Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and France Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and France

Name: France
Address: FR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,182 per month in Australia vs $1,850 in France, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $2,835 in France, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $3,819 in France, rent included.

Australia costs about 18% more than France on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and France are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, France by 38%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,579–$2,759, France spans $1,473–$2,848. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$17.38 €14.95

-6.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$68.9 €59.2

14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$12.79 €11.00

-25.88%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$3.72 €3.20

-4.30%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 A$3.62

$3.20 €2.75

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.17 €1.87

1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$6.77 €5.82

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$5.91 €5.09

21.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$1.30 €1.12

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$1.98 €1.71

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$2.60 €2.24

-22.31%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$4.30 €3.70

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$20.52 €17.65

-56.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$14.17 €12.19

-40.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$21.04 €18.10

-34.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$3.26 €2.80

-0.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$2.32 €2.00

22.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$3.08 €2.65

-3.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$3.69 €3.17

18.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$2.45 €2.10

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$2.54 €2.19

-16.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$1.55 €1.33

39.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$0.77 €0.66

105.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$13.80 €11.87

121.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$8.01 €6.89

77.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$2.58 €2.22

76.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$3.17 €2.72

54.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$2.16 €1.86

33.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$72.9 €62.7

33.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$5.39 €4.64

-34.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$1.87 €1.61

-6.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$37.17 €31.98

2.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$2.11 €1.81

-45.02%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.8K A$40.1K

$37.2K €32.0K

-22.65%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.2K A$32.3K

$37.5K €32.3K

-38.15%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$179 A$249

$211 €182

-15.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.75 A$37.27

$26.70 €22.97

0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$34.81 €29.94

54.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$38.53 €33.14

25.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$19.09 €16.42

-11.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$13.68 €11.77

-0.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,605 A$2,236

$816 €702

96.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$11.6K €9,992

9.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$101 €87.2

-29.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$43.76 €37.64

14.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$104 €89.4

-4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$138 €119

-20.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$882 €758

57.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$678 €583

58.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$1,632 €1,404

39.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$1,267 €1,089

38.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$5,634 €4,846

32.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$3,732 €3,211

50.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$2,811 €2,418

44.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

3.66

73.50%

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

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Last update for France: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $792 in France. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $1,621 in Paris.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $2,827 in France. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 56% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 26% more in Australia.

Public transport is 34% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 38% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Australia vs France: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in France, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

France is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.