The South of France You’ve Never Heard Of (And It’s Cheaper Than Provence)
When most people think of moving to the South of France, they picture Provence or the French Riviera… and the price tags that come with them.
But just next door is a region offering sunshine, Mediterranean beaches, historic towns, vineyard countryside, and a relaxed pace of life… often at significantly lower cost.
In this video, IL France correspondent Tuula Rampont talks about five towns in Occitanie that more expats are quietly discovering:
02:16 La Grande-Motte
04:50 Montpellier
07:34 Narbonne
09:37 Nîmes
11:27 Uzès
We discuss real rental pricing, lifestyle differences, healthcare access, expat integration, and how this region compares to Paris, Nice, and Provence.
Want a deeper dive into these five towns — including lifestyle details, regional context, and why Occitanie is quietly rising in popularity? Read the full article here: https://internationalliving.com/up-and-coming-destinations-in-france/
If you’re exploring France for retirement, part-time living, or a long-stay move, Occitanie may be one of the smartest (and most overlooked) places to consider.
#southoffrance #occitanie #movetofrance
8 Comments
As an American, I can tell you that you will not find nicer people than the French. I would say that in many cases they go out of their way to help you. The only people who are not that nice are cab drivers in Paris, but think of the stress of that job. I have been to Paris several times, and a few others as day trips from London. I am always surprised how people just randomly go out of their way to be kind.
Hi Tuula,
We are coming in April, and have a rental in Collobrières near Hyères. We found a beautiful Haussmanian style apartment there. Narbonne has my interest to investigate further as well as Nimes which sounds interesting as well as affordable. Thank you for your information.
I heard of this place this year because I watch tennis and a great tennis tournament was there. When I saw the name I thought about L’occitane which is a French beauty product….
I'd LOVE to live in Nice, but failing that, how easy would it be to hop a train to visit Nice from this region of Occitanie? Would you have to go back up north and snag a different line to Marseilles–>Toulon–>Nice?
At 310,000 people Montpellier is a City not a college town. It's extremely difficult to find a rental for a number of reasons. You both need to pronounce these cites better
Beziers up and coming with a beach town 80,000 people and has an expat community
Been to all these areas and they are beautiful. French people are awesome. Lived in Provence for 4 months and it’s a great place. Small villages are wonderful.People often are shy to speak English as we are with France.
Really fun and inspiring conversation, thank you!