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 $1,850 per month in France vs $2,182 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,835 per month in France vs $3,216 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,819 per month in France vs $4,250 in Australia, rent included.

France is roughly 15% cheaper than 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 63%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: France spans $1,473–$2,848, Australia spans $1,579–$2,759. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.38 €14.95

$16.17 A$22.54

7.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 €59.2

$78.6 A$110

-12.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 €11.00

$9.48 A$13.21

34.92%

Cappuccino

$3.72 €3.20

$3.56 A$4.96

4.49%

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

$3.20 €2.75

$2.60 A$3.62

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.21 A$3.08

-1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.77 €5.82

$6.47 A$9.02

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 €5.09

$7.19 A$10.02

-17.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.56 A$2.18

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.53 A$3.53

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.02 A$2.82

28.71%

Eggs

$4.30 €3.70

$4.47 A$6.23

-3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.52 €17.65

$8.86 A$12.35

131.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 €12.19

$8.38 A$11.68

69.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 €18.10

$13.71 A$19.10

53.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 €2.80

$3.23 A$4.50

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.84 A$3.96

-18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 €2.65

$2.98 A$4.15

3.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 €3.17

$4.38 A$6.10

-15.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.10

$2.45 A$3.41

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.11 A$2.94

20.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.16 A$3.02

-28.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.66

$1.58 A$2.21

-51.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 €11.87

$30.61 A$42.65

-54.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 €6.89

$14.23 A$19.83

-43.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.22

$4.55 A$6.34

-43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.72

$4.91 A$6.84

-35.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.89 A$4.03

-25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 €62.7

$97.5 A$136

-25.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 €4.64

$3.54 A$4.94

52.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.75 A$2.43

6.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.17 €31.98

$38.10 A$53.1

-2.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.16 A$1.62

81.90%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$28.8K A$40.1K

29.28%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$23.2K A$32.3K

61.68%

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

$211 €182

$179 A$249

18.22%

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

$26.70 €22.97

$26.75 A$37.27

-0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.81 €29.94

$53.7 A$74.8

-35.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.53 €33.14

$48.44 A$67.5

-20.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.09 €16.42

$16.88 A$23.52

13.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 €11.77

$13.61 A$18.97

0.51%

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

$816 €702

$1,605 A$2,236

-49.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €9,992

$12.7K A$17.7K

-8.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$71.4 A$99.5

42.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 €37.64

$50.0 A$69.7

-12.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.4

$99.8 A$139

4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €119

$109 A$152

26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 €758

$1,385 A$1,930

-36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 €583

$1,076 A$1,500

-37.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,632 €1,404

$2,284 A$3,183

-28.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 €1,089

$1,757 A$2,448

-27.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,634 €4,846

$7,462 A$10.4K

-24.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,732 €3,211

$5,617 A$7,827

-33.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,811 €2,418

$4,070 A$5,672

-30.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

6.35

-42.36%

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

Last update for France: May 30, 2026

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $792 in France vs $1,233 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,621 in Paris and $1,548 in Canberra.

Average salary: $2,827 in France vs $3,906 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 56% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 26% more in Australia.

Public transport is 34% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 38% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

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

$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.