Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and France

Name: France
Address: FR

For one person, living is cheaper in France: $1,962 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in France
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France Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇫🇷 France

$1,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in France

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $1,962 in France, rent included.

Australia $2,626
France $1,962

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $2,999 in France, rent included.

Australia $3,810
France $2,999

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $4,037 in France, rent included.

Australia $4,994
France $4,037

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in France ($1,181–$2,732), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 34% higher than in France on average.

Both Australia and France are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, France by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.08

$16.74 €14.99

5.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$66.4 €59.5

28.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.76

$13.62 €12.20

-18.58%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.54

$3.95 €3.54

-1.27%

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

$2.85 A$4.05

$3.42 €3.06

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$2.06 €1.85

12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.70

$6.88 €6.16

9.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.20

$5.46 €4.89

57.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.31 €1.18

34.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.03 €1.82

38.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$2.58 €2.31

-13.18%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$4.34 €3.89

15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.02

$19.75 €17.69

-50.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.24

$13.45 €12.05

-30.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.13

$21.73 €19.46

-31.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.42

$3.04 €2.72

25.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.16

$2.29 €2.05

27.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$2.90 €2.60

7.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.83

$3.55 €3.18

35.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$2.19 €1.96

27.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$2.39 €2.14

-0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$1.58 €1.42

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$0.81 €0.73

103.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.6

$13.70 €12.27

185.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.80

$8.05 €7.21

73.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

$2.66 €2.38

86.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

$3.05 €2.73

69.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$2.07 €1.86

16.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$134

$59.6 €53.3

58.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$5.05 €4.52

-30.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$2.09 €1.87

-23.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.6

$36.96 €33.10

7.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.97

$2.11 €1.89

-34.12%

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

$30.0K A$42.7K

$35.2K €31.5K

-14.70%

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

$25.8K A$36.6K

$37.3K €33.4K

-31.01%

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

$205 A$291

$220 €197

-6.66%

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

$28.33 A$40.27

$19.75 €17.69

43.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.5

$34.36 €30.77

71.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.1

$35.58 €31.86

56.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.82

$20.37 €18.24

-3.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.86

$13.47 €12.07

14.18%

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

$2,145 A$3,049

$898 €804

138.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$12.3K €11.0K

49.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$101 €90.8

-22.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$45.51 €40.76

23.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$105 €94.4

9.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$139 €124

-11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,261

$877 €786

81.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,837

$703 €629

84.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,588

$1,556 €1,394

62.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,850

$1,248 €1,117

60.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$5,494 €4,921

59.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,898

$3,778 €3,384

65.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,663

$2,716 €2,432

46.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

3.78

56.88%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for France: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

France

$703 35.8% 45.7% $590

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

France

$374 19.1% 0% $0.2

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

France

$289 14.8% 2.4% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

France

$274 14% 6.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

France

$176 9% 4.8% $8.1

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

France

$83 4.3% 28% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

France

$63 3.2% 27.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $810 in France. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $1,622 in Paris.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $2,718 in France. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 71% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 31% more in Australia.

Public transport is 65% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 43% higher in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇫🇷 France

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

21:20 9:20 PM

10 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

68,373,433

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia France 16,920 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
France

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

Australia vs France: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

France is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 25% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $810 in France.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in France – part of why living there is about 25% cheaper overall.

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