Yahoo Finance Retire to Morbihan, the Best of Coastal France
The southern coast of Brittany, France's northwestern-most region, is little known even among the French. However, it is here, specifically in Morbihan, on the Bay of Biscay, that American Abby Gordon has chosen to make her part-time base in this country.
For the past three years, Gordon has rented a house in the small town of Baden, in the heart of the Gulf of Morbihan, where she spends a few months a year. Gordon was attracted by the lifestyle, history, culture, beauty and mild climate of this region. "For me, this part of Brittany is an undiscovered oasis within weekend commuting distance of Paris," Gordon says.
An important part of the appeal of this town of approximately 4,500 people is the cost of living. This is the old world at its most affordable. "Coming from any major city, you're able to live like a king or queen in Morbihan on a very reasonable budget," Gordon says. "The cost of keeping my rental home here is covered by the income I net from renting out my property back in Boothbay Harbor for just a month in peak season."
Gordon rents a four-bedroom house in the center of Baden, a town whose claim to fame is having the longest coastline (37 kilometers along the gulf) of any commune in France. Baden is one of the most expensive towns in Morbihan, yet the rent for Gordon's three-level house with a small enclosed yard is just 612 euros per month.
While Paris places restrictions on short-term rentals, no such restrictions exist in Brittany, meaning it's very feasible to spend part of the year in Morbihan, then rent your home here the rest of the year to offset your local costs, as Abby does. However, it's important to note than rentals in Morbihan are seasonal, and it would be difficult to find short-term renters in winter.
Here's how Gordon's overall monthly budget breaks down:
-- 35 euros for cable, phone and Internet
-- 55 euros for a cellphone, which includes international calling
-- 15 euros for trash collection
-- 30 euros for water
-- 50 euros for electricity, including electric heat
-- 72 euros for a cleaner to come twice a month
-- 50 euros for property taxes
The cost of utilities is one expense that can be more living in Brittany than in Paris. But this is more a result of the low cost of real estate in Morbihan than the high cost of utilities. You're inevitably able to afford a bigger place in Morbihan, meaning higher utility expenses.
Living in Morbihan, your transportation costs would be a car and gas. Gas is more expensive in Europe than in the United States. The average price for a liter of gas in France is 1.38 euros, or about $5.69 per gallon. Diesel runs $1 per gallon less than unleaded. However, cars in Europe tend to be smaller and less gas-guzzling than American cars. Elsewhere in France, toll roads can add to your monthly transportation expense, but there are no tolls in Brittany.
Outdoor markets and massive Walmart-style supermarkets are ubiquitous and offer good prices. "I purchase enough peel-and-eat shrimp to fill a cereal bowl to the brim for no more than 3 euros," Gordon says. A fresh fish filet runs around 2 euros, and a sizeable slice of homemade paté is 1 euro. Beer in the supermarket can cost as little as 50 euro cents per bottle when purchased in bulk. Groceries for a nice dinner for two can be less than 15 euros, including wine. Eating out at a crêperie or going out for moules frites (mussels and fries) and a beer can run you 15 euros per person, and a fancier three-course meal with wine rarely exceeds 25 euros per person.
For this very reasonable budget, Gordon is enjoying a rich and full lifestyle. Leisure time in Morbihan is spent walking or riding a bike on the coastal trails and enjoying water sports, beach-combing, seafood and everything else that goes along with life by the sea.
Cultural events in Morbihan are many. Local churches host concerts, and even the smallest towns sponsor local festivals and other community events each summer. The biggest are the annual Fest Noz and Fest Deiz, nighttime and daytime festivals featuring traditional music and dance.
The World Health Organization has long ranked France first for best overall health care among its 191 member countries. Health care in France is good and cheap, and Morbihan, despite its distance from Paris, has excellent health care facilities. If you are in the French system and have a Carte Vitale, prescription medicine is practically free. However, even if you are not covered by French health insurance, prescription medicines are cheap compared with costs in the United States, due to stricter government regulation of drug pricing. "On several occasions, I have asked for a receipt to request reimbursement from my international health plan, only to receive an invoice for not much more than the price of the international postage to mail my claim form," Gordon says. A doctor's visit can be as little as 30 euros.
One important question to address when considering the idea of retirement in Morbihan is whether you would be comfortable living in a town with a significant seasonal population or whether you would prefer to be in a town with a more stable year-round population. About 75 percent of Baden's population is year-round, but only about 35 percent of the population in the neighboring town of Larmor-Baden is in residence all year. Vannes and Auray would be two of the best options for year-round living.
Living in Morbihan, you would enjoy a rural, small town life. The dangers and annoyances of a bigger city, such as crime, pollution and congestion, are nonfactors.
On the other hand, because this is a rural town, retired here, you would need to learn to speak at least basic French. Because the expat network in Morbihan is limited, it is difficult to find organized groups to join or activities to sign up for where the common language is anything but French.
Despite the relatively small Anglophone population, there are some resources for English-speaking expats. Angloinfo.com is an active worldwide expat network that has a dedicated website for Brittany. On this site, you can find moving tips and connect with other English speakers in your area.
Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group .
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