---
title: "Living in Limoges as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/limoges
description: "Quiet porcelain city with some of France's lowest rents"
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Limoges, France

Limoges scores 62.3/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 638 of 1501 cities. Expect about $2,450 per month (country-level estimate), no dedicated nomad visa, and a measured median download speed of 57.3 Mbps.

Limoges is a mid-sized city in the green, rural west of central France, known for porcelain and enamel, with a striking railway station, trolleybuses and some of the lowest rents of any French city of its size. Its small airport has a few low-cost routes, mostly to the UK, but the train to Paris takes over 3 hours, the region's population is older than average and evenings are quiet.

Known for: Limoges porcelain and enamel, Low rents for France, Trolleybus network, Slow train to Paris.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 62.3 |
| Cost of living | 31 |
| Safety | 68 |
| Healthcare | 87 |
| Internet | 82 |
| Visa ease | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 22 |
| Climate | 33 |
| Air quality | 96 |
| Quality of life | 81 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,450 | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 1.33 | country | 2024 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 64 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.5 | country | 2023 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 57.3 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 71.1 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Available | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | none listed | country | 2026-07 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | 90 days / unlimited / 90 days | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (LIG) | 15 | city | 2026-07 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 220 | city | 2026-11 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 3 / 3 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 4 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 6.7 | city | 2024 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.92 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | moderate | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Tax on income from abroad

**Residents pay 0%–45% on worldwide income plus surtaxes; investment income pays 31.4% flat from 2026.** Once France is your tax home, it taxes your worldwide income. Salary or freelance fees earned while living there pay 0% to 45% per household share, plus social charges and a 3%–4% surtax on very high incomes. Foreign dividends, interest and share gains pay a 31.4% flat tax in 2026 (up from 30%). There is no nomad visa or remote-worker regime: the impatriate regime needs a job with a French-based employer.

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| How residents are taxed | worldwide income |
| Remote work for foreign clients or employers | taxed (0%–45% progressive per household share (2026 scale), plus 3%–4% surtax above €250,000 and social contributions) |
| Investments and pensions from abroad | taxed (31.4% flat on dividends, interest and share gains (12.8% tax + 18.6% social charges); rent and pensions at 0%–45% progressive) |
| Wealth | no wealth tax; inheritance tax applies |
| Tax resident after | 183 days a year |
| Top income tax rate | 49% |

Residency: Under article 4 B of the tax code (CGI) you are domiciled in France if you meet any one of these tests: your home (foyer, where your spouse or partner and children normally live) or, failing that, your principal place of stay is in France; your main professional activity, salaried or not, is carried on in France; or your centre of economic interests is in France. One test is enough. Staying more than six months (183 days) in a calendar year normally makes France your principal place of stay, whether you live in a rented flat or a hotel, but it is an indicator, not an absolute rule: with stays in several countries, France can be your principal place of stay if you spent more time there than in any other single country. Working from France as your main activity can make you resident on its own. A tax treaty tie-breaker overrides these tests. You are taxed on worldwide income only for the part of the year you are domiciled in France, so the arrival year is split.

Remote work: Salary from a foreign employer and fees from foreign clients are taxed like French income on the progressive scale, which is applied per household share (quotient familial): on 2025 income, 0% up to €11,600, 11% to €29,579, 30% to €84,577, 41% to €181,917 and 45% above. Work you physically do in France is taxable in France under domestic law and under the usual employment article of tax treaties, so a foreign employer does not take it out of French tax. Social security is the bigger catch: an employee who works permanently in France for a foreign company with no French establishment is compulsorily covered by French social security, and the employer must register with URSSAF's Foreign Companies service and pay French contributions, unless EU coordination rules or a bilateral agreement keep you in another country's scheme. Freelancers must register a business; the micro-entrepreneur regime (see regimes) is the usual simple route. Residents must also declare every foreign bank account each year on form 3916 (fine of €1,500 per undeclared account, €10,000 for non-cooperative countries).

Investments: Foreign dividends, interest and gains on shares pay the flat tax (PFU): 12.8% income tax plus social charges, which rose from 17.2% to 18.6% because CSG went from 9.2% to 10.6% (Loi 2025-1403). The 18.6% rate applies to investment income from 1 January 2026 and already applied to share gains realised in 2025. You can instead opt, for all such income of the year, for the progressive scale, which gives a 40% allowance on dividends. Rent from property, real-estate gains and life-insurance products still carry 17.2% social charges. If you are covered by the social security of another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you pay only the 7.5% solidarity levy instead of CSG and CRDS. Foreign rent and pensions go on the progressive scale, but your treaty decides: France often grants a credit equal to the French tax on foreign salaries, pensions and real-estate income (which works like an exemption that still raises the rate on your other income), while for dividends and interest the credit is usually limited to the foreign tax. Gains on French property pay 19% plus 17.2%, with a full exemption for your main home and tapering to zero after 22 years (30 years for social charges).

