Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Paris

For one person, living is cheaper in Montpellier: $1,948 a month against $2,693 in Paris, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Montpellier
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Montpellier Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Paris
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Paris Living Index

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Montpellier

🇫🇷 France

$1,948

/mo nomad

Paris

🇫🇷 France

$2,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montpellier and in Paris

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,948 in Montpellier versus $2,693 in Paris.

Montpellier $1,948
Paris $2,693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,955 in Montpellier versus $4,133 in Paris.

Montpellier $2,955
Paris $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Montpellier versus $5,574 in Paris.

Montpellier $3,962
Paris $5,574

Living in Montpellier costs roughly 28% less than in Paris, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montpellier 43% above, Paris 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 €14.96

$19.26 €17.25

-13.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.1 €64.6

$77.9 €69.8

-7.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.86

$13.64 €12.22

-2.93%

Cappuccino

$3.65 €3.27

$4.95 €4.44

-26.26%

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

$3.05 €2.73

$4.67 €4.18

-34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.63 €2.35

-24.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.15

$7.65 €6.85

-24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.10

$6.83 €6.12

-32.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.57 €1.40

-14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.50 €2.24

-12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.80 €2.51

-3.21%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.33

$4.42 €3.95

-15.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.67 €16.72

$22.02 €19.72

-15.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €12.37

$13.61 €12.19

1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.91 €22.31

$21.85 €19.57

14.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.57

$3.16 €2.83

-9.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.26 €2.02

8.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.56

$2.93 €2.62

-2.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 €3.51

$4.19 €3.75

-6.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.08

$1.84 €1.65

26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.54 €2.28

17.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.87 €1.68

-6.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.57

$0.89 €0.80

-29.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.76

$14.57 €13.05

-2.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 €6.84

$9.12 €8.17

-16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.27

$2.68 €2.40

36.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.46

$3.49 €3.12

-21.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.77 €2.48

-26.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.08 €1.87

$102 €91.1

-97.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 €4.51

$8.84 €7.91

-42.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.42 €1.28

14.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.42 €29.93

$46.04 €41.24

-27.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.23 €2.00

-4.48%

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

$34.4K €30.8K

$34.9K €31.2K

-1.26%

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

$39.0K €34.9K

$37.9K €33.9K

2.87%

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

$220 €197

$252 €225

-12.56%

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

$16.67 €14.93

$15.85 €14.19

5.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.14 €28.78

$29.53 €26.45

8.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.24 €31.56

$39.09 €35.01

-9.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 €12.61

$18.15 €16.26

-22.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 €12.35

$15.69 €14.05

-12.11%

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

$731 €655

$1,749 €1,567

-58.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K €11.8K

$25.8K €23.1K

-48.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 €79.7

$113 €101

-21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 €57.1

$51.5 €46.16

23.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.5

$119 €106

-13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €159

$162 €145

9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 €759

$1,622 €1,452

-47.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 €659

$1,263 €1,131

-41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 €1,411

$3,788 €3,392

-58.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 €1,103

$2,402 €2,151

-48.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,909 €4,396

$14.3K €12.8K

-65.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,599 €3,224

$9,642 €8,635

-62.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,777 €2,487

$3,556 €3,185

-21.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.45

10.43%

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

Last update for Montpellier: October 25, 2026

Last update for Paris: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montpellier

$735 37.8%

Paris

$1.3K 46.9% 71.7% $527

Groceries & Markets

Montpellier

$388 19.9%

Paris

$399 14.8% 2.8% $11

Eating Out

Montpellier

$275 14.1%

Paris

$336 12.5% 21.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montpellier

$269 13.8%

Paris

$297 11% 10.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Montpellier

$194 10%

Paris

$200 7.4% 2.9% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Montpellier

$63 3.2%

Paris

$70 2.6% 12.2% $7.6

Getting Around

Montpellier

$23 1.2%

Paris

$129 4.8% 451% $105

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $847 in Montpellier and $1,622 in Paris. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paris pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $72 in Montpellier vs $78 in Paris for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $399 per month, with Montpellier cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Montpellier

🇫🇷 Paris

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

Same time as Montpellier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

302,454

2,133,111 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Montpellier Paris 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Montpellier
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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

Montpellier vs Paris: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Montpellier. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $847 in Montpellier versus $1,622 in Paris. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Paris. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montpellier – a meal for two runs $72 versus $78 in Paris. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,948 in Montpellier versus $2,693 in Paris, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montpellier but tight or insufficient in Paris. The gap between the two cities makes Montpellier the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montpellier is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Paris, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Montpellier and Paris are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Montpellier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.