I live in a 97-square-foot micro-apartment in Paris. Tiny living comes with pros and cons that I didn't expect.

When I moved into my 97-square-foot micro-apartment successful the autumn of 2025, it was expected to beryllium temporary.

Unaccustomed to minimalist living, I gave myself a deadline of 3 months to find a larger spot amended suited to my manner arsenic a 20-something expat. However, aft a fewer months, I adapted to the pseudo-communal surviving style of Paris's charming "chambre de bonne" apartments.

Sure, I stock a toilet pinch my neighbors, and I often person to awkwardly shake hands them while heading to the ablution — but I get to unrecorded successful cardinal Paris for a staggeringly affordable rent.

So, 3 months became six, and I kept pushing my deadline until I decided that I really don't mind my room being 2 feet distant from my bed.

After 9 months of surviving successful a micro-apartment, I tin honestly opportunity it's go 1 of my favourite places I person ever called home. At the aforesaid time, location are definite conveniences of larger surviving that I've had to forgo.

These are the biggest pros and cons of surviving successful a Parisian micro-apartment.

I've been much intentional astir shopping

Because I don't person a batch of level space, I'm encouraged to unrecorded a much minimalist manner arsenic a measurement to debar clutter. I don't for illustration it erstwhile my location feels cramped, truthful I'm often reorganizing the abstraction to make the astir of it.

I consciousness little inclined to make unnecessary purchases, too. Before buying thing new, I now inquire myself: Is this a request aliases a want? Is my desire for this entity worthy the abstraction it would return up successful my mini home?

This measurement of reasoning has saved maine a batch of money connected different optional purchases.

It provides a cozy atmosphere

There are times I wish I had much space, but I besides admit the coziness of a mini room, particularly since I unrecorded alone.

It doesn't return overmuch clip aliases effort to move my location into a cozy situation for relaxing and sleeping — I'll spritz immoderate lavender spray and move connected a good Netflix series, and autumn correct asleep.

I often deliberation that if I lived successful a larger abstraction each by myself, I mightiness consciousness little comfortable and safe, not to mention lonely.

I'm capable to prevention money to put toward experiences

Because my rent is truthful low — 550 euros, which is astir $630 monthly, pinch utilities included — I'm capable to prevention a important magnitude of money, which I tin usage for recreation and different hobbies.

Growing up successful New York City, wherever the mostly of city-dwellers walk 30% aliases much of their income connected housing, surviving truthful affordably successful a awesome European metropolis feels for illustration a luxury.

As a consequence of spending little connected housing, I'm capable to put my other income toward pricier activities I enjoy, for illustration fitness classes, travel, and eating out.

On the different hand, the deficiency of abstraction makes it harder to compartmentalize

In my micro-apartment, location really is nary separation betwixt my bedroom, location office, and eating area. When you locomotion done my beforehand door, you'll spot my furniture connected the near and my mini room connected the right, which includes a mini floating table wherever I usually dine and work.

Because my furniture is rather virtually 2 feet distant from my kitchen, it often feels for illustration I'm having meal successful my chamber each nighttime — and because my mini table is the only seating area successful my flat isolated from my bed, it tin beryllium difficult to compartmentalize downtime from moving hours.

Additionally, since my kitchenette doesn't person a ton of antagonistic abstraction and storage, I often deficiency the information to cook. I'm ordering successful much than I utilized to, which has go an added expense.

As personification who is rather active, it's besides reliable not having capable level abstraction to agelong comfortably, fto unsocial believe a 45-minute yoga routine. As a result, I've had to put successful a gym membership truthful I tin workout comfortably.

Entertaining guests feels impossible

Although I'm alert that immoderate couples take to live together successful micro-apartments, I personally consciousness self-conscious inviting a friend aliases partner to my 97-square-foot space.

In my opinion, the room isn't ample capable to comfortably accommodate much than 1 person, truthful immoderate societal activities for illustration sharing meal aliases playing a committee crippled tin consciousness suffocating.

I've besides grown accustomed to leaving the room to usage the shared toilet successful the hallway, but I interest it mightiness consciousness awkward for group who are utilized to much privacy.

As personification who grew up successful a ample family wherever my parents ever kept their doorway unfastened to friends and family, I sometimes wish I had a ample capable abstraction to big crippled nights pinch friends aliases induce a day complete for dinner.

The deficiency of privateness tin beryllium tough

A awesome con of surviving successful a Parisian "chambre de bonne" is the deficiency of privacy.

Although I do person my ain individual bedroom, I person to stock a toilet pinch 2 different neighbors and measurement extracurricular into the hallway to return a shower. It often feels for illustration I'm surviving successful a college dorm room again.

On the flip side, however, I do bask surviving successful adjacent quarters pinch my neighbors. I get to bask the societal perks of having roommates, without sharing my existent surviving space.

Because we unrecorded successful specified tight proximity, I've recovered it easier to get to cognize my neighbors and build organization pinch my floormates.

Recently, a caller neighbour promised to induce everyone connected our level for couscous erstwhile he has settled successful — thing that ne'er happened erstwhile I lived successful my first flat successful Paris, wherever excavation was the only portion connected my floor.

Although surviving successful a micro-apartment has immoderate awesome downsides, I wouldn't waste and acquisition it — aliases the expertise to prosecute the manner I want successful my dream metropolis — for a larger home.