🇫🇷 Western Europe
Cities & towns in France
Where you land inside France matters more than the country itself. Browse the most popular cities for American expats, or take a 60-second quiz to surface the top 5 that fit your lifestyle.
Find your city in France
Answer 8 quick questions about pace, beaches, transit, and budget — we'll rank the top 5 cities.
Paris
Pop. ~2.1M
The classic — dense, walkable, world-class transit, premium prices.
Walkability
10/10
Beach access
1/10
Expat community
9/10
Housing cost
9/10
Lyon
Pop. ~520,000
France's culinary capital — big-city amenities at lower cost than Paris.
Walkability
9/10
Beach access
1/10
Expat community
6/10
Housing cost
6/10
Nice
Pop. ~340,000
Côte d'Azur beach city — Mediterranean lifestyle with international airport.
Walkability
9/10
Beach access
10/10
Expat community
8/10
Housing cost
8/10
Bordeaux
Pop. ~260,000
Elegant southwestern wine capital — walkable, sunny, and increasingly expat-popular.
Walkability
9/10
Beach access
5/10
Expat community
6/10
Housing cost
6/10
Montpellier
Pop. ~300,000
Sunny Mediterranean university city — young, walkable, beach 15 minutes away.
Walkability
9/10
Beach access
8/10
Expat community
6/10
Housing cost
5/10