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Living and Working in Toulouse

Stuart Smith our consultant managing the role
Posted by Stuart Smith
Published on 6 January 2025

Toulouse is also known as the "Pink City" due to the wide use of terra cotta brick in its architecture. Enjoy it best with a glass of wine on a terrace – or a glass of the local aperitif: the Pastis. Indeed, it offers a very special blend of French culture, a vivid atmosphere, and an excellent job market, especially within the aerospace and aeronautics sectors, engineering, and life science sector.

 

Toulouse to live in

Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France with over a million inhabitants. With heavy investments within the city focused on sense of place, diversity, and beauty, Toulouse is poised to continue to be a lovely city to live in. It attracts professionals from all over the world due to its rich culture, location, and economic dynamism. While generally lower than major cities like Paris, the cost of living in Toulouse can still be significant. Rent is a major expense averaging at €740 per month in central areas. However, Toulouse offers a good quality of life with access to relatively affordable groceries and public transportation. The Mediterranean climate in Toulouse consists of hot summers and mild winters. During the summer months, it can get very warm, making air conditioning almost necessary. Toulouse is a French city that possesses several museums, theatres and historical monuments. It also contains various festivals and events which are organised in different times of the year.

 

Working in Toulouse

Toulouse has a very strong economy, and the main source of the economy is aerospace and aeronautics. It is also a centre of research and development, information technology, and higher education. The life science sector is also booming in Toulouse with 15,000 students, 2,200 researchers in the health sector, 8 hospitals, 9 clinics, 110 companies gathering 3,500 employees and one major site called the Oncopole. There are ample job opportunities in various streams of studies, particularly related to engineering, IT, and research. Around 190,000 people work daily in the medical and health sector R&D in the Occitanie region. Though many international companies use English, one will have far easier integration into society and professional rise if he or she can speak French fluently.

 

Tips for Expatriates

Visa: A residence visa to France usually also allows working.

Accommodation: Sometimes accommodations can be quite tricky; thus, it is better to do a search well in advance in the centre using local real estate agencies or an online portal.

Healthcare: Learn about the French healthcare system; subscribe to health insurance.

Languages: Knowledge of French can help a lot in improving experiences and integrating with the community. Either joining language classes or looking for language learning apps.

Networking: Attend events going on in the vicinity or join groups for expatriates to meet new people, which will help in network building.

Living and working in Toulouse can indeed be a rewarding experience: it is a city buzzing with culture, with its excellent job market and enviable climate.

Life Science Roles in Toulouse

If you’re considering a move to stunning South of France, the QCS Staffing team can help make it happen. We have a number of French Life Science roles, so if you are in the market for a new role, check out our job boards or contact us to see how we can help.