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 $2,509 per month in Australia vs $1,882 in France, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,641 per month in Australia vs $2,896 in France, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,772 per month in Australia vs $3,910 in France, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 33% 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 83%, France by 38%.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,174–$3,292, France $1,155–$2,831. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 A$25.52

$17.26 €15.04

5.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 A$121

$69.7 €60.7

23.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 A$15.27

$13.65 €11.89

-20.37%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.78

$3.93 €3.42

4.58%

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

$3.04 A$4.28

$3.41 €2.97

-10.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.47

$2.24 €1.95

10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$11.05

$7.04 €6.14

11.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 A$11.21

$5.94 €5.17

34.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.43

$1.35 €1.18

28.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.90

$2.11 €1.84

31.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.34

$2.76 €2.40

-13.77%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.14

$4.39 €3.82

15.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.02

$19.90 €17.34

-49.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 A$12.98

$14.11 €12.29

-34.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 A$21.76

$22.54 €19.63

-31.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.24

$3.24 €2.82

15.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.25

$2.40 €2.09

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.54

$3.01 €2.63

7.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.86

$3.79 €3.30

28.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.04

$2.25 €1.96

27.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.32

$2.43 €2.12

-2.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.50

$1.64 €1.43

51.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 A$2.35

$0.85 €0.74

97.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.51 A$54.1

$14.21 €12.38

171.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$20.02

$7.96 €6.93

79.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.12

$2.85 €2.48

77.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.29

$3.31 €2.89

56.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$3.91

$2.16 €1.88

28.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$133

$60.8 €52.9

56.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.95

$5.02 €4.37

-29.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.24

$2.22 €1.93

-27.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.42 A$56.8

$39.58 €34.49

2.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.79

$2.14 €1.87

-40.65%

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

$28.3K A$39.8K

$36.1K €31.4K

-21.41%

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

$28.6K A$40.2K

$35.8K €31.2K

-19.94%

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

$202 A$284

$225 €196

-10.22%

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

$29.08 A$40.86

$20.49 €17.85

41.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$83.7

$34.52 €30.08

72.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$83.3

$38.46 €33.51

54.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 A$28.28

$21.29 €18.54

-5.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.75 A$22.12

$13.94 €12.14

12.98%

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

$2,197 A$3,087

$900 €784

144.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.6K

$12.8K €11.2K

42.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$111

$106 €92.1

-24.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 A$80.4

$46.73 €40.71

22.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$160

$108 €94.3

5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$175

$142 €124

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 A$2,221

$896 €780

76.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 A$1,813

$713 €621

81.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 A$3,555

$1,563 €1,362

61.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 A$2,784

$1,231 €1,073

60.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,571 A$12.0K

$5,536 €4,823

54.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,120 A$8,598

$3,796 €3,307

61.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 A$5,591

$2,779 €2,421

43.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

3.77

57.29%

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

Last update for Australia: September 12, 2026

Last update for France: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,387 in Australia vs $809 in France. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,829 in Canberra and $1,590 in Paris.

Average salary: $3,903 in Australia vs $2,799 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 27% more in Australia.

Public transport is 58% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 39% higher 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 12% 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 12% 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.