Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between France and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in France: $1,948 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in France
Learn more

France Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

Jump to prices

🇫🇷 France

$1,948

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in France and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,948 in France versus $2,701 in the United States.

France $1,948
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,964 in France versus $3,980 in the United States.

France $2,964
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in France versus $5,258 in the United States.

France $3,980
United States $5,258

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $980 to $5,162, compared to $1,127–$2,673 in France. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in France costs about 28% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: France 44% above, the United States 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.62 €14.78

$19.92 $19.92

-16.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.6

$81.0 $81.0

-15.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 €11.81

$12.07 $12.07

10.02%

Cappuccino

$3.93 €3.50

$5.55 $5.55

-29.19%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$2.67 $2.67

27.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.09 $2.09

1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 €5.87

$5.96 $5.96

10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.91

$7.76 $7.76

-28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.05 $1.05

29.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.81

$3.55 $3.55

-42.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$4.64 $4.64

-43.10%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.67

$4.18 $4.18

-1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.61 €17.44

$12.76 $12.76

53.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.49 €12.00

$12.63 $12.63

6.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.83 €19.42

$17.22 $17.22

26.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.70

$5.15 $5.15

-40.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.64 $1.64

38.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$4.46 $4.46

-32.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$4.98 $4.98

-25.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.84 $2.84

-20.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$3.09 $3.09

-19.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$2.19 $2.19

-30.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.74

$2.27 $2.27

-63.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 €12.28

$10.61 $10.61

30.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 €7.06

$14.71 $14.71

-46.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.10 $2.10

28.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.73

$3.82 $3.82

-19.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.35 $2.35

-12.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 €50.6

$64.1 $64.1

-11.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 €4.39

$3.57 $3.57

38.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.85 $1.85

12.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.08 €33.87

$30.19 $30.19

26.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.07 $1.07

92.52%

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

$34.2K €30.4K

$35.3K $35.3K

-3.01%

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

$34.8K €30.9K

$25.9K $25.9K

34.35%

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

$216 €192

$217 $217

-0.37%

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

$19.73 €17.55

$61.4 $61.4

-67.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.44 €30.63

$74.4 $74.4

-53.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.80 €31.84

$45.08 $45.08

-20.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 €18.60

$23.07 $23.07

-9.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.36 €11.89

$14.79 $14.79

-9.67%

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

$860 €765

$1,480 $1,480

-41.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

-52.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.1

$53.0 $53.0

93.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.11 €40.12

$42.75 $42.75

5.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.7

$94.3 $94.3

10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$115 $115

17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €759

$1,678 $1,678

-49.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 €622

$1,313 $1,313

-46.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 €1,366

$2,649 $2,649

-42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$2,183 $2,183

-45.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,449 €4,846

$3,374 $3,374

61.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,591 €3,194

$2,661 $2,661

34.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,688 €2,391

$4,404 $4,404

-38.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

6.55

-42.29%

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

Last update for France: October 13, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

France

$699 35.9%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 87.9% $614

Groceries & Markets

France

$376 19.3%

United States

$411 15.2% 9.4% $35

Eating Out

France

$286 14.7%

United States

$327 12.1% 14.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

France

$270 13.9%

United States

$352 13% 30.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

France

$174 9%

United States

$137 5.1% 21.2% $37

Getting Around

France

$81 4.1%

United States

$86 3.2% 7.1% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

France

$63 3.2%

United States

$75 2.8% 19.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $779 in France, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $1,580 in Paris vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $2,713 in France, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 107% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 17% more in the United States.

Public transport is 81% more expensive in France.

Salaries are 67% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇫🇷 France

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

05:53 5:53 AM

23:53 11:53 PM

6 h behind France

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,373,433

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

France United States 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

France
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,948 per month in France and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 39% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $779 in France. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In France, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: France wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.