Cost of Living Comparison Between France and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between France and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,882 per month in France vs $2,509 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,896 per month in France vs $3,641 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,910 per month in France vs $4,772 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in France is roughly 25% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both France and Australia are pricier than the global median – France by 38%, Australia by 83%.

Cost ranges are similar: France spans $1,155–$2,831, Australia $1,174–$3,292. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 €15.04

$18.16 A$25.52

-4.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.7

$85.9 A$121

-18.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €11.89

$10.87 A$15.27

25.57%

Cappuccino

$3.93 €3.42

$4.11 A$5.78

-4.38%

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

$3.41 €2.97

$3.04 A$4.28

12.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.95

$2.47 A$3.47

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.14

$7.87 A$11.05

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.17

$7.98 A$11.21

-25.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.73 A$2.43

-21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.78 A$3.90

-24.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.38 A$3.34

15.97%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.82

$5.08 A$7.14

-13.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 €17.34

$9.98 A$14.02

99.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.11 €12.29

$9.24 A$12.98

52.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 €19.63

$15.49 A$21.76

45.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.82

$3.73 A$5.24

-13.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.09

$3.02 A$4.25

-20.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.63

$3.23 A$4.54

-6.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 €3.30

$4.88 A$6.86

-22.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.87 A$4.04

-21.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.36 A$3.32

2.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.49 A$3.50

-34.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.68 A$2.35

-49.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 €12.38

$38.51 A$54.1

-63.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €6.93

$14.25 A$20.02

-44.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.48

$5.07 A$7.12

-43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.89

$5.19 A$7.29

-36.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.78 A$3.91

-22.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 €52.9

$94.8 A$133

-35.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 €4.37

$3.52 A$4.95

42.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.60 A$2.24

38.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.58 €34.49

$40.42 A$56.8

-2.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.27 A$1.79

68.50%

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

$36.1K €31.4K

$28.3K A$39.8K

27.24%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$28.6K A$40.2K

24.91%

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

$225 €196

$202 A$284

11.39%

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

$20.49 €17.85

$29.08 A$40.86

-29.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 €30.08

$59.6 A$83.7

-42.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 €33.51

$59.3 A$83.3

-35.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 €18.54

$20.13 A$28.28

5.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 €12.14

$15.75 A$22.12

-11.49%

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

$900 €784

$2,197 A$3,087

-59.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.2K

$18.2K A$25.6K

-29.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.1

$79.3 A$111

33.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.73 €40.71

$57.2 A$80.4

-18.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.3

$114 A$160

-5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €124

$125 A$175

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 €780

$1,581 A$2,221

-43.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 €621

$1,291 A$1,813

-44.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 €1,362

$2,530 A$3,555

-38.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 €1,073

$1,982 A$2,784

-37.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,536 €4,823

$8,571 A$12.0K

-35.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,796 €3,307

$6,120 A$8,598

-37.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,779 €2,421

$3,979 A$5,591

-30.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.77

5.93

-36.42%

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

Last update for France: September 12, 2026

Last update for Australia: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $809 in France vs $1,387 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,590 in Paris and $1,829 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,799 in France vs $3,903 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 71% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 27% more in Australia.

Public transport is 58% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 39% higher in Australia.

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

France vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

France is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 12% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in France, contributing to the overall 12% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in France, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

France is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.