Is it expensive to live in Paris? A full cost breakdown

Paris ranks 7th worldwide for cost of living. Plan your budget better by finding out the cost of rent, transport, groceries, and more.

Jale

9 minute read

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Updated on 16 Sep 2026

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Living

Yes, Paris is expensive to live in: plan for about €1,061 a month in living costs on top of rent, and expect rent itself to take the biggest bite out of your budget. Despite the high cost of living, Paris remains one of the most popular cities for international mobility. Have you found your dream job or university and are ready to prepare for your life in Paris? Then before you move to Paris, you need to know how much it costs to live in this city.

Compare Paris with other French cities to see how it stacks up nationally and make an informed decision.

Key takeaways:

• Students: a furnished private room averages €800 a month, and a discounted Imagine R transport pass runs about €33 a month if you're under 26.
• Young professionals and singles: a furnished studio averages €1,300 a month, on top of roughly €1,061 in monthly living costs excluding rent.
• Couples and families: an unfurnished apartment averages €1,908 a month, plus extra for health insurance and, if you need one, a car.
• Everyone: rent is the single biggest expense in Paris, but groceries and eating out sit closer to the national average.
• Before you move: hidden costs like deposits, agency fees, and mandatory renter's insurance can add over €1,000 before you even get the keys.
• Compared to other cities: Paris costs more than Lyon or Berlin but less than London when you combine rent and daily expenses.

Rent and daily expenses in Paris run higher than the average cost of living in France. How much you earn will affect how you allocate your budget towards your needs. In Paris, the average salary is €3,360 per month after tax. Without the rent, your monthly costs will be around €1,061. The average rental price is high in Paris, so you'll likely spend most of your salary on the rent.

Compare costs with the average salary in France to see if Paris is affordable for your situation.

Here's an indication of the average monthly rent in Paris based on our rent index.

• Furnished Private Room with utilities (best for students): €800.
• Furnished Studio with utilities (best for singles, couples, or new graduates): €1,300.
• Unfurnished Apartment with utilities (best for couples or families): €1,908.

These prices are just the average rent prices across Paris. Depending on which Paris neighborhood you live in, prices will vary. For a deeper dive, explore the best areas to live in Paris and see which neighborhoods fit your budget. If you choose to live outside of the center, you can find more affordable places in Paris.

With high rental prices and a dense population within the city, the accommodation hunt in Paris is quite competitive. So the best advice we can give you would be to start your housing search as early as possible.

But be cautious of rental scams! The competitive accommodation hunt makes the real estate sector vulnerable to fraudsters. To avoid rental scams, use a trusted service, such as HousingAnywhere and StudaPart.

For a hassle-free move in, you can easily find furnished apartments for rent in Paris.

Grocery shopping in Paris

The cost of groceries will vary depending on your eating habits, diet and which store you're shopping from. Depending on where you shop from, expect to pay €455 for your monthly food expenses. You can shop at some discount stores, such as Franprix, Aldi, or Lidl, supermarket chains, such as Carrefour or Intermarché, or niche stores for organic produce at Biocoop or NaturéO.

Below you'll find average prices for common food products in Paris:

Eating out in Paris

Once your pantry's stocked, it's worth knowing what eating out costs too. One of the many perks of living in Paris is benefiting from a wide selection of entertainment and leisure activities. Whether you want to treat yourself by eating out or seeing a new movie, it's always best to budget well so you won't empty your bank account.

Restaurants: from Michelin star restaurants to small cafés specializing in cuisines from every culture, prices will vary:

Public transport and student discounts

Public transport: Paris has an extensive public transportation system that allows you to reach every corner of the city at an affordable price. A single one-way metro ticket will cost €2.50. But if you're planning to use public transport regularly, opt for a monthly pass for €90. The monthly pass covers all the zones of the metro, bus, regional train, and tram trips. For a full breakdown of commuting options and tips, see how public transport works in Paris.

If you're a student under 26, don't pay full price. The Imagine R student pass costs around €401 for the full year, roughly €33 a month, and covers unlimited travel across all of Île-de-France. Apply for it online through Île-de-France Mobilités as soon as you have a French address, since processing takes a few weeks.

Taxis and personal cars

Taxis: Compared to other cities like Amsterdam and London, taxis aren't too expensive. The base fare is roughly €8 and then €1.50 per km.

Personal cars: A secondhand car can cost around €1,200, and a new car can cost upwards of €30,820. The gasoline price is €1.80 on average per liter. So expect to pay €80 for a full tank. Keep in mind that it's cheaper to buy fuel from fill-up stations attached to supermarkets than the big service station. You'll also need to pay an average of €4 per hour for public parking.

