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 $2,185 per month in Australia vs $1,853 in France, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $2,836 in France, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $3,819 in France, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 18% higher than in France on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and France are pricier than the global median – Australia by 64%, France by 39%.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,575–$2,824, France $1,465–$2,823. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.17

$17.17 €15.01

-5.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$70.2 €61.3

9.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.56

$12.68 €11.08

-25.32%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.95

$3.65 €3.19

-5.21%

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

$2.68 A$3.84

$3.24 €2.83

-17.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.13

$2.23 €1.95

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.46

$7.04 €6.16

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.17

$5.71 €4.98

24.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.31 €1.14

18.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.54

$1.99 €1.74

24.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$2.59 €2.27

-18.92%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.07

$4.30 €3.75

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.27

$20.74 €18.12

-58.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.31

$13.89 €12.13

-38.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.78

$21.13 €18.47

-34.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.55

$3.12 €2.73

1.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.89

$2.39 €2.08

13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.24

$3.07 €2.68

-3.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$3.60 €3.14

19.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.53

$2.43 €2.12

1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$2.51 €2.20

-16.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.55 €1.35

41.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.19

$0.81 €0.71

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.80

$14.06 €12.28

122.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.96

$8.01 €7.00

74.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.39

$2.54 €2.22

75.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.17

$3.15 €2.75

59.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.30

$2.22 €1.94

35.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$71.1 €62.2

34.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$5.48 €4.79

-35.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$1.95 €1.70

-10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.2

$36.82 €32.17

2.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$2.09 €1.82

-44.98%

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

$29.4K A$42.0K

$38.2K €33.4K

-23.16%

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$36.7K €32.0K

-37.05%

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

$174 A$248

$209 €183

-17.05%

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

$26.88 A$38.49

$25.77 €22.51

4.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.5

$34.50 €30.14

52.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.3

$38.15 €33.33

25.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.64

$18.93 €16.54

-12.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.66

$13.87 €12.12

-1.01%

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

$1,555 A$2,226

$812 €710

91.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$11.8K €10.3K

7.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.6

$104 €91.2

-33.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.4

$44.80 €39.14

14.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$106 €92.8

-4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$142 €124

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,946

$899 €786

51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,546

$683 €597

58.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,294

$1,636 €1,429

40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,507

$1,280 €1,119

36.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$5,465 €4,775

39.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,249

$3,707 €3,239

55.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,760

$2,735 €2,390

47.09%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for France: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $792 in France. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $1,607 in Paris.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $2,771 in France. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 55% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 26% more in Australia.

Public transport is 34% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 36% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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 3% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in France, contributing to the overall 3% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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.