Settling in Réunion
The steps and figures to prepare a move to Réunion, from your budget to the cyclone season.
Living in Réunion, pros and cons
Prices, jobs, climate and risks compared with mainland France, with figures from Insee and Météo-France.
By the Rentîles editorial team Published on Updated on
In Réunion, you live in a French department, with the euro and the same papers as in mainland France. Prices are 9% higher on average and the unemployment rate reaches 16%, according to Insee.
The pros
- The same rules as in mainland France. Réunion is a French department. Your identity card, driving licence and currency stay the same.
- Housing is cheaper than in mainland France. Housing, water, gas and electricity cost 6% less on average.
- Transport was cheaper in 2022. Transport cost 4% less than in mainland France.
- Clothes at the same price. The gap for clothing and footwear ranges from +0.4% to −5.3% depending on your shopping habits.
- Higher pay for state civil servants. Their gross salary is increased by 53.63%. The details are on the overseas pay supplement in Réunion page.
The price gaps come from the Insee survey of 2022 prices.
The cons
- Food costs 37% more. With mainland shopping habits, the gap rises to 46%.
- Communications cost 25% more. Only food, drinks and tobacco have a bigger gap.
- Unemployment remains high. It affects 16% of the labour force in 2025, against 7.5% in mainland France. It has fallen by 5 points since 2019, according to Insee.
- Fuel at its highest. Unleaded sells for a maximum of €2.00 a litre in October 2026, against €1.56 a year earlier.
- The cyclone season. During a red alert, people stay indoors and all traffic is forbidden.
The budget to plan
Insee Analyses Réunion no. 83, "Des prix plus élevés de 9 % à La Réunion, jusqu'à 37 % pour l'alimentaire" (prices 9% higher in Réunion, up to 37% for food), July 2023. 2022 spatial price comparison survey. See the source Consulted on 26 October 2026.
The budget simulator estimates your spending on the island from your current budget. It applies the price gap measured by Insee for each category.
Natural hazards
- Cyclone pre-alert I keep informed
- Orange alert I get ready
- Red alert I stay indoors
- Purple alert I stay indoors
- Recovery phase I follow the instructions
Météo-France issues 5 cyclone alert levels, from pre-alert to the recovery phase. Each level has its own instructions, listed in the cyclone checklist.
In short
Life in Réunion costs 9% more than in mainland France, mainly because of food. Housing and clothes cost the same or less. Unemployment, at 16%, remains more than twice as high as in mainland France.