Morocco Attracts French Retirees Seeking Lower Cost of Living

In search of a comfortable standard of living, far from the high cost of living in France, French retirees are rushing to Morocco. Nearly 60,000 of them have already settled in the kingdom, a figure that is likely to increase in the coming years. The reason for this enthusiasm for Morocco, the rather low purchasing power. "A kilo of tomatoes here is 50 cents, in France it’s 4-5 euros," says Germain, a retiree living in Morocco, in a France 2 report on the subject.

With this significant gap in purchasing power between France and Morocco, French retirees see themselves able to afford luxurious residences at very affordable prices. A lucrative business for French real estate agents who make their butter by offering housing that meets the expectations of retirees. Laurent Ginard, a real estate agent, confides in the France 2 report that he has already helped nearly 1,000 French retiree couples find housing in Morocco.

According to the ranking of the site "Retraites Sans Frontières", Morocco is in the top 10 of the best countries to spend one’s retirement. The kingdom offers a special tax regime for foreign retirees who benefit from an 80% reduction in tax on their pension. However, the Kingdom must innovate, as countries like Portugal have been inspired by its model and are gradually becoming very serious competitors.