Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between France and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

For one person, living is cheaper in France: $1,962 a month against $2,080 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Germany outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

94

Cost of Living Index in France
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France Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index

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🇫🇷 France

$1,962

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,080

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in France and in Germany

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,962 in France versus $2,080 in Germany.

France $1,962
Germany $2,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,999 in France versus $3,130 in Germany.

France $2,999
Germany $3,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,037 in France versus $4,180 in Germany.

France $4,037
Germany $4,180

France ($1,181–$2,732) and Germany ($1,337–$2,681) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in France costs about 6% less than in Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: France 44% above, Germany 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.74 €14.99

$16.60 €14.87

0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 €59.5

$71.8 €64.3

-7.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 €12.20

$12.12 €10.86

12.38%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.54

$3.96 €3.55

-0.25%

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

$3.42 €3.06

$3.36 €3.01

1.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.89 €2.59

-28.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €6.16

$5.07 €4.54

35.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.89

$4.50 €4.03

21.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.26 €1.13

3.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.82

$2.20 €1.97

-7.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$3.54 €3.17

-27.12%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.89

$3.88 €3.48

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.75 €17.69

$14.24 €12.75

38.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.45 €12.05

$11.90 €10.66

13.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.73 €19.46

$20.68 €18.52

5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.72

$3.28 €2.94

-7.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.05 €1.83

11.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 €2.60

$2.31 €2.07

25.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.18

$4.29 €3.84

-17.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.53 €1.37

43.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 €2.14

$1.50 €1.34

59.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.64 €1.46

-3.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$1.02 €0.91

-20.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 €12.27

$9.69 €8.68

41.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.21

$6.01 €5.38

33.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.38

$1.12 €1.01

137.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.73

$1.56 €1.40

95.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.86

$3.85 €3.44

-46.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 €53.3

$69.7 €62.4

-14.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 €4.52

$5.34 €4.78

-5.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.81 €2.51

-25.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.96 €33.10

$38.83 €34.78

-4.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.13 €1.91

-0.94%

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

$35.2K €31.5K

$32.6K €29.2K

8.04%

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

$37.3K €33.4K

$37.7K €33.8K

-1.08%

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

$220 €197

$342 €306

-35.78%

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

$19.75 €17.69

$24.87 €22.27

-20.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.36 €30.77

$48.49 €43.43

-29.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.58 €31.86

$39.42 €35.30

-9.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.37 €18.24

$27.47 €24.61

-25.85%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 €12.07

$14.65 €13.12

-8.05%

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

$898 €804

$611 €547

47.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

$17.3K €15.5K

-28.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.8

$89.1 €79.8

13.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 €40.76

$42.07 €37.67

8.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.4

$98.3 €88.0

7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €124

$131 €117

6.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 €786

$934 €837

-6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 €629

$718 €643

-2.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 €1,394

$1,704 €1,526

-8.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 €1,117

$1,294 €1,159

-3.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,494 €4,921

$5,944 €5,323

-7.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,778 €3,384

$3,958 €3,545

-4.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,716 €2,432

$3,290 €2,946

-17.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.96

-4.55%

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

Last update for France: October 27, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

France

$703 35.8%

Germany

$718 34.6% 2.3% $16

Groceries & Markets

France

$374 19.1%

Germany

$335 16.1% 10.4% $39

Eating Out

France

$289 14.8%

Germany

$276 13.3% 4.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

France

$274 14%

Germany

$415 20% 51.7% $142

Clothing & Footwear

France

$176 9%

Germany

$162 7.8% 7.9% $14

Getting Around

France

$83 4.3%

Germany

$104 5% 25.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

France

$63 3.2%

Germany

$69 3.3% 9.9% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $810 in France, $812 in Germany. Capital cities: $1,622 in Paris vs $1,407 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $2,718 in France, $3,107 in Germany. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 11% more in Germany.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 14% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇫🇷 France

🇩🇪 Germany

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

Same time as France

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,373,433

84,358,845

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

France Germany 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

France
Germany

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

France vs Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,962 per month in France and $2,080 in Germany, France comes out about 6% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, France is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: France wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.