Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Toulouse

For one person, living is cheaper in Montpellier: $1,948 a month against $2,004 in Toulouse, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. The total is higher in Toulouse despite lower rent and utilities.

93

Cost of Living Index in Montpellier
Learn more

Montpellier Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Toulouse
Learn more

Toulouse Living Index

Jump to prices

Montpellier

🇫🇷 France

$1,948

/mo nomad

Toulouse

🇫🇷 France

$2,004

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montpellier and in Toulouse

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 Toulouse actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,948 in Montpellier versus $2,004 in Toulouse.

Montpellier $1,948
Toulouse $2,004

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,955 in Montpellier versus $3,072 in Toulouse.

Montpellier $2,955
Toulouse $3,072

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Montpellier versus $4,140 in Toulouse.

Montpellier $3,962
Toulouse $4,140

Living in Montpellier costs roughly 3% less than in Toulouse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montpellier 43% above, Toulouse 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 €14.96

$16.88 €15.12

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.1 €64.6

$79.4 €71.1

-9.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.86

$13.44 €12.04

-1.49%

Cappuccino

$3.65 €3.27

$4.50 €4.03

-18.89%

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

$3.05 €2.73

$3.95 €3.53

-22.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.95 €2.64

-32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.15

$7.33 €6.57

-21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.10

$6.86 €6.15

-33.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.33 €1.19

1.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.04 €1.83

7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.59 €2.32

4.63%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.33

$4.62 €4.14

-19.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.67 €16.72

$23.00 €20.60

-18.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €12.37

$14.66 €13.13

-5.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.91 €22.31

$21.29 €19.07

17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.57

$3.34 €2.99

-14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.59 €2.32

-5.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.56

$3.31 €2.97

-13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 €3.51

$3.57 €3.19

9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.48 €2.22

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.79 €2.50

6.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.50 €1.34

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.57

$0.96 €0.86

-34.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.76

$13.91 €12.46

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 €6.84

$8.80 €7.88

-13.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.27

$3.51 €3.15

3.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.46

$3.43 €3.07

-20.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.21 €1.98

-8.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.08 €1.87

$64.2 €57.5

-96.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 €4.51

$8.19 €7.33

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.46

$2.33 €2.09

-30.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.42 €29.93

$37.97 €34.01

-11.98%

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

$35.2K €31.5K

-2.19%

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

$39.0K €34.9K

$35.7K €31.9K

9.21%

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

$220 €197

$217 €195

1.34%

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

$16.67 €14.93

$13.92 €12.47

19.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.14 €28.78

$33.51 €30.01

-4.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.24 €31.56

$35.27 €31.59

-0.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 €12.61

$21.83 €19.55

-35.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 €12.35

$13.23 €11.85

4.23%

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

$731 €655

$1,002 €897

-27.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K €11.8K

$9,903 €8,869

33.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 €79.7

$113 €102

-21.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 €57.1

$52.5 €46.98

21.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.5

$117 €105

-13.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €159

$165 €148

7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 €759

$885 €793

-4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 €659

$672 €601

9.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 €1,411

$1,507 €1,349

4.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 €1,103

$1,124 €1,007

9.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,909 €4,396

$5,940 €5,320

-17.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,599 €3,224

$3,403 €3,048

5.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,777 €2,487

$2,916 €2,612

-4.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.79

0.53%

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

Last update for Montpellier: October 25, 2026

Last update for Toulouse: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montpellier

$735 37.8%

Toulouse

$672 33.5% 8.7% $64

Groceries & Markets

Montpellier

$388 19.9%

Toulouse

$405 20.2% 4.4% $17

Eating Out

Montpellier

$275 14.1%

Toulouse

$307 15.3% 11.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montpellier

$269 13.8%

Toulouse

$265 13.2% 1.6% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Montpellier

$194 10%

Toulouse

$202 10.1% 3.7% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Montpellier

$63 3.2%

Toulouse

$62 3.1% 1.7% $1.1

Getting Around

Montpellier

$23 1.2%

Toulouse

$93 4.6% 297% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $847 in Montpellier and $885 in Toulouse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 5% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Montpellier vs $79 in Toulouse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $405 per month, with Montpellier cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Montpellier

🇫🇷 Toulouse

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

Same time as Montpellier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

302,454

504,078

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montpellier Toulouse 200 km

From you

Montpellier
Toulouse

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

Montpellier vs Toulouse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier is about 3% 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 5% 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 $885 in Toulouse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Toulouse. 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 $79 in Toulouse. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Montpellier gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

Safety-wise, Montpellier and Toulouse 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 3% less than in Toulouse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.