Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfax, VA and Versailles

For one person, living is cheaper in Versailles: $2,474 a month against $3,409 in Fairfax, VA, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
Learn more

Fairfax, VA Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Versailles
Learn more

Versailles Living Index

Jump to prices

Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,409

/mo nomad

Versailles

🇫🇷 France

$2,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fairfax, VA and in Versailles

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,409 in Fairfax, VA versus $2,474 in Versailles.

Fairfax, VA $3,409
Versailles $2,474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,871 in Fairfax, VA versus $3,914 in Versailles.

Fairfax, VA $4,871
Versailles $3,914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,333 in Fairfax, VA versus $5,354 in Versailles.

Fairfax, VA $6,333
Versailles $5,354

Living in Fairfax, VA is roughly 38% more expensive than in Versailles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfax, VA 153% above, Versailles 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 $18.62

$24.08 €21.42

-22.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 $94.7

$78.0 €69.4

21.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 $11.88

$11.03 €9.81

7.71%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$4.28 €3.80

41.82%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$3.56 €3.17

-11.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.02 €1.79

32.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$9.14 €8.13

-25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$7.09 €6.31

12.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.49 €1.33

-22.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.25 €2.00

87.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$3.74 €3.32

38.50%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$4.32 €3.84

25.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$11.25 €10.01

51.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 $14.50

$16.87 €15.01

-14.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$40.17 €35.74

-53.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$4.00 €3.56

49.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.20 €1.96

4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.35 €2.09

146.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.33 €2.96

69.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.60 €2.31

10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.21 €1.96

74.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.05 €1.82

15.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.61 €0.54

332.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 $14.17

$13.58 €12.08

4.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 $15.38

$8.50 €7.56

80.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.40 €3.03

-22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.24 €2.00

124.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 $70.1

$94.0 €83.6

-25.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$5.47 €4.87

-45.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.46 €1.30

-1.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$41.03 €36.50

-41.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.01 €1.79

-48.26%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$34.2K €30.4K

6.50%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$35.4K €31.5K

-27.63%

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

$207 $207

$314 €279

-33.88%

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

$67.0 $67.0

$30.28 €26.93

121.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 $76.9

$39.31 €34.96

95.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 $73.8

$52.6 €46.81

40.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.45 $25.45

$27.93 €24.85

-8.88%

Cinema Ticket

$18.15 $18.15

$14.63 €13.02

24.06%

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

$1,946 $1,946

$967 €860

101.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K $34.4K

$10.1K €8,967

241.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$125 €111

-57.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 $54.6

$71.8 €63.9

-24.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 $92.2

$90.2 €80.2

2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$155 €138

-27.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,439 $2,439

$1,057 €941

130.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,895 $1,895

$906 €806

109.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,506 $3,506

$2,240 €1,993

56.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,903 $2,903

$1,930 €1,716

50.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,545 $5,545

$10.3K €9,131

-45.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,018 $4,018

$9,261 €8,238

-56.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,577 $5,577

$3,505 €3,118

59.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

3.81

76.38%

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

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Versailles: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 55.6%

Versailles

$906 36.6% 52.2% $989

Groceries & Markets

Fairfax, VA

$481 14.1%

Versailles

$429 * 17.4% 10.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfax, VA

$351 10.3%

Versailles

$383 15.5% 9.1% $32

Eating Out

Fairfax, VA

$331 9.7%

Versailles

$359 14.5% 8.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1%

Versailles

$199 8% 41.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfax, VA

$110 3.2%

Versailles

$82 3.3% 25.6% $28

Getting Around

Fairfax, VA

$100 2.9%

Versailles

$116 4.7% 15.3% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,439 in Fairfax, VA and $1,057 in Versailles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfax, VA pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $95.0 in Fairfax, VA vs $78.0 in Versailles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $429 per month, with Versailles cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🇫🇷 Versailles

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

6 h ahead of Fairfax, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,146

83,587

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fairfax, VA Versailles 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairfax, VA
Versailles

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

Fairfax, VA vs Versailles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Versailles wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Fairfax, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Versailles the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Fairfax, VA, 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: $2,439 in Fairfax, VA versus $1,057 in Versailles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Fairfax, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Versailles – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $95.0 in Fairfax, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,474 in Versailles versus $3,409 in Fairfax, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Versailles but tight or insufficient in Fairfax, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Versailles the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Fairfax, VA and Versailles 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 Versailles gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Fairfax, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.