Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Bethune Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Bethune

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,645 in Paris versus $1,791 in Bethune.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,094 in Paris versus $2,758 in Bethune.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,544 in Paris versus $3,726 in Bethune.

Living in Paris is roughly 48% more expensive than in Bethune, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paris 98% above, Bethune 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.93

$18.15 €15.86

-5.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 €62.3

$68.1 €59.5

4.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.29

$13.65 €11.92

3.08%

Cappuccino

$4.78 €4.17

$3.39 €2.97

41.00%

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

$4.10 €3.58

$2.95 €2.57

38.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.85

$1.94 €1.69

68.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 €7.25

$7.11 €6.21

16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 €6.88

$5.63 €4.92

39.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.41 €1.23

14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.81

$1.79 €1.57

16.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.01 €2.63

-1.33%

Eggs

$4.94 €4.31

$3.89 €3.40

26.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.97 €22.69

$21.96 €19.18

18.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.99 €12.22

$13.39 €11.70

4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.60 €17.13

$23.52 €20.55

-16.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.99

$3.10 €2.71

10.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.16 €1.89

10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 €3.03

$2.34 €2.04

48.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.33

$3.28 €2.87

16.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.97 €1.73

34.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 €2.59

$2.04 €1.78

45.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.53 €1.33

18.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.75

$0.57 €0.50

49.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 €12.97

$13.61 €11.89

9.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 €8.19

$8.04 €7.03

16.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.41

$1.86 €1.63

48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 €3.63

$2.77 €2.42

49.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.83 €1.60

53.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 €90.1

$51.7 €45.13

99.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.48 €8.29

$2.40 €2.10

295.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.87 €1.64

6.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.5 €47.61

$40.44 €35.33

34.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.99 €1.74

5.53%

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

$35.7K €31.2K

$37.9K €33.2K

-5.80%

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

$36.3K €31.7K

$37.2K €32.5K

-2.46%

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

$250 €219

$186 €162

34.76%

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

$16.64 €14.54

$23.27 €20.34

-28.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.68 €31.17

$28.76 €25.13

24.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.50 €33.63

$36.98 €32.31

4.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.13 €16.71

$17.99 €15.72

6.34%

Cinema Ticket

$15.74 €13.76

$10.24 €8.95

53.71%

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

$899 €786

$578 €505

55.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.9K

$8,541 €7,463

72.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €100

$91.2 €79.7

25.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.80 €41.76

$36.79 €32.14

29.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €109

$79.4 €69.4

57.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €140

$101 €88.2

58.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,404

$777 €679

106.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 €1,057

$618 €540

95.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,530 €3,084

$1,365 €1,192

158.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,264 €1,978

$1,069 €934

111.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.1K €13.2K

$4,102 €3,584

267.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.3K €8,968

$3,205 €2,800

220.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,599 €3,144

$3,752 €3,279

-4.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

3.69

-3.79%

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

Last update for Paris: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bethune: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Paris and $777 in Bethune. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bethune pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Paris vs $68.0 in Bethune for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $371 per month, with Bethune 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

Paris vs Bethune: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bethune wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Paris. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bethune the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Bethune. 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: $1,607 in Paris versus $777 in Bethune. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $899 in Paris versus $578 in Bethune. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Paris. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,791 in Bethune versus $2,645 in Paris, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bethune but tight or insufficient in Paris. The gap between the two cities makes Bethune the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bethune delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,791 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bethune hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Paris and Bethune 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 Bethune gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.