Sophia Antipolis Relocation Guide

14/04/2023

Everything you need to know about living and working in France’s number one technopole

2,500 companies, 40,000 employees and a €5.6 billion turnover. What more could you want if you’re considering relocating to a European technology hub? Sophia Antipolis, a 2,400-hectare technology park near Nice in the South East of France, is Europe’s largest technopole. It’s a pioneering centre for innovation and is home to people from more than 80 different countries.

The fact that Sophia Antipolis is hosting industries such as health and biotechnology, intelligent vehicles, cyber security, yachting and bluetech, sportech, fintech and edtech, among others, tells us all we need to know about the area as a region at the cutting edge of technology innovation. It’s no surprise that there are so many technology employees wanting to live and work there.

Housing around Sophia Antipolis

There’s good news if you’re wanting to rent – the cost of renting close to Sophia Antipolis is around 55% lower than renting in London. Even if you ignore the cost of rent, living costs are much lower than in London.

If you want to live in Nice you’ll be able to rent a three-bed house for around €1,279.48. If you don’t need the extra space a one-bed apartment can be snapped up for a more moderate €888 per month.

If you’re planning to buy a property in the centre of the technology region of France, then you will need to set aside around €5,900 per square metre. However, you can reduce the cost of accommodation to around €3,750 per square metre if you’re willing to take on a short commute. As commuting in and around the area is pretty easy with a car, commuting is an easy compromise to make for the reduction in costs.

The area around Sophia Antipolis is so diverse that when it comes to choosing where to live, there are plenty of options. You can choose from the frenetic city life of Nice, the more laid-back vibes of Antibes with its old town, or the glamorous, film-star-filled (if slightly expensive) Cannes. Or, if you want work and home life to be seamless, you can just stick to buying or renting in the more modern Sophia Antipolis. All of these areas have a regular bus service, but Antibes is particularly convenient to get to and from by bus. However, bus services don’t run 24 hours, and taxis are likely to be costly, so if you’re planning on partying ‘til late in nearby towns and cities, a car will give you the versatility you need.

UK’s visa requirements for working in France

if you’re planning to stay in France for more than 90 days, you’ll need to apply for a visa. Previously, a visa wasn’t necessary, however as we know this changed when the UK opted out of the European Union in 2020. You can check France’s up-to-date visa requirements and processes on the gov.uk website.

The cost of living in Sophia Antipolis

As already mentioned, the cost of living in this region is much lower than that of living in the UK’s capital. A single person can expect to spend around €943 each month on living costs excluding rent.

A meal for two will cost you around €77.50, but a McDonalds or equivalent fast-food meal will only set you back a more palatable €12. A domestic draught beer costs around €8 for 0.5litres, whilst an imported beer is likely to cost around €7 for a .33 litre bottle.

A loaf of bread is typically around €1.30, and you can pick up a litre of milk for around €1.32. Local cheeses are around €20.29 per kilo whilst a dozen eggs will cost around €3.46.

Salaries in Sophia Antipolis

Typical salary for a mid-level IC design engineer in France is between around €50,000 to €55,000. Whereas a senior principal design engineer could ask for between €80,000-€90,000. An average CTO salary in France tends to be around €80,000, although in Sophia Antipolis it can be up to as much as €112,258.

Commuting and public transport in and around Sophia Antipolis

The bus service from Antibes to Sophia Antipolis is around 21 minutes and only costs a couple of pounds. Alternatively, a taxi takes just 11 minutes but does cost more. From Cannes to Sophia Antipolis, a bus will take a little longer - around 28 minutes - but is still very affordable, with tickets just €3 each way. A 17-minute taxi ride from Cannes back to Sophia Antipolis after a couple of drinks will cost a rather eye-watering €40-€50 though.

The Education system

French state schools allow for total immersion in the French way of life and a strict French routine. They are free, but they teach in French and follow the French education system, so they may not be the best option if you’re only planning a short say in or around Nice.

If this isn’t for you, there are some private schools in and around Nice and Cannes, but they are unregulated, so choose your school carefully. Private schools are more likely to follow a more international curriculum and some of these are accountable to national educational bodies. Some of these private schools take students for the full duration of their education, from 3 years to 16 years of age, at which point they then choose whether or not to continue in education.

Global technology companies in Sophia Antipolis

Sophia Antipolis is lovingly referred to as Europe’s biggest technopole. Already home to organisations such as Renault Software Labs, IBM, Bosch, Marelli, Fortinet, Orange Cyberdefense, Squad, Jauna, Accenture, Videtics and InfraOps, this part of France is attracting tech superpowers from all around the world.

Sophia Antipolis has also transformed Port Vauban in Antibes into the largest yachting marina in Europe.

Things to do in your spare time

Sophia Antipolis doesn’t have a lot of activities on offer, but in nearby Antibes, there is Antibes Land Park – a theme park geared up for children of all ages, and a waterpark. The waterpark has a wave pool and waterslides – one of which is 100m long, meaning it’s great fun for kids of all ages.

Just a short hop to Nice and you’ll find the Promenade des Anglais. A 7km stretch of pavements will acquaint you beautifully with some of the more spectacular parts of the city. If you don't fancy walking the full 7Km, the best part of the promenade can be found starting at the Old Town of Nice to the Negresco hotel, passing through the Jardin Albert 1er and the Palais de la Méditerranée.

There is a huge open-air flea market in the Course Saleya on a Monday morning, and a flower market in the old town that’s definitely worth a visit. You can enjoy the Nicoise cuisine at any number of restaurants and eateries, and even pick up authentic Italian ice cream for dessert.

Just a short distance away, in Cannes, you can cycle or walk the miles of trails and footpaths in the Croix des Gardes natural forest park or step back in time at the Gourdon Medieval Village. The Gorges do Loup offers a 2.5km walk through canyons, rewarded with a spectacular 40-metre waterfall into beautiful plunge pools below, and is only half an hour outside of Cannes.

For those with more active children and teens, Cannes Youth also offers all kinds of water sports activities for kids and teens and just a half hour north of Cannes, you’ll find Fun-Kart (Bar-sur-Loup) – the only karting track in the area with tracks for children, as well as plenty of speedy fun for ‘big kids’.

If you fancy escaping the busyness of Cannes, you can take a 15-minute boat trip to the islands Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honorat and enjoy historic sights and vibrant nature. Here, you can explore 11^th-century monastery ruins and former vestiges of the Cistercian monks that live there. On Saint Honorat, be sure to visit the Castre Museum (Musée de la Castre) where you can climb 100 steps to breath-taking panoramic views of the surrounding area.

For more information please contact me on Vicky.fellows@ic-resources.com or call on +44 (0)118 988 1150. Click to view our Semiconductor, Software or Electronics jobs, or to search for your next job in Sophia Antipolis click here.