For the record: I am French, but grew up/studied in the countryside and lived in Paris "only" 3 years, for work, after graduation.
What I liked in Paris:
* access to culture, many theaters, cinemas, events, etc.
* huge tech community (tons of meetups)
* relatively cheap food and drinks (but I live in one of the most expensive country now, so feel free to disagree)
What I disliked:
* high rent prices
* housing market flooded with old and flats (and getting older)
* housing price so high that a couple of engineers could not buy anything else than a crappy 40m2
* crazy working hours (with the commute I was often back home only after 8pm), but don't forget that I only worked for early stage startups
What I liked in Paris:
* access to culture, many theaters, cinemas, events, etc. * huge tech community (tons of meetups) * relatively cheap food and drinks (but I live in one of the most expensive country now, so feel free to disagree)
What I disliked:
* high rent prices * housing market flooded with old and flats (and getting older) * housing price so high that a couple of engineers could not buy anything else than a crappy 40m2 * crazy working hours (with the commute I was often back home only after 8pm), but don't forget that I only worked for early stage startups