Living in Toulouse for Expats

Toulouse, also known as the “Pink City” thanks to its historic red brick architecture, is famous for its rugby clubs and unique cuisine. The city offers a fast-paced cosmopolitan atmosphere and lifestyle that is influenced by many cultures. It is a technology hub, considered a major space and aeronautics center. Living in Toulouse will keep you busy, living in an over-the-top life quality city, with new things to learn about every day!

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What to expect

• Rich in culture and history, Toulouse has plenty to offer. From spectacular views to an impeccable cuisine. These are the main highlights of what to expect when living in Toulouse. 

Weather

• Perfect weather all year round, with hot and bright summers, and mild winters. Some might say that summers are too hot, however, most places are readily equipped with air conditioning to offer the best experience possible. 

KPIs

Average Daylight: 15 hours in summer and 9 hours in winter. 

Average weather: 28º C in summer and 2º C in winter. 

Average rainfall days: 138 days. 

Cost of living

• The cost of living in Toulouse is moderately high, with rent being the largest expense on your budget. Other than that, expenses such as utilities, entertainment, eating out, and more, are fair and average to many European cities. 

Finding an apartment

• There are many real estate agencies and websites that can help you search for an apartment that suits you best. These services are readily available to guide you in terms of which are the best locations for living that are parallel to your lifestyle and adapt to your budget. As many other cities, the center is the most expensive and the neighborhoods surrounding the center are more affordable. 

Commuting

• Toulouse is a small city, with a population of about 1.1 million people. The transportation system consists of two metro lines, a tram line, rail lines and an extensive network of bus routes. The metro is modern and has automatic driverless operation in its two lines. The city is quite artistic, and every station has works of arts. Buses cover the whole city, and the tram line covers the areas the metro doesn’t. 

Professional Environment

• Located in the North of Toulouse is Eurocentre, described as being a multimodal pole and a major economic hub, where big companies and small enterprises can be found. Toulouse also hosts many startups known as Très Petite Entreprise (TPE), which offers  creative and innovative incentives to those arriving in the city.

Company Profile

• The startup scene is continuously growing in Toulouse, with many technological initiatives, specifically to support the city’s growing trend and incubating new companies. 

Networking

• The people in Toulouse are very nice and open-minded. There are a lot on English-speaking people, so making friends and meeting new people will be more of a pleasant experience than a challenge. Also, the expat groups around the city organize networking events with people from all over the world that are happy to meet you. 

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Culture

• Toulouse has an extremely unique culture that goes back hundreds of years. Aside from the French aspect of their culture, they also have roots from Roman and Visigoth rulers. Their buildings are influenced by the Romans, as well as the Renaissance. Toulouse is extremely artistic and intellectual. Artisans and skilled people have been coming and going to and from the city for thousands of years. Which is why the city is filled with intellectually, culturally, and artistically skilled people. That is also why the city has been home to many aeronautical pioneers. 

Traveling in-out

• The airport of Toulouse, Aéroport Toulouse Blagnac, is small, but conveniently connected with other cities in Europe, as well as some destinations overseas. Also, if you like to travel by land, you can hop on the train and go to nearby French cities and neighboring countries. 

Leisure

• Being France’s fourth-biggest city, Toulouse has plenty of activities to offer. Thanks to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the city has many resorts, as well as multiple green spaces. For those who enjoy nature, you can spend some time in one of the many gardens the city has to offer. Such as the Jardin des Plantes, and the University Garden. You can also participate in shared gardens, which are open to those with a sense of community who would like to add their touch to the city’s gardens. 
• Toulouse is home to many historical buildings, one of them being the largest romanesque church in Europe, Saint-Sernin Basilica. The Place du Capitole, is the center of everything that goes around in the city. You can go shopping, admire the view or paint , during your break you can head to the square in front of the city hall. Toulouse is also home to France’s largest ethnological and natural history exhibition outside of Paris: the Muséum de Toulouse exhibits more than 2.5 million species. 

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Food

• The cuisine in Toulouse is an integral part of their culture. One of Toulouse’s best known dishes is the Toulouse Cassoulet, a rich, warming, slow-cooked stew, which can be found throughout the many restaurants in the city. Another iconic food is the Toulouse sausage, which is made of pork meat combined with herbs and spices. And if you are more of a sweet tooth, you may want to try a Croquant, which is a sweet, crispr biscuit with almonds in it. 

Sports

• You can choose from a large variety of sports to practice. You can go jogging through one of the municipal parks or along the river banks. You could also visit the Trampoline Park, a place for more of an adventure and family day. Go kayaking, indoor swimming in one of the dozen swimming pools the city has. 

Day trips

• Castres: located in the Midi-Pyrenees Region in the South of France, is Castres. The town is a picturesque scene on the banks of the Agout. For a long time, the main economic activity in Castres was the textiles industry. You can learn all about it while visiting the town’s bright colored streets. 
• Albi: located 75 km to the northeastern end of Toulouse, lies the city graces with a fortress-like cathedral, which is the largest brick cathedral in the world. The impressive Cathedrale Sainte-Cecile is a magnificent Gothic Cathedral built in 1282. Apart from this beautiful landmark, Albi is home to the UNESCO World Heritage City that lies on the Tarn River, to see the Palais de la Berbie. Today, the palace is the Musee Toulouse-Lautrec. 
• Andorra: just 3 and a half hours away from Toulouse by train is Andorra, a mountainous country between France and the north of Spain. This country gained significant prosperity after World War II, thanks to its tourism industry. The Arsinal village in Andorra is an old village located in the valley. If you like to ski in the winter, Andorra is a great destination for the white months. 

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We hope that you have found this guide useful.

Find more details, information, and KPIs about Toulouse in our Expat Guide.

The Fut-Ure Team will likewise be happy to help you to set up in the city if you are looking for a job in the region, or give you more information about the local Talent market (including details and advice in topics like Taxes and legal) if you are planning to open an office in Toulouse.

Take a look at our Job Offers, and contact us!

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