Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Paris Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Paris

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Chico, CA versus $2,655 in Paris.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Chico, CA versus $4,105 in Paris.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,206 in Chico, CA versus $5,556 in Paris.

Living in Chico, CA costs roughly 1% less than in Paris, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chico, CA 96% above, Paris 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$17.57 €15.13

41.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 $59.4

$73.6 €63.3

-19.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.97 $12.97

$14.11 €12.14

-8.08%

Cappuccino

$5.89 $5.89

$4.77 €4.11

23.48%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$4.14 €3.57

-39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.39 €2.92

-35.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$7.93 €6.82

-12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.39 $8.39

$7.92 €6.82

5.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.63 €1.40

-20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.08 €1.79

74.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.87 €2.47

26.48%

Eggs

$5.41 $5.41

$4.99 €4.29

8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 $13.30

$25.89 €22.29

-48.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 $10.61

$13.86 €11.93

-23.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$19.91 €17.14

-15.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.52 €3.03

60.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.49 €2.14

-12.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.53 €3.04

12.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.75 €3.23

50.40%

Potato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.60 €2.24

75.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.01 €2.59

15.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.88 €1.62

13.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.87 €0.75

173.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.22 $8.22

$15.18 €13.07

-45.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 $12.02

$9.51 €8.19

26.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.70 €2.32

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 $5.34

$4.16 €3.58

28.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.87 €2.47

2.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.48 $35.48

$103 €88.8

-65.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$9.14 €7.87

-62.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.09 €1.80

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.63 $39.63

$55.5 €47.74

-28.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.10 €1.81

-42.86%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$36.1K €31.0K

-34.34%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$37.1K €32.0K

-32.48%

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

$188 $188

$246 €212

-23.81%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$16.88 €14.53

213.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$35.40 €30.48

102.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 $60.5

$39.56 €34.06

53.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.82 €16.20

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 $13.90

$15.92 €13.71

-12.69%

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

$1,867 $1,867

$889 €765

110.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.1K $38.1K

$15.3K €13.2K

148.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$116 €99.8

-49.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.99 $31.99

$48.12 €41.42

-33.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 $79.6

$123 €106

-35.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 $98.4

$156 €135

-37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$1,621 €1,395

-10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 $1,223

$1,210 €1,042

1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,761 $2,761

$3,622 €3,118

-23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,259 $2,259

$2,292 €1,973

-1.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,247 $3,247

$15.0K €12.9K

-78.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,994 $2,994

$10.1K €8,716

-70.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,867 $3,867

$3,776 €3,250

2.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.55

84.51%

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

Last update for Chico, CA: May 30, 2026

Last update for Paris: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,447 in Chico, CA and $1,621 in Paris. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Chico, CA vs $74.0 in Paris. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $413, with Paris cheaper for home cooking.

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

Chico, CA vs Paris: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chico, CA is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Chico, CA pays 2% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,447 in Chico, CA versus $1,621 in Paris. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chico, CA – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $74.0 in Paris. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,626 per month in Chico, CA versus $2,655 in Paris – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Chico, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Chico, CA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Paris, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chico, CA and Paris are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chico, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.