Expats: Health insurance in France depends on residency, not employment status. So if you've a permanent residence (you'll live in France for at least for 6 months), you've to get French health insurance within 3 months of your arrival. The French health insurance will cover about 70% of the doctor's costs and 80% of the hospital costs.

In France, the average cost of health insurance for one person is €70 per month. Of course, prices vary depending on the policy. Generally, basic coverage will cover basic dentistry costs too. But complex procedures will be on you.

International students: International students from the EU/EEA region can simply use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if they're temporarily in France. For more extended stays, all students (both non-EU and EU) must register with Student's Social Security (Sécurité Sociale Etudiante). You don't have to pay for your health insurance, but you must pay for medical appointments upfront (usually €25-€30) and are reimbursed after using your personal health insurance card (Carte Vitale).

Beyond eating out, Paris gives you plenty of ways to spend your free time. Here's what to budget for:

Utilities and internet

Utility bills aren't usually included in an unfurnished rental, so factor them in separately. For a one or two-person apartment, expect to pay somewhere between €100 and €160 a month for electricity, gas, and water combined, more if you're heating with electricity through a Paris winter. Broadband internet typically costs €25-€35 a month for an unlimited fiber plan. If your room or studio already lists utilities as included (as with the furnished options above), you can skip this line entirely. For more information about what to expect, estimate utilities and setup costs in France.

Hidden and unexpected costs

A few costs catch newcomers off guard. Landlords usually ask for a security deposit of one month's rent for unfurnished places, sometimes up to two months for furnished ones. If you use an agency, French law caps agency fees at around €12 per square meter for the inventory and paperwork. You're also legally required to take out renter's insurance (assurance habitation), which runs about €10-€20 a month and covers damage or accidents in your home.

One less thing to worry about: France abolished the taxe d'habitation (housing tax) on main residences from 2023, so long-term tenants no longer pay it.

Student-specific savings

Students have more ways to cut costs than anyone else in Paris. CROUS restaurants serve a full meal for around €3.30, a fraction of what you'd pay at a café. Look into CROUS housing too. It's cheaper than the private market, though spots are limited and competitive. Combine the Imagine R transport discount with a student card for reduced or free entry to most museums and cinemas, and you can shave a meaningful chunk off your monthly budget without changing your lifestyle much.

Affordable neighborhoods

Rent varies a lot by arrondissement. Living further from the center, in areas well-connected by metro but outside the priciest districts, can cut your rent by hundreds of euros a month without adding much to your commute. Prioritize this if keeping rent low matters more to you than a central address, and check transport links before you commit to a cheaper area.

Paris isn't the most expensive city in Europe, but it's not cheap either. Here's how it stacks up against other cities popular with students and young professionals, using Numbeo's Cost of Living Plus Rent Index (New York City = 100):

Prioritize Paris if career opportunities and international connections matter more to you than saving on rent. Prioritize Lyon or Berlin if a lower cost of living is your top priority.

Once you've got a clear picture of monthly costs, the next step is putting it all into a plan. Think of building a student budget that actually works in Paris, with expense categories already mapped out. Don't forget to use this checklist to plan your move to France, from admin to utilities so nothing slips through.

Still in need of a home? It's time to discover apartments for rent in Paris! Book before you arrive so you skip the risky, in-person scramble that makes the Paris rental market so competitive. Every booking on HousingAnywhere comes with Tenant Protection, and landlords go through ID verification, so you can secure your room, studio, or apartment from wherever you are right now.

How much does it cost to live in Paris as a student? Budget around €1,200-€1,400 a month in total. That covers a furnished private room (about €800), groceries (about €455), and a discounted Imagine R transport pass (about €33 a month if you're under 26). Add more if you eat out often or need private health insurance.

Do you need a guarantor to rent an apartment in Paris? Most French landlords ask for a guarantor, which is hard to arrange from abroad. HousingAnywhere's optional Rent Guarantee can replace the need for a traditional guarantor and boosts your application approval rate by 40%.

How much is a security deposit in Paris? Expect to pay one month's rent as a deposit for an unfurnished place, and sometimes up to two months for a furnished one. Some HousingAnywhere listings offer no-deposit booking options.

Do I have to pay French housing tax on my Paris rental? No. France abolished the taxe d'habitation on main residences from 2023, so long-term tenants no longer pay it.

Is tap water safe to drink in Paris? Yes, tap water in Paris is safe and free, so skip the bottled water and save a few extra euros a month.

Do students get discounts on housing, transport, or activities in Paris? Yes. Under-26 students get roughly 50% off with the Imagine R Navigo pass, discounted or free entry to many museums, and CROUS meals for about €3.30 each.