Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grenoble and Montpellier

For one person, living costs are similar in Grenoble and in Montpellier: $1,939 and $1,945 a month, rent and utilities included.

94

Cost of Living Index in Grenoble
Learn more

Grenoble Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Montpellier
Learn more

Montpellier Living Index

Jump to prices

Grenoble

🇫🇷 France

$1,939

/mo nomad

Montpellier

🇫🇷 France

$1,945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grenoble and in Montpellier

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

A single person spends $1,939 per month in Grenoble vs $1,945 in Montpellier, rent included.

Grenoble $1,939
Montpellier $1,945

A couple spends around $2,843 per month in Grenoble vs $2,919 in Montpellier, rent included.

Grenoble $2,843
Montpellier $2,919

A family of three spends $3,747 per month in Grenoble vs $3,892 in Montpellier, rent included.

Grenoble $3,747
Montpellier $3,892

Grenoble and Montpellier have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Grenoble and Montpellier sit above the global median – Grenoble by 44%, Montpellier by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 €14.83

$16.51 €14.68

1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 €48.81

$71.8 €63.9

-23.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.40 €11.92

$15.92 €14.16

-15.83%

Cappuccino

$3.39 €3.01

$3.64 €3.23

-6.87%

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

$2.33 €2.07

$2.99 €2.66

-22.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.42

$2.03 €1.81

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 €6.09

$5.74 €5.11

19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 €5.79

$4.44 €3.95

46.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.40 €1.24

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.17 €1.93

-24.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.64 €2.35

-5.30%

Eggs

$4.53 €4.03

$3.74 €3.33

21.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.17 €17.95

$18.65 €16.59

8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.08 €9.85

$13.83 €12.30

-19.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.03 €16.04

$24.28 €21.60

-25.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.95 €2.62

-8.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.40 €2.13

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 €2.77

$2.93 €2.61

6.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$3.84 €3.42

-34.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$2.33 €2.07

6.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.96 €2.63

-20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.24

$1.74 €1.55

-19.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.31

$0.63 €0.56

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 €12.50

$13.68 €12.16

2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.47 €8.42

$7.47 €6.64

26.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 €3.73

$3.81 €3.38

9.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 €3.86

$2.77 €2.47

56.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.08

$1.99 €1.77

17.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.6 €67.2

$1.07 €0.96

6960.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 €2.76

$4.97 €4.42

-37.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.70 €1.52

24.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.04 €26.72

$32.84 €29.22

-8.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.12 €1.89

3.30%

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

$34.0K €30.3K

$34.1K €30.3K

-0.16%

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

$34.5K €30.7K

$35.3K €31.4K

-2.23%

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

$284 €252

$224 €200

26.45%

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

$14.55 €12.94

$16.56 €14.73

-12.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.57 €30.75

$32.59 €28.98

6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.79 €38.06

$33.70 €29.98

26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.01 €24.92

$14.18 €12.61

97.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.81

$13.68 €12.16

13.52%

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

$607 €540

$735 €654

-17.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,394 €6,577

$13.0K €11.5K

-42.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €78.1

$88.5 €78.8

-0.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.03 €38.28

$65.5 €58.3

-34.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 €82.6

$103 €91.3

-9.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €114

$178 €158

-27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 €735

$897 €798

-7.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 €564

$725 €645

-12.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 €1,250

$1,480 €1,317

-5.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 €893

$1,157 €1,029

-13.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,857 €3,431

$4,927 €4,382

-21.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,487 €2,212

$3,636 €3,234

-31.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,733 €2,431

$2,738 €2,435

-0.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

3.81

2.62%

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

Last update for Grenoble: October 12, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grenoble

$634 32.7%

Montpellier

$725 37.3% 14.4% $91

Groceries & Markets

Grenoble

$364 18.8%

Montpellier

$386 19.9% 6.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grenoble

$333 17.2%

Montpellier

$274 14.1% 17.8% $59

Eating Out

Grenoble

$277 14.3%

Montpellier

$281 14.5% 1.4% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Grenoble

$158 8.2%

Montpellier

$196 10.1% 23.4% $37

Getting Around

Grenoble

$99 5.1%

Montpellier

$23 1.2% 77.2% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Grenoble

$74 3.8%

Montpellier

$61 3.1% 17.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $826 in Grenoble versus $897 in Montpellier. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 0% higher in Montpellier. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Grenoble versus $72.0 in Montpellier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $386 – making Grenoble the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Grenoble

🇫🇷 Montpellier

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Grenoble

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,477

302,454

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Grenoble Montpellier 230 km

From you

Grenoble
Montpellier

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

Grenoble vs Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,909 per month in Grenoble and $2,918 in Montpellier. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Grenoble, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Montpellier, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $607 per month in Grenoble and $735 in Montpellier. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Grenoble, where all-in costs run around $1,939, than in Montpellier at $1,945. In Grenoble it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montpellier it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Grenoble costs $1,939 versus $1,945 in Montpellier. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Grenoble. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montpellier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.