Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between College Station, TX and Valence

For one person, living is cheaper in Valence: $1,594 a month against $2,165 in College Station, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

College Station, TX, United States
Valence, France
College Station, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,165
/mo nomad
Valence
🇫🇷 France
$1,594
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in College Station, TX and in Valence

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,165 in College Station, TX versus $1,594 in Valence.

  • College Station, TX $2,165
  • Valence $1,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,186 in College Station, TX versus $2,337 in Valence.

  • College Station, TX $3,186
  • Valence $2,337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,206 in College Station, TX versus $3,079 in Valence.

  • College Station, TX $4,206
  • Valence $3,079

Living in College Station, TX is roughly 36% more expensive than in Valence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: College Station, TX 59% above, Valence 17% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.78 $14.78
$13.56 €12.10
9.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.5 $78.5
$39.55 €35.31
98.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 $11.92
$9.56 €8.54
24.69%
Cappuccino
$5.61 $5.61
$3.72 €3.32
50.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.98 €2.66
-5.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 $1.80
$2.00 €1.79
-10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.88 $4.88
$5.74 €5.12
-14.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.72 $7.72
$4.55 €4.06
69.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 $0.82
$1.14 €1.02
-28.07%
White Bread (500g)
$3.31 $3.31
$1.10 €0.98
200.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$2.26 €2.02
68.14%
Eggs
$2.90 $2.90
$3.78 €3.37
-23.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.18 $12.18
$18.42 €16.45
-33.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.34 $9.34
$13.75 €12.28
-32.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.01 $13.01
$24.90 €22.24
-47.75%
Apples (1kg)
$6.32 $6.32
$3.00 €2.67
110.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 $1.56
$2.39 €2.14
-34.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.46 $6.46
$2.89 €2.58
123.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$3.97 €3.55
20.40%
Potato (1kg)
$3.99 $3.99
$2.33 €2.08
71.24%
Onion (1kg)
$2.97 $2.97
$2.95 €2.63
0.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.73 €1.55
5.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$0.21 €0.19
785.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.96 $9.96
$14.05 €12.54
-29.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.17 $14.17
$3.28 €2.93
332.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$3.80 €3.39
-53.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 $3.90
$2.79 €2.49
39.78%
🚌 Getting Around
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.52 €1.36
-32.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.74 $45.74
$22.60 €20.18
102.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.98 $9.98
$4.94 €4.41
102.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.82 $1.82
$1.64 €1.46
10.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.9 $58.9
$32.99 €29.46
78.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$2.23 €1.99
-56.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K $26.7K
$34.3K €30.6K
-22.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$38.4K €34.3K
-33.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 $179
$137 €122
30.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$39.26 $39.26
$11.35 €10.13
245.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.7 $55.7
$27.40 €24.47
103.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.49 $24.49
$27.80 €24.83
-11.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.46 $17.46
$16.82 €15.02
3.80%
Cinema Ticket
$10.97 $10.97
$13.76 €12.29
-20.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$740 $740
$729 €651
1.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.9K $17.9K
$12.8K €11.5K
39.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.9 $59.9
$77.3 €69.0
-22.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.65 $38.65
$65.7 €58.7
-41.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.9 $84.9
$103 €92.3
-17.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 $121
$179 €159
-32.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,267 $1,267
$587 €524
115.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$986 $986
$531 €474
85.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,848 $1,848
$838 €749
120.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,531 $1,531
$722 €645
111.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,392 $2,392
$3,116 €2,783
-23.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,994 $1,994
$2,705 €2,415
-26.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
College Station, TX
Valence
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,377 $4,377
$2,599 €2,321
68.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
3.81
72.44%

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

Last update for College Station, TX: October 25, 2026

Last update for Valence: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
College Station, TX
$986
Valence
$531 46.2% $455
Groceries & Markets
College Station, TX
$374
Valence
$359 3.8% $14
Eating Out
College Station, TX
$280
Valence
$239 14.3% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
College Station, TX
$274
Valence
$176 35.7% $98
Clothing & Footwear
College Station, TX
$137
Valence
$191 39.4% $54
Getting Around
College Station, TX
$69
Valence
$42 39.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
College Station, TX
$46
Valence
$55 19.1% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in College Station, TX and $587 in Valence. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

College Station, TX pays 68% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in College Station, TX vs $40 in Valence for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $359 per month, with Valence cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 College Station, TX
🇫🇷 Valence
🕒 Local time
22:20 10:20 PM
04:20 4:20 AM
6 h ahead of College Station, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
120,511
64,483
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • College Station, TX Valence 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • College Station, TX
  • Valence

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
College Station, TX vs Valence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, College Station, TX or Valence?
Valence wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in College Station, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Valence the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in College Station, TX or in Valence?
Average pay runs 68% higher in College Station, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in College Station, TX compared to Valence?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,267 in College Station, TX versus $587 in Valence. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in College Station, TX compared to Valence?
A monthly transit pass in Valence runs roughly 51% less than in College Station, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in College Station, TX and in Valence?
Childcare runs $740 in College Station, TX versus $729 in Valence. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,500/month in College Station, TX or in Valence?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,500. Valence is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: College Station, TX or Valence?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Valence gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in College Station, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

College Station, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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