I always dreamed of living in Paris. I moved and found it's more affordable than a big city in the US.

• Sage VanAlstine, 25, moved from a small US city to Paris after graduating from college in 2022.
• She's been surprised at how affordable it is to live there relative to comparable spots in America.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sage VanAlstine, 23, and her decision to move from Okemos, Michigan, a 25,000-person city outside of Lansing, to Paris for a job in marketing. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

To be honest, no one was surprised.

I was the girl who had the Paris-themed birthday parties, and I was the girl who came back from study abroad and was like, "Study abroad changed my life."

I've visited other countries that I would love to live in and get to experience as well, but for me it was always France — and always Paris.

My mom was a French teacher. She actually was my French teacher in eighth grade, which started my love for the French language and the culture.

I visited for the first time when I was 11. My mom had family friends who lived here in France, so my family was fortunate enough to be able to visit.

I always knew that living here was what I wanted to do, but I didn't actually think it would be possible. When I started to see that maybe it could be possible, it was 100% what I wanted to do.

I studied abroad in France, then knew I wanted to move permanently

I'm from Okemos, Michigan — it's a small town right outside the capitol, which is Lansing.

I grew up in Okemos pretty much my entire life. Then I went to Michigan State University, which is in East Lansing, the town right next to Okemos. My parents' home was on the border between Okemos and East Lansing, so I didn't go far at all for college.

I was able to study abroad in Tours, France — it's a smaller town in the Loire Valley — for two months after my freshman year of college. It was a great immersion into the French culture — very different from my other friends who studied abroad in a bigger city.

After I studied abroad I was like, "I'm moving here." I met my current best friend while studying abroad and we both promised each other that we were moving to Paris after graduation. We weren't sure how, but we were going to do it.

I was able to get an internship between my junior and senior year, and spent three months living in Paris. When I returned to the US for my senior year, I knew I wanted to come back to Paris.

I've gotten an internship there, I know I can find a job there, I have contacts there now — I was very much manifesting, "I can do this."

I graduated at the beginning of May of 2022, and then two to three weeks later, I moved to Paris.

Paris wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be

I have friends who are like, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe you're moving so far. That's a huge jump. That has to be very nerve-wracking."

Of course it was. But since I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Paris before and intern there, it was the city that I felt the most comfortable with. I felt more comfortable moving to Paris than I would have to New York just because I knew the city — it was the city that I knew the best.

Coming from a small town, I thought when I moved that I needed to be prepared for things to be more expensive than what I'm used to. My boyfriend had already moved to New York, so I had heard so much about New York prices. I was like, "I need to be ready to budget when I move."

Then I got here, and I was a bit surprised — because it's a big city and I felt like the prices were pretty similar to my small town in Michigan.

I expected the prices to be insane. I expected them to be bigger than a small town in the US, but I've been able to find restaurants, grocery stores, and things like that, where the prices feel pretty similar.

It's Paris, so it really depends on where you are, but I was a bit surprised that if you are looking for a cheaper option, you can definitely find it. If you're right next to the Eiffel Tower, things are going to be way more expensive than if you're closer to the outskirts of the city.

I pay similar rent right now to what I did when I was living in an apartment on my university's campus. For me to be living in an apartment in a small town in Michigan and then pay a similar amount living in Paris — my dream city? That was really surprising.

There was a range between $600 and $1,200 for an apartment or a room, right in East Lansing. I found that I can pay around 800 to 1,200 euros (or about $868 to $1,302) for a nice studio — 1,200 euros being a pretty nice studio in Paris.

I live in a studio in the 10th arrondissement, so I'm not living in the most glamorous apartment, but I have a very comfortable lifestyle.

You can go to a nice restaurant in Paris and pay a good amount, or you can find a good meal at a restaurant for around 12 euros (about $13). I'm able to find a nice meal for that amount. But I also tend to choose those restaurants instead of the ones right next to the Eiffel Tower that are going to maybe be 25 euros for a burger, fries, and salad.

I would pay probably $15 for a full meal back home in Michigan, so the prices are pretty similar between Paris and my small town for certain things like eating out, and maybe getting drinks as well.

I think the biggest price difference is really the wine. You can get a really nice bottle of wine in Paris for around six to eight euros ($6.50 to $8.70), which is a big shock compared to US prices for an actual good-quality bottle of wine.

I'll go and order a cocktail in Paris and it'll be around 10 euros (under $11), and I would pay $10 for a not-great cocktail at a college bar in Michigan. Whereas in Paris, I'm getting a nice cocktail for 12 euros ($13). I think it's similar prices, but higher quality. The food here to me feels a bit higher quality and the drinks as well. Things just happen to be a little bit better if you choose the right places.

I never get bored in Paris

I love the architecture of the city — it's just so beautiful. I will never not just walk around and be really thankful that I live here.

I love how many things there are to do here. There are so many museums. I used to not really be a big museum person, but I really love walking around museums in Paris. There are so many restaurants to try. There are so many little random activities.

You don't have to have a plan. You can just walk around the city and end up finding something to do. You can always stumble upon some cool restaurant, some cool event, something going on.

I really enjoy the food here. Not even specifically French food, but just having a wide range of cuisine.

I love Mexican food — I know American Mexican food isn't necessarily real Mexican food — and there are not as many options for that here.

But Paris is a pretty international city, so things that I thought I might miss, I've actually found here. I've found American people I can speak with in native English, have my inside jokes with, and know the certain lingo that is used.

There aren't many things I don't like about Paris. Being in a city, you have rats and mice — I don't love that.

I just always wanted to move to Paris, so I'm very happy to be here. Even the things that are maybe less convenient are funny — the joys of living in a city.