Having always thought my life would unfold in Paris, my entire routine changed in May 2025 when I decided to move to Spain, specifically to the south. At first, it was a mix of administrative stress and excitement about being in a new environment that seemed to suit me better. Or maybe not as much as I thought...
The Shock of Slowing Down
I've lived my entire life in Paris and its surroundings, so I've always been shaped by an intense pace of life. And I have to say, the brutal change in dynamism hit me like a ton of bricks. When you're used to moving forward every day in a wave at tsunami speed, and suddenly that wave disappears, leaving only a calm, static current, you just feel like you're in slow motion, living in slowdown without wanting to. That's exactly what I felt here. No pressure, no stress. Here, everything opens around noon. What I used to call afternoon, here they call it morning. And I don't think it's just a matter of sun and UV index, no, it's just a totally different culture, totally relaxed.
Kindness and Stereotypes
Kind people, smiling and very affectionate (sometimes a bit too much). I definitely wasn't ready for that, especially when a waitress at a bar called me "my love." From the bitter Parisian to the smiling Malagueño, almost utopian for me! The quality of life is undeniably better, thanks to the pace of life and the calm, kind culture. I've grown so fond of it that once, during a conversation when I mentioned I'm French, someone said:
Apparently, we've got quite the reputation abroad... Sometimes I've paid the price for it. I don't want to complain too much about it, but it's been unpleasant at times to be excluded because of it. It's true that I'm naturally quite shy and reserved, but being a French immigrant doesn't help either. And it's a surprising paradox here: people are simultaneously so sweet and kind yet territorial.
The Reality of Gentrification
Beyond my own experience as an immigrant, this tension with foreigners is also explained by a broader context. Southern Spain has become a dream destination for many foreigners, and locals are experiencing gentrification that they don't appreciate at all. This mass tourism has only driven up prices, especially in real estate, even though the cost of living is still much cheaper than in Paris.
Language vs. Communication
I've been speaking Spanish fluently for a long time, but I quickly realized there's a difference between speaking Spanish and speaking Spanish. The cultural shock on this topic was huge. French humor, our way of telling stories, describing anecdotes... everything is different. But the most unsettling thing for me is the group conversation dynamics. Here, everyone constantly interrupts each other, bounces off each other's topics in an organized chaos that seems perfectly natural to them. Communication is raw, unfiltered, without that French tact I thought was universal. For someone quite shy and reserved like me, who politely waits for their turn to speak, it's a nightmare. If you don't assert yourself, you simply don't exist in the conversation. This adaptation has been one of the most difficult for me.
Professional Isolation
And as if social adaptation wasn't enough, there's also the professional reality. While Paris is overflowing with opportunities in tech, southern Spain is a desert for software engineers. Everything is concentrated in Madrid and Barcelona. Here, you have a choice between working remotely for foreign companies, or... working remotely for foreign companies. The local tech ecosystem is practically non-existent. When I'm job hunting, I find myself applying for positions in Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, or fully remote roles. The dream of "living and working where the weather is nice" comes at a price: professional isolation.
No Regrets
So, do I regret it? Honestly, no. The pace of life is undeniably better here, it's pleasant to live, the sun is everywhere, and Parisian stress seems to belong to another life. But social integration remains a real challenge. And I now understand why so many foreign communities have formed here without ever really mixing with locals, the Dutch with the Dutch, the English with the English, the Finns with the Finns. On the street, it's 50-50: either I hear Spanish or I hear foreign languages. And that really surprised me at first, because I'm neither in a capital nor in a city known for being cosmopolitan. It's not a refusal to integrate, but because cultural barriers are thicker than you'd imagine. This constant feeling of being "the French immigrant", I realize that moving to a new country isn't just about changing your address. It's rebuilding an entire social and professional life from scratch, in an environment that doesn't always make things easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it worth moving from Paris to southern Spain?
- For quality of life, yes. The pace is slower, the weather is excellent, the cost of living is significantly lower than Paris, and people are warmer in everyday interactions. The trade-offs are real though: cultural integration is hard, communication styles are very different, and you may end up surrounded by other expats rather than locals.
- What is the tech job market like in southern Spain?
- Almost non-existent for software engineers in cities like Malaga. The Spanish tech ecosystem is concentrated in Madrid and Barcelona. If you move south, expect to work remotely for foreign companies or apply for roles in Madrid, Barcelona, Paris or fully-remote positions.
- Is the cost of living lower in southern Spain than in Paris?
- Yes, in most categories — groceries, restaurants, transport and daily life are noticeably cheaper than Paris. Real estate is the catch: mass tourism and foreign demand have pushed rental and property prices up sharply in coastal areas of Andalusia, and locals are visibly frustrated by it.
- How hard is it to integrate socially as a French expat in Spain?
- Harder than you would expect, even speaking fluent Spanish. Cultural codes are different: conversations are louder, interruptions are normal, and politely waiting your turn often means being invisible. Many foreign communities self-segregate (Dutch with Dutch, English with English) precisely because that integration step is non-trivial.