Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fontainebleau and Chamonix

For one person, living is cheaper in Fontainebleau: $1,127 a month against $2,223 in Chamonix, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fontainebleau
🇫🇷 France
$1,127
/mo nomad
Chamonix
🇫🇷 France
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fontainebleau and in Chamonix

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,127 in Fontainebleau versus $2,223 in Chamonix.

  • Fontainebleau $1,127
  • Chamonix $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Fontainebleau versus $3,501 in Chamonix.

  • Fontainebleau $2,529
  • Chamonix $3,501

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Fontainebleau versus $4,778 in Chamonix.

  • Fontainebleau $3,931
  • Chamonix $4,778

Living in Fontainebleau costs roughly 49% less than in Chamonix, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fontainebleau is 17% below, Chamonix is 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 €15.64
$16.68 €14.84
5.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.3 €59.0
$56.7 €50.5
16.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.29 €11.82
$13.28 €11.82
0.08%
Cappuccino
$3.85 €3.42
$3.33 €2.97
15.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 €2.79
$2.34 €2.08
33.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.47
$1.54 €1.37
7.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.04 €7.15
$6.59 €5.86
22.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 €5.01
$6.67 €5.93
-15.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.15 €1.02
14.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.71 €1.52
15.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.52 €2.24
11.11%
Eggs
$4.03 €3.58
$3.68 €3.27
9.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.50 €19.12
$20.68 €18.40
3.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.19 €10.84
$11.03 €9.81
10.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.50 €20.90
$18.25 €16.24
28.77%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 €2.96
$2.76 €2.46
20.65%
Banana (1kg)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.19 €1.95
-3.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.38 €2.11
$2.99 €2.66
-20.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.17 €2.82
$2.53 €2.25
25.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$2.47 €2.20
-22.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.40 €2.14
-14.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 €1.36
$1.43 €1.27
6.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 €0.61
$0.98 €0.87
-30.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.91 €12.37
$13.89 €12.36
0.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.74 €6.89
$9.33 €8.30
-17.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.13
$4.01 €3.57
-40.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.27 €3.80
$4.55 €4.04
-6.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.93 €1.72
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.86 €39.91
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.15 €2.80
-27.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.09 €1.85
$2.10 €1.87
-0.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.36 €21.67
$29.68 €26.40
-17.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.94 €1.73
13.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K €30.2K
$34.1K €30.4K
-0.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.2K €30.4K
$34.6K €30.8K
-1.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$206 €184
$274 €243
-24.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.25 €13.57
$10.94 €9.73
39.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.23 €27.78
$34.48 €30.67
-9.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.61 €20.11
$34.87 €31.02
-35.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.32 €11.85
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.52 €9.36
$15.32 €13.63
-31.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$633 €563
$608 €541
4.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,147 €7,247
$7,308 €6,501
11.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 €78.1
$87.1 €77.5
0.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.29 €35.83
$33.79 €30.06
19.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €89.7
$67.9 €60.4
48.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 €92.4
$91.0 €81.0
14.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$936 €833
$757 €673
23.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,017 €904
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,670 €1,485
$1,399 €1,244
19.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,405 €1,250
$2,250 €2,001
-37.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,963 €3,525
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,993 €2,662
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fontainebleau
Chamonix
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,045 €2,709
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.5
3.91
-10.49%

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

Last update for Fontainebleau: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chamonix: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Fontainebleau
$371
Chamonix
$354 4.5% $17
Eating Out
Fontainebleau
$297
Chamonix
$275 7.4% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fontainebleau
$253
Chamonix
$319 26.2% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Fontainebleau
$150
Chamonix
$126 15.9% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Fontainebleau
$44
Chamonix
$66 50.1% $22
Getting Around
Fontainebleau
$13 *
Chamonix
$66 422% $54
Accommodation & Living
Fontainebleau
- *
Chamonix
$1K

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 $936 in Fontainebleau and $757 in Chamonix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Fontainebleau vs $57.0 in Chamonix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $354 per month, with Chamonix cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Fontainebleau
🇫🇷 Chamonix
🕒 Local time
21:36 9:36 PM
21:36 9:36 PM
Same time as Fontainebleau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,945
8,900
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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

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
Fontainebleau vs Chamonix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chamonix cheaper than Fontainebleau?
Fontainebleau is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,691 in Fontainebleau and $3,335 in Chamonix 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 Fontainebleau and Chamonix?
Rent for a central apartment: $936 in Fontainebleau versus $757 in Chamonix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $633 in Fontainebleau versus $608 in Chamonix. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Fontainebleau or in Chamonix?
Dining out is cheaper in Fontainebleau – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $57.0 in Chamonix. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Fontainebleau or in Chamonix?
At $1,127 in Fontainebleau versus $2,223 in Chamonix, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fontainebleau but tight or insufficient in Chamonix. The gap between the two cities makes Fontainebleau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Fontainebleau or in Chamonix?
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 safer, Fontainebleau or Chamonix?
Safety-wise, Fontainebleau and Chamonix are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Fontainebleau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Chamonix. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Fontainebleau vs other spots: cost of living compared

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