Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-27
Cost of Living in Paris.

WV ~ Living Ia & d31o.
have received a number of letters from
Americans asking questions about the cost
of the different methods of living in Paris
1t is just about the same here as in other
parts of the world You can live for little
or you can pay as much as you like. The
hotels are rather expensive but there are
great number of pensions or boarding
houses where for dollar d day and up-
ward you can have a furnished room and
all your meals. You should get a good one
for about ten francs. You can also rent a
room without board for from 30 to 80
francs month, service included and there
are restaurants everywhere that will fur
nish you meals
Nearly every family in Paris lives In
fiat. 1t is uncommon for a man to have a
house to himself. and when so the house is
called hotel Rents are so high that only
the very rich can afford so much STYLE
Paris Is city of stores and apartment
houses. The stores are on the ground floor
and the apartments above. The latter
range in size from two rooms upward and
vary in price from a few francs up to
thousands of frarcS per month. AL apart
ments are usually taken for 4 year the
payments being made quarterly, either on
the Sth or the 18th of each month If you
leave you must give notice for some time
beforehand.
Flats, are rented both furnished and un-
furnished Those who wish to rent unfur-
nlshed flats can hire their furniture for so
much month. The furnished flats are Of
course the higher, and one must be careful
In making his contract for them. 1t is very
li IN POI 10 nave carefully atsested list
of the furniture and its condition or at the
close you will be charged for more than
you had, and old breaks viii have to be
remedied by cash or by new furniture.
In many places the landlord will demand
that you pay your rent before going in
and you will be asked for six months rent
in advance. At the end of the first three
months they will come down upon Won for
mon thu
your rent will be kept about six months in
advance all the time.
Foreigners Must Pay Taxes
Shortly after taking a house or fat In
Paris the American is called upon by the
tax collector. The authorities here assess
taxes not on what you have, but on what
you appear to have. If you live in a Ger
tain style you are taxed proportionateiy,
and the criterion Is your rent The tax
ranges from IL to IA per cent of this
! amount, so that If you pay $500 a year
rent you Will have to pay about $55 year
In taxes.
This is common in all parts of Paris not
only with those who rent houses, but those
who rent business establishments The per-
centage Of tax increases with the amount
OF rent paid, so that the man who pays a
thousand dollars a month rent Is assessed
much more proportionately than the man
who pays one hundred dollars per month.
no difference. The authorities say that If
he pays certain amount of rent he should
do certain amount Of business. and If he
does not it Is his own fault and not theirs
The very poor pay almost no taxes what
ever.
The thing that grinds the American most
Is the fees. These are connected with all
establishments and they have to be paid.
If you live in fiat you must fee the jani-
tor or janitreSs known as the concierge In
an unfinished apartment it Is customary
to pay about per cent of the rental to this
party on taking possession and signing the
lease, and he will expect other fees from
time to time and a cash present on every
New Year day. For these fees you get your
front door opened at night. your letters
taken care of If you are away, and the
public hall and staircase Of your fat build
ing swept. If you don't pay the fees you
can be made very uncomfortable
What Servants Cost.
AS to servants the wages vary according
| to their efficiency and also as to the locality
| in which you live. You can get man cook
| for $40 month and upward, or a good wo-
man cook for SO and upward. Housemaids
| usually receive about 50 month, and
coachmen $50 with board. There are a
number OF employment bureaus where such
J people can be hired. The service Is usually
good and much superior to similar service
| in the United States
AS to housekeeping the American family
| living In Paris finds the cost quite as high
as IN the United States. Butchers meat Is
| higher than in America, but the cuts are
so much better dressed that there is little
/ waste. and the consumer always procures
full value for his money. Chickens cost
| from % to % cents apiece, salmon a dollar
| pound. and other kinds of fish much less
| Fruit is plenty and cheap. as are also vege-
tables Of all kinds. Coffee and tea are ex-
nensive ana bread. the best In the world,