy just because of that. There are also some tough aspects: the cost of housing (though it’s pretty much like Annecy), the quality of housing (for example, older places are often poorly insulated, so you can get really cold in winter if it’s badly oriented).

Winter in Aix (note: the climate is a bit different in Aix vs. Marseille) can be mild (lunch on a terrace in January) or harsh (icy sidewalks, frozen fountains), but it’s much rarer and never lasts long (just a few days).

What can be tough sometimes: the mentality. People don’t always keep their word—"just talk," as they say. It’s true for a lot of the locals. They’re friendly and funny, but pretty superficial. Don’t expect them to be waiting for you! (I’m a Southern girl myself.)

For work, there are definitely opportunities, especially in Marseille.

Personally, I never liked living in Marseille, even though the city has its perks. It really depends on your taste. You can live in the surrounding areas instead.

Anyway, like anywhere, there are great sides and not-so-great sides.

What really makes or breaks the experience are your work conditions, transportation, housing, etc.

So here’s my advice: prepare as much as you can beforehand to gather as much info and create the best conditions for your new life!

That’s exactly what I’m doing right now—I left the South... and I regret it about 60% of the time.

Best regards,

Thanks Ocean, I think we have no doubts—we're ready to take the plunge, it's now or never. Haute-Savoie isn’t an option, so we’re trying the south. If we mess up, we’ll go back to square one in Paris. But I think this time we won’t make a mistake. It’s true that rent is expensive, but in Haute-Savoie it’s insane—we have a house for 1000 € before tax (about 1300 € all included). I think we can find something for the same price. Let me know if you have any great tips! Can’t wait to live the adventure!!!!!!!! 😉

Hi there,

I lived in Aix for many years, I still work there but I’ve been living in Marseille for over 10 years now.

Aix is a charming city, sure, but it’s *extremely* expensive—rent, restaurants, cafés, shops, everything costs a lot. It’s up to you to see if your housing budget can handle it. If you work in Marseille, the commute from Aix to Marseille in the morning and the reverse in the evening is rough: traffic jams, traffic jams… There are fast shuttles by bus and the train, but it’s easier the other way around.

Hope my take helps you move forward!

Thanks a lot Khatmars, maybe it would be better if we lived closer to Marseille. I think it’d be more interesting for my job, we’ll see. Thanks anyway for the info

Hi there, well that’s the best—I was saying exactly the same thing! I was in Aix yesterday and it just killed me to have to go back up north. I’m so done living in a city where everyone’s got a sour face and is aggressive because there’s no space, no sun, no energy, and where we freeze for 8 months a year. I dream of moving to Aix—a city that’s always drawn me. How did it go for you? Are there jobs? And even though it’s in the south, are people actually cool (on average, at least)? Can you go out and meet people? Did you find a place to live? Etc., etc. Thanks!

Thanks, but it’s no better than Grenoble really—everything’s overpriced there too!

Hello, oh wow, that’s the best—I was saying exactly the same thing! I was in Aix yesterday, and it broke my heart to leave. I’m so done living in a city where everyone looks miserable and acts aggressive because there’s no space, no sunshine, no energy, and where we freeze for 8 months a year.

Isn’t Grenoble nice? 😉 When I lived in Paris, I dreamed of moving there. I worked for 4 months at the city’s biggest employer, and I have great memories of it... Aix is great, but you’ve got to be able to find a job there, and the rent is crazy expensive. Otherwise, you’d have to live in Jas de Bouffan, the suburbs of Aix.

Thanks, but it’s no better than Grenoble—everything is overpriced there too!

In Aix, it’s probably even worse... everyone in France wants to live in the South where it’s sunny...

so we’re trying the south, if it doesn’t work out we’ll go back to square one in Paris.

Moving to Paris is a bad idea... unless it’s for work. That’s why I left France

OK Mathews, 4 months is about the same as anywhere—just enough time to get to know the country and the new things. But for me, I’ve had my fill of mountains, my fill, and honestly, it’s mostly the lack of horizon in the basin and the surrounding valleys. No horizon, you just run into mountains everywhere, which gets a bit claustrophobic—kind of like how the lack of sun affects you! I’ve been freelance forever, so no boss to find, just contracts! Thanks for asking :)

Hey DonPepoutch, it's true—I'm a total mountain addict 😉 The Alps feel like home to me in France.. Anyway, good luck with Aix! If worse comes to worst, you could live a little north in Salon or Orange, or somewhere else..

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for info on villages around Aix, like Fuveau, Bouc-Bel-Air, or even Éguilles and Venelles? We’re a couple with a child living in the Paris region, and I’ll be relocating to Aix-en-Provence in spring 2026. We’d love to swap our apartment for a house with a pool within 20–30 minutes max of Aix’s center, with a budget of around 650k €.

In terms of climate and geography, I’ve read that Aix is a bit of a heat trap—how about the villages around it that are a bit more elevated, like Venelles? Is it just as stifling there?

For a family, which area would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your replies

Hey! So you left Grenoble? For Aix-en-P... well, there’s something for everyone, I guess :( I kinda did the reverse route and don’t regret it! Though I’m not actually in the city—from my village, I can see the Olympic city down in the valley after a short walk... it’s a bit of a trek to get there, so I don’t go often. The worst part is driving through it during rush hour when everyone’s heading to work. Usually, I’m just passing through to get from the Vercors to the Belledonne massif ;)

For me, between Aix-en-P and Grenoble, there’s no contest—Grenoble wins hands down, no hesitation.