Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Allentown, PA and Montpellier

For one person, living is cheaper in Montpellier: $1,948 a month against $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Allentown, PA, United States
Montpellier, France
Allentown, PA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,765
/mo nomad
Montpellier
🇫🇷 France
$1,948
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Allentown, PA and in Montpellier

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Allentown, PA and in Montpellier actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,765 per month in Allentown, PA vs $1,948 in Montpellier, rent included.

  • Allentown, PA $2,765
  • Montpellier $1,948

A couple spends around $3,896 per month in Allentown, PA vs $2,955 in Montpellier, rent included.

  • Allentown, PA $3,896
  • Montpellier $2,955

A family of three spends $5,027 per month in Allentown, PA vs $3,962 in Montpellier, rent included.

  • Allentown, PA $5,027
  • Montpellier $3,962

Allentown, PA costs about 42% more than Montpellier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Allentown, PA and Montpellier sit above the global median – Allentown, PA by 103%, Montpellier by 43%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.81 $19.81
$16.70 €15.00
18.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.8 $91.8
$72.1 €64.8
27.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.23 $12.23
$13.24 €11.90
-7.63%
Cappuccino
$5.60 $5.60
$3.65 €3.28
53.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 $2.62
$3.05 €2.74
-14.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.98 €1.78
-20.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.92 $4.92
$5.75 €5.16
-14.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.84 $5.84
$4.58 €4.11
27.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 $1.19
$1.35 €1.21
-11.85%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.20 €1.98
-4.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.71 €2.43
-10.33%
Eggs
$3.65 $3.65
$3.72 €3.34
-1.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.62 $15.62
$18.67 €16.77
-16.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.37 $8.37
$13.81 €12.41
-39.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.95 $18.95
$24.91 €22.37
-23.93%
Apples (1kg)
$6.78 $6.78
$2.87 €2.58
136.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$2.46 €2.21
-32.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.86 $2.86
$2.85 €2.56
0.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.65 $6.65
$3.92 €3.52
69.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$2.32 €2.09
15.52%
Onion (1kg)
$3.30 $3.30
$2.98 €2.67
10.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.74 €1.57
28.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$0.63 €0.57
301.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.71 $11.71
$14.24 €12.80
-17.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$7.64 €6.86
92.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$3.65 €3.28
-36.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$2.74 €2.46
-1.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.03 €1.82
25.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.0 $61.0
$2.08 €1.87
2834.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 $2.94
$5.04 €4.53
-41.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.63 €1.47
34.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.24 $41.24
$33.42 €30.02
23.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$2.13 €1.91
-48.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$34.4K €30.9K
-20.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$39.0K €35.0K
-32.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$220 €198
-14.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.2 $54.2
$16.67 €14.98
225.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$32.14 €28.87
119.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.16 $30.16
$35.24 €31.66
-14.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.42 $25.42
$14.08 €12.65
80.54%
Cinema Ticket
$13.03 $13.03
$13.79 €12.39
-5.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,204 $1,204
$731 €657
64.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K $11.8K
$13.2K €11.9K
-10.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.88 $37.88
$89.0 €80.0
-57.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.3 $51.3
$63.8 €57.3
-19.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.7 $89.7
$102 €91.7
-12.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 $118
$177 €159
-33.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,668 $1,668
$847 €761
96.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,470 $1,470
$735 €661
99.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,481 $2,481
$1,576 €1,416
57.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 $2,048
$1,231 €1,106
66.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,166 $2,166
$4,909 €4,409
-55.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,905 $1,905
$3,599 €3,233
-47.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Allentown, PA
Montpellier
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,074 $3,074
$2,777 €2,495
10.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
3.81
68.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Allentown, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Allentown, PA
$1.5K
Montpellier
$735 50% $734
Groceries & Markets
Allentown, PA
$392
Montpellier
$388 1% $4
Eating Out
Allentown, PA
$315
Montpellier
$275 12.8% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Allentown, PA
$313
Montpellier
$269 14.1% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Allentown, PA
$134
Montpellier
$194 45.6% $61
Getting Around
Allentown, PA
$85
Montpellier
$23 72.5% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Allentown, PA
$56
Montpellier
$63 11.7% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Allentown, PA versus $847 in Montpellier. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Allentown, PA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Allentown, PA versus $72 in Montpellier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $388 – making Montpellier the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Allentown, PA
🇫🇷 Montpellier
🕒 Local time
16:37 4:37 PM
21:37 9:37 PM
5 h ahead of Allentown, PA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
120,443
302,454
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Allentown, PA Montpellier 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Allentown, PA
  • Montpellier

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Allentown, PA vs Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Allentown, PA or Montpellier?
Allentown, PA costs about 42% more than Montpellier, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Allentown, PA and in Montpellier?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,147 per month in Allentown, PA and $2,922 in Montpellier. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Allentown, PA or Montpellier?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Montpellier, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $847 there versus $1,668 in Allentown, PA.
How do dining costs compare in Allentown, PA and in Montpellier?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Allentown, PA and $72 in Montpellier. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How expensive is transport in Allentown, PA compared to Montpellier?
Public transport costs about 97% less in Montpellier. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Allentown, PA or in Montpellier?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Montpellier, where all-in costs run around $1,948, than in Allentown, PA at $2,765. In Montpellier it covers expenses comfortably, while in Allentown, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Montpellier – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Allentown, PA or to Montpellier?
If budget matters most, go with Montpellier. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Allentown, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Allentown, PA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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