Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Melun

For one person, living is cheaper in Melun: $1,687 a month against $2,657 in Paris, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Paris
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Paris Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Melun
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Melun Living Index

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Paris

🇫🇷 France

$2,657

/mo nomad

Melun

🇫🇷 France

$1,687

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paris and in Melun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,657 in Paris versus $1,687 in Melun.

Paris $2,657
Melun $1,687

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,063 in Paris versus $2,511 in Melun.

Paris $4,063
Melun $2,511

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,469 in Paris versus $3,335 in Melun.

Paris $5,469
Melun $3,335

Living in Paris is roughly 58% more expensive than in Melun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paris 96% above, Melun 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.71 €16.64

$12.73 €11.32

46.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 €70.4

$53.1 €47.20

49.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.68 €12.17

$13.41 €11.93

2.01%

Cappuccino

$5.03 €4.47

$2.99 €2.66

68.23%

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

$4.48 €3.98

$1.68 €1.50

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.42

$1.73 €1.54

57.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 €7.03

$7.44 €6.62

6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 €5.84

$5.63 €5.00

16.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.32 €1.17

15.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.89 €1.68

29.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.86 €2.54

-2.10%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.90

$4.17 €3.70

5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 €19.58

$21.19 €18.85

3.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 €12.39

$12.88 €11.46

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.35 €19.88

$22.95 €20.41

-2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$3.31 €2.94

-3.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.12 €1.88

3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$2.35 €2.09

26.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 €3.86

$3.08 €2.74

40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.82 €1.62

2.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$1.99 €1.77

26.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.77 €1.58

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$0.63 €0.56

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.64 €13.02

$13.92 €12.38

5.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 €7.81

$8.20 €7.29

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.46

$2.46 €2.19

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.27

$4.27 €3.80

-13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 €2.45

$1.95 €1.73

41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 €91.4

$47.25 €42.03

117.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 €8.12

$2.21 €1.97

313.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.16 €1.92

-31.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.36 €40.35

$23.81 €21.18

90.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.23 €1.98

-0.45%

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

$34.9K €31.1K

$34.1K €30.3K

2.52%

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

$37.3K €33.2K

$34.3K €30.5K

8.84%

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

$248 €220

$197 €176

25.54%

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

$15.62 €13.90

$15.10 €13.43

3.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 €26.83

$28.14 €25.03

7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.08 €34.76

$35.17 €31.29

11.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.73

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 €14.17

$9.97 €8.87

59.78%

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

$1,822 €1,620

$623 €554

192.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.5K €23.5K

$8,092 €7,197

226.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.6

$86.6 €77.0

28.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 €46.18

$40.76 €36.25

27.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €108

$103 €92.1

17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €140

$102 €90.4

54.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,405

$742 €660

112.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 €1,094

$561 €499

119.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,384 €3,010

$1,193 €1,061

183.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 €2,040

$883 €785

159.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.7K €13.1K

$3,959 €3,522

270.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,770 €8,690

$2,978 €2,649

228.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,574 €3,179

$2,499 €2,223

43.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.92

-13.27%

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

Last update for Paris: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melun: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paris

$1.2K 46.3%

Melun

$561 33.2% 54.4% $669

Groceries & Markets

Paris

$401 15.1%

Melun

$372 22.1% 7.2% $29

Eating Out

Paris

$333 12.5%

Melun

$240 14.2% 27.8% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paris

$293 11.1%

Melun

$241 14.3% 18% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Paris

$199 7.5%

Melun

$150 8.9% 24.7% $49

Getting Around

Paris

$130 4.9%

Melun

$68 4% 47.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Paris

$71 2.7%

Melun

$55 3.3% 22.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Paris and $742 in Melun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paris pays 43% 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: $79.0 in Paris vs $53.0 in Melun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $372 per month, with Melun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Paris

🇫🇷 Melun

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

Same time as Paris

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,133,111 Capital

42,367

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Paris vs Melun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paris and Melun differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($2,657 vs $1,687 including rent). Melun is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Paris, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Paris versus $742 in Melun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,657 per month in Paris versus $1,687 in Melun – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Melun runs roughly 117% less than in Paris. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,687 in Melun versus $2,657 in Paris, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Melun but tight or insufficient in Paris. The gap between the two cities makes Melun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Paris and Melun 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 Melun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.