On the nomad visa: France has no digital nomad visa. The long-stay visitor visa or residence card (visiteur) is for people living on their own resources (at least €1,477.93 a month for a single person), and you must sign an undertaking not to work in France in any form, employed or self-employed; official pages do not say whether remote work for a foreign employer is allowed, so check with the consulate. Working routes run through the multi-year talent card (passeport talent) for qualified employees of French firms, founders, investors and others. Whatever the permit, once your home or main stay is in France you are taxed as a resident on worldwide income.

Schemes for newcomers:

- **Impatriate regime (régime des impatriés, article 155 B CGI)** (8 years): The impatriation bonus is exempt from income tax (its actual amount, or a flat 30% of net pay), and so is pay for workdays spent abroad, within a cap of 50% of total pay (or 20% for the foreign-workdays part). 50% of foreign dividends, interest, royalties and gains on securities held abroad is also exempt from income tax if the payer or custodian is in a country with an administrative-assistance treaty; social charges stay due on the full amount. It lasts until 31 December of the 8th calendar year after you start the job. Who qualifies: Employees and certain directors who take up a job with a company established in France, either through a transfer within a group or by being recruited directly from abroad, and who were not domiciled in France in the 5 calendar years before. People who came to France on their own initiative, freelancers and remote workers employed by a foreign company without a French employer do not qualify.
- **Micro-entrepreneur (micro-entreprise)** (no fixed end): No bookkeeping of real costs: income tax applies to turnover after a flat allowance of 34% for liberal professions (BNC), 50% for BIC services and 71% for sales (minimum €305). Social contributions are a flat share of turnover in 2026: 25.6% for unregulated liberal professions, 23.2% under CIPAV and 21.2% for BIC services. If household reference income two years earlier is at most €29,579 per share, you can pay income tax as a 2.2% (BNC) or 1.7% (BIC services) levy on turnover instead (versement libératoire). Who qualifies: Self-employed people, including freelancers with foreign clients, whose turnover stays within €83,600 for services and liberal professions or €203,100 for sales in 2026. You need a residence status that allows self-employment; the visitor status does not.
- **IFI newcomer rule** (5 years): For 5 years only property and real-estate rights in France count toward IFI; real estate abroad is left out. The usual €1,300,000 threshold still applies. Who qualifies: People who move their tax domicile to France after being domiciled abroad for the 5 previous calendar years.

Official sources: [BOI-IR-CHAMP-10: Personnes imposables et domicile fiscal](https://bofip.impots.gouv.fr/bofip/1911-PGP.html/identifiant=BOI-IR-CHAMP-10-20160728) (Direction générale des Finances publiques, BOFiP-Impôts, read 2026-10-27); [Suis-je non-résident fiscal ?](https://www.impots.gouv.fr/particulier/suis-je-bien-non-resident) (impots.gouv.fr (DGFiP), read 2026-10-27); [BOI-IR-DOMIC: Changement de domicile](https://bofip.impots.gouv.fr/bofip/4314-PGP.html/identifiant=BOI-IR-DOMIC-20120912) (Direction générale des Finances publiques, BOFiP-Impôts, read 2026-10-27); [BOI-RSA-GEO-40-10-10: Salariés impatriés, champ d'application](https://bofip.impots.gouv.fr/bofip/5680-PGP.html/identifiant=BOI-RSA-GEO-40-10-10-20250811) (Direction générale des Finances publiques, BOFiP-Impôts, read 2026-10-27); [Le régime des impatriés](https://www.impots.gouv.fr/international-particulier/le-regime-des-impatries) (impots.gouv.fr (DGFiP), read 2026-10-27); [Notice 2074-IMP (revenus 2025)](https://www.impots.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/formulaires/2074-imp-sd/2026/2074-imp-sd_5499.pdf) (impots.gouv.fr (DGFiP), read 2026-10-27); [Impôt sur le revenu 2026 : le barème revalorisé de 0,9 %](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/actualites/A18045) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Who must pay the exceptional contribution on high incomes?](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31130?lang=en) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [BOI-IR-CDHR: Contribution différentielle sur les hauts revenus](https://bofip.impots.gouv.fr/bofip/15093-PGP.html/identifiant=BOI-IR-CDHR-20260630) (Direction générale des Finances publiques, BOFiP-Impôts, read 2026-10-27); [Income tax - Savings and investment income](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2613?lang=en) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Prélèvements sociaux sur les revenus du patrimoine et les produits de placement](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2329) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Imposition des revenus de source étrangère](https://www.impots.gouv.fr/international-particulier/imposition-des-revenus-de-source-etrangere) (impots.gouv.fr (DGFiP), read 2026-10-27); [Plus-value immobilière](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F10864) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Foreign companies service](https://www.urssaf.fr/en/accueil/services/services-employeurs/service-firmes-etrangeres.html) (Urssaf, read 2026-10-27); [Formulaire 3916-3916 bis (2026)](https://www.impots.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/formulaires/3916/2026/3916_5454.pdf) (impots.gouv.fr (DGFiP), read 2026-10-27); [Micro-entreprise : seuils de chiffre d'affaires (fiche F32353)](https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F32353) (Entreprendre.Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Tax regime for micro-company](https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F23267?lang=en) (Entreprendre.Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Micro-entreprise : taux des cotisations sociales (fiche F36232)](https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F36232) (Entreprendre.Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Impôt sur la fortune immobilière (IFI)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F138) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Real estate wealth tax (IFI): persons and property concerned](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F563?lang=en) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Droits de succession (barème et abattements)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F14198) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [BOI-ENR-DMTG-10-10-30: Champ d'application territorial (article 750 ter CGI)](https://bofip.impots.gouv.fr/bofip/3543-PGP.html/identifiant=BOI-ENR-DMTG-10-10-30-20120912) (Direction générale des Finances publiques, BOFiP-Impôts, read 2026-10-27); [Temporary residence card "visitor" of a foreigner in France](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F302?lang=en) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27); [Talent card: multi-year residence card of a foreigner in France](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16922?lang=en) (Service-Public.fr (DILA), read 2026-10-27).

