Job Discussion Forums

[matador]

How much money should I be earning before/after tax in France in order to support my wife and young child...nice apartment, car, the nice things in life. Not rich...just how much do I need to be comfortable per month? How many euros a month??

[medusa]

Hello,
how much? There are so many factors involved it would be very difficult to give you a straight answer but here are a few pointers that I hope help!...
It all depends where you live, if you're in Paris or the provinces. A simple wage for a single person living in a provincial city ie Bordeaux/Toulouse etc would be 1200euros (that would be brut -before tax and works out about minimum wage). But to find a teaching post with a cdd or cdi (short term or long term contract) at 35h a week on minimum wage is difficult -most teaching a pays by the hour without fixed weekly hours. The cost of an appartment in an out of paris city for a T2 (one bed) can be anywhere between 350-600euros depending on location, size of rooms etc. If you need another room for your baby itll be more expensive.
Housing benefit does exist and can cover between 50-150euros per month -again subject to age of builing and your income etc.
Unless your wife has some kind of income, I honestly think it would be very difficult to find a full time job that pays enough to support your family and have the comforts you mentioned. A car isnt cheap to run or keep here and if you live in town its a nightmare for parking.
I dont know Paris prices well enough or work rates but its generally much more expensive than the rest of France but there are more work opportunities and perhaps a higher pay.
I don't know if that is useful for you -if I can shed any more light on things dont hesistate to contact me!