Hyères: An Overlooked Retirement Gem in Southern France

Southern France is one of those magical spots in the world that conjures up images of sparkling bays, glitzy shopping districts, and a laidback, laissez-faire attitude envied the world over.

It’s also an ideal spot to retire. With some of the best weather in all of France, outside the island of Corsica, the southeastern corner of the country is a coveted spot for French and foreign retirees.

Although that doesn’t mean you have to have deep pockets to take advantage of la belle vie—the good life.

You’ll find considerable savings on housing, utilities, and healthcare.

Current rents in France are 50% less, on average, than those in the United States. Properties to purchase are 34% lower, with property taxes coming in at one tenth of what you pay back home.

Electricity cost average about €72.50 ($80) to €79 ($87) per month, and if you use gas—available in about a third of the residences in France—you’ll pay around €71 ($78) per month, depending on the size of your apartment or home. Several plans exist to bundle wireless Internet, cable TV, and cell phone usage via one single provider. For example, the network service, Free, offers a package for €34.99 ($38) a month.

Last, but not least, the most important retirement savings is probably one of the top reasons to move to France: healthcare. Doctor’s visits around the country are fixed at €25 ($27), and 70% of that amount is refunded to you after you pay the doctor, making your visit roughly $9 out-of-pocket.

There’s also no double-taxation allowed on US Social Security pensions or other passive income accounts—thanks to a tax treaty with the United States. No need to worry about staking a lot of your income into French taxes.

All in all, these attractive reductions make France a desirable place to retire and also serve as a good segue into discussing the community of Hyères (pronounced “Yair”).

I wanted to do the “hard sell” for choosing France right up front, because Hyères is slightly more expensive than other places to live in the south due to its desirability. 

Although rents can be 20% more than surrounding towns, they still fall considerably below current US figures.

And there’s good reason for this uptick. Hyères checks all the top retirement boxes.

In Hyères—a town of around 60,000 residents near the city of Toulon in southeastern France—you’ll find the best of both worlds. A classic south-of-France lifestyle paired with “lost-in-time” natural beauty along the coastline.

The old historic center is like living in a throwback French village… but with modern amenities, and quality healthcare, right at your doorstep.

Old town is a mix of cobblestoned streets, medieval archways, and avenues lined with cafés, restaurants, boutiques, pharmacies, and French squares—perfect for meeting friends before heading to a local art exhibition or food fair. The entertainment possibilities, all within walking distance, are endless.

We go every November to the Gourmet Food and Wine festival held at Hyères’ casino—which also hosts book fairs and traveling expeditions (everything from oceanography to ready-to-wear fashion). We try wines from Burgundy to Alsace, and food staples from around the country. There’s even an Italian stand, offering up chunks of Parmesan, slices of mortadella, and fresh ravioli pasta.

It’s a great place for deals on wine. We have a favorite producer from the Champagne region whose bottles are some of the finest I’ve ever tasted, at €16 ($17.30) a pop. He sends us free invitations (the entrance fee is €2) to the wine fair every year… and we leave with a couple boxes of bubbly.

The Villa Noailles Modern Art Museum hosts seasonal events like the Hyères Design Festival (June to September) and an International Fashion and Photography Festival every October.

There’s also a large farmers market, something the French are famous for, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings on Avenue Gambetta. This is your weekly stop for picking up the freshest Provençal produce and specialty items like local olives and tapenades.

You’ll find numerous doctors’ offices and specialists in the center of town, and there’s a hospital, Sainte Marguerite, not too far from the casino. A second hospital, known simply as Hyères Hospital, is a short drive from the center.

One of the nicest things about Hyères is that it has an excellent transportation system. If you ever need to go to a doctor’s appointment a bit further afield, it’s very easy to go by bus—keeping in mind Europeans, unlike many of us in the US, take public transportation on a daily basis. It’s a well-maintained and highly regulated system… and also quite cheap. A bus ticket will cost you €1.40 ($1.50) and you can get a monthly pass for €36.50 ($39.50).

The bus can also take you conveniently to Hyères’ other star attractions—its dynamic port and stunning coastline.

The port of Hyères bustles with cafés, restaurants, and snazzy south-of-France boutiques. At lunchtime, you’re likely to find retirees enjoying a glass of rosé and watching the boats sail in and out of the sparkling harbor. 

For a quieter afternoon, you can post up at any of the white-sand beaches that stretch for miles around the outer-most tip of the community. Catch the kite-surfers at Almanarre beach, or marvel at the deep-turquoise blues of the Mediterranean Sea at La Capte beach—known as a local slice of the Caribbean. Colorful “island-style” restaurants line the cozy backstreets behind the beach. 

Finally, Hyères’ undeniable star attraction is Porquerolles Island—accessible by ferry near Almanarre beach. With its black-sand beaches, seaside coves surrounded by umbrella pines, and selection of French wineries you can tour by bicycle, the island is a local stunner. Hiking trails and bike rentals make it highly accessible for day trips. 

Porquerolles Island is a popular getaway just a short ferry ride from Hyères.|©iStock/sam74100

All this makes Hyères a community you should consider if you dream of the good life on France’s Mediterranean coast. And, while it’s not cheap, it is more affordable than you might have thought.

Budget-wise, rentals are a good bet. Furnished, two-bedroom, one-bath apartments (860-square-feet) can be found for $1,500 in the historic center. Rentals near the beach will be considerably higher, and two-bedroom homes to purchase will start at $400,000.

So consider Hyères, this overlooked retirement gem in southern France.