Not yet reviewed by a person. General information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 3.2 | 82 | 93 | no |
| Feb | 3.5 | 59 | 89 | no |
| Mar | 6.7 | 75 | 85 | no |
| Apr | 9.9 | 74 | 82 | no |
| May | 13.3 | 88 | 81 | no |
| Jun | 17.5 | 74 | 77 | yes |
| Jul | 19.9 | 59 | 69 | yes |
| Aug | 20 | 63 | 65 | yes |
| Sep | 16.5 | 52 | 68 | yes |
| Oct | 12.4 | 78 | 81 | no |
| Nov | 7.1 | 81 | 90 | no |
| Dec | 3.8 | 84 | 92 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Limoges–Bellegarde Airport | LIG | 15 | 11 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 15, of which 11 international (Wikipedia, 2026-07).

## Similar cities

- [Brest (France)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/brest-france) (62.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/brest-france-vs-limoges)
- [Nîmes](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nimes) (63.6) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/limoges-vs-nimes)
- [Ajaccio](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ajaccio) (63.4) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ajaccio-vs-limoges)
- [Saint-Étienne](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/saint-etienne) (63.9) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/limoges-vs-saint-etienne)
- [Biarritz](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/biarritz) (63.9) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/biarritz-vs-limoges)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Limoges as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $2,450 per month in Limoges (a country-level estimate for France). That is a 31/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Limoges safe for digital nomads?

Limoges scores 68/100 on safety. France records 1.33 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2024) and a political-stability score of 64/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does France have a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated digital nomad visa was listed for France as of 2026-07. Visitors from the US can stay 90 days visa-free.

### How fast is the internet in Limoges?

Measured median download speed in Limoges was 57.3 Mbps (upload 71.1 Mbps) across 9,438 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Limoges?

Yes. Starlink's availability map lists residential service as available in France (checked 2026-10), so a dish can serve as a backup line in Limoges. Check the exact address on starlink.com before ordering, since capacity varies by area.

### Which airports serve Limoges and how many nonstop flights are there?

Limoges is served by Limoges–Bellegarde Airport (LIG) with 15 nonstop destinations, of which 11 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-07.

### When is the best time of year to be in Limoges?

The most comfortable months are Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep. Mean temperatures range from 38°F (3°C) in Jan to 68°F (20°C) in Aug (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Limoges or Brest (France): which is better for digital nomads?

Brest (France) is the city with the closest factor profile to Limoges in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Plan a trip to Limoges](https://dashboard.navoy.io/trip/new?utm_source=nostos&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=plan_trip&utm_content=limoges&destination=Limoges%2C+France) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, dataUNODC. UNODC data, free to reuse with attribution. https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim (retrieved 2026-10-12)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8), World Health Organization. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-ambient-air-quality-database-(update-jun-2026) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

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