Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chamonix and Fontainebleau

For one person, living is cheaper in Fontainebleau: $1,897 a month against $2,224 in Chamonix, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chamonix outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chamonix, France
Fontainebleau, France
Chamonix
🇫🇷 France
$2,224
/mo nomad
Fontainebleau
🇫🇷 France
$1,897
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chamonix and in Fontainebleau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,224 in Chamonix versus $1,897 in Fontainebleau.

  • Chamonix $2,224
  • Fontainebleau $1,897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,490 in Chamonix versus $3,005 in Fontainebleau.

  • Chamonix $3,490
  • Fontainebleau $3,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,755 in Chamonix versus $4,112 in Fontainebleau.

  • Chamonix $4,755
  • Fontainebleau $4,112

Living in Chamonix is roughly 17% more expensive than in Fontainebleau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chamonix 63% above, Fontainebleau 39% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.72 €14.92
$16.90 €15.08
-1.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.4 €50.3
$61.2 €54.6
-7.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.48 €12.03
$13.67 €12.20
-1.39%
Cappuccino
$3.32 €2.96
$3.87 €3.45
-14.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.03
$3.19 €2.84
-28.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.67 €1.49
-8.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.55 €5.84
$8.04 €7.17
-18.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.58 €5.87
$5.73 €5.11
14.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.26 €1.13
-12.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.91 €1.70
-14.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.94 €2.62
-15.31%
Eggs
$3.60 €3.21
$4.23 €3.77
-14.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.76 €18.52
$21.21 €18.93
-2.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.78 €9.62
$12.26 €10.94
-12.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.08 €16.13
$23.39 €20.87
-22.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.68 €2.39
$3.49 €3.11
-23.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.19 €1.96
-1.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 €2.67
$2.29 €2.04
30.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.44 €2.18
$3.06 €2.73
-20.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.52 €2.25
$1.83 €1.63
37.70%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 €2.06
$1.99 €1.78
16.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.53 €1.37
-5.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.89
$0.64 €0.57
56.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.86 €12.36
$14.00 €12.49
-1.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.73 €8.68
$7.98 €7.12
21.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.19 €3.74
$2.43 €2.17
72.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 €3.87
$4.14 €3.70
4.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.29 €2.04
-20.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.6 €49.63
$83.8 €74.7
-33.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 €2.83
$2.17 €1.94
46.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.16 €1.93
-4.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.47 €27.18
$23.72 €21.16
28.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.94 €1.73
$2.14 €1.91
-9.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K €31.4K
$34.9K €31.2K
0.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €34.8K
$37.8K €33.7K
3.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$277 €247
$208 €185
33.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.25 €10.03
$15.07 €13.45
-25.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.59 €30.86
$30.33 €27.06
14.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.65 €31.81
$22.14 €19.75
61.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$13.32 €11.88
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.40 €13.74
$11.06 €9.86
39.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$614 €548
$632 €564
-2.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,301 €6,514
$4,955 €4,421
47.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.6 €77.3
$85.9 €76.7
0.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.08 €29.51
$41.00 €36.58
-19.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.0 €59.7
$99.9 €89.1
-32.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.8 €81.0
$103 €92.1
-12.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$767 €685
$925 €825
-17.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,007 €898
$681 €608
47.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,021 €2,696
$1,817 €1,621
66.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,214 €1,975
$1,434 €1,280
54.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,187 €3,736
$6,354 €5,669
-34.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,100 €2,765
$3,987 €3,557
-22.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chamonix
Fontainebleau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,958 €2,639
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.91
3.5
11.71%

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

Last update for Chamonix: October 24, 2026

Last update for Fontainebleau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chamonix
$1K
Fontainebleau
$681 32.4% $326
Groceries & Markets
Chamonix
$352
Fontainebleau
$370 5.3% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chamonix
$323
Fontainebleau
$253 21.5% $69
Eating Out
Chamonix
$275
Fontainebleau
$294 6.7% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Chamonix
$125
Fontainebleau
$149 18.9% $24
Getting Around
Chamonix
$76
Fontainebleau
$106 38.7% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Chamonix
$66
Fontainebleau
$44 33.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Chamonix and $925 in Fontainebleau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56 in Chamonix vs $61 in Fontainebleau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $370 per month, with Chamonix cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Chamonix
🇫🇷 Fontainebleau
🕒 Local time
19:56 7:56 PM
19:56 7:56 PM
Same time as Chamonix
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,900
15,945
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chamonix Fontainebleau 420 km
From you
  • Chamonix
  • Fontainebleau

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
Chamonix vs Fontainebleau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fontainebleau cheaper than Chamonix?
Fontainebleau is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,336 in Chamonix and $2,845 in Fontainebleau to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Chamonix and Fontainebleau?
Rent for a central apartment: $767 in Chamonix versus $925 in Fontainebleau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $614 in Chamonix versus $632 in Fontainebleau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Chamonix and in Fontainebleau?
Shoppers in Chamonix pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is safer, Chamonix or Fontainebleau?
Safety-wise, Chamonix and Fontainebleau are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Chamonix vs other spots: cost of living compared

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