Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Toulouse Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Toulouse

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,983 in Montpellier versus $1,963 in Toulouse.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,927 in Montpellier versus $3,077 in Toulouse.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,871 in Montpellier versus $4,191 in Toulouse.

Living in Montpellier is roughly 1% more expensive than in Toulouse, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montpellier 48% above, Toulouse 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €15.11

$17.23 €15.06

0.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 €51.2

$69.8 €61.0

-16.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 €11.42

$12.87 €11.24

1.55%

Cappuccino

$3.67 €3.21

$3.57 €3.12

2.80%

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

$2.69 €2.35

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.66

$1.66 €1.45

13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.18

$8.17 €7.14

-27.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.94

$5.67 €4.95

-20.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.41 €1.23

0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 €2.74

$2.10 €1.84

49.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.29

$3.04 €2.66

-13.82%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.70

$4.10 €3.59

3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.28

$25.25 €22.06

-26.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.23 €13.31

$14.71 €12.85

3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.87 €22.60

$17.95 €15.69

44.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 €2.80

$3.25 €2.84

-1.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.96

$2.92 €2.56

-23.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$3.21 €2.80

-21.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.36

$3.52 €3.08

9.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.82 €2.47

-15.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$3.15 €2.76

-15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.82 €1.59

-13.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.95 €0.83

-41.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €12.17

$14.66 €12.81

-5.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 €7.16

$9.31 €8.14

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.66

$3.85 €3.36

-20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$3.00 €2.62

32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 €1.57

$2.03 €1.77

-11.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.70 €15.47

$65.9 €57.6

-73.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.68

$2.93 €2.56

82.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.39 €1.21

14.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.49 €29.26

$40.03 €34.97

-16.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.11 €1.84

-4.27%

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

$37.4K €32.6K

$37.6K €32.9K

-0.72%

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

$38.5K €33.6K

$40.0K €35.0K

-3.78%

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

$189 €165

$190 €166

-0.38%

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

$28.13 €24.57

$22.13 €19.34

27.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.31 €29.98

$36.22 €31.65

-5.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 €33.46

$39.67 €34.66

-3.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.98 €25.32

$26.55 €23.20

9.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 €11.96

$14.08 €12.30

-2.77%

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

$779 €681

$871 €761

-10.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,217 €7,180

$18.3K €16.0K

-55.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.0

$121 €106

-16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 €38.77

$49.56 €43.30

-10.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.2

$126 €110

-15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 €160

$165 €144

11.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$850 €743

$874 €763

-2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €669

$685 €598

11.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 €1,209

$1,520 €1,328

-8.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €967

$1,177 €1,028

-5.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,115 €4,469

$6,501 €5,680

-21.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,926 €3,430

$3,289 €2,874

19.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,699 €2,358

$2,910 €2,543

-7.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.71

-1.89%

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

Last update for Montpellier: July 13, 2026

Last update for Toulouse: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $850 in Montpellier and $874 in Toulouse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Montpellier vs $70.0 in Toulouse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $408 per month, with Montpellier cheaper across the board.

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

Toulouse is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Toulouse. 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: $850 in Montpellier versus $874 in Toulouse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Montpellier pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Toulouse – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $59.0 in Montpellier. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,963 in Toulouse versus $1,983 in Montpellier, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Toulouse but tight or insufficient in Montpellier. The gap between the two cities makes Toulouse the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Montpellier and Toulouse are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Toulouse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Montpellier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.