Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Nantes Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Nantes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,705 in Paris versus $1,826 in Nantes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Paris versus $2,867 in Nantes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,575 in Paris versus $3,909 in Nantes.

Living in Paris is roughly 48% more expensive than in Nantes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paris 97% above, Nantes 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.53 €15.95

$17.39 €14.96

6.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 €70.4

$58.3 €50.2

40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €12.01

$11.59 €9.97

20.45%

Cappuccino

$4.98 €4.28

$3.77 €3.25

32.10%

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

$4.73 €4.07

$2.99 €2.57

58.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.43 €1.23

107.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 €7.18

$7.95 €6.84

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €5.99

$5.05 €4.35

37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.26 €1.08

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.04 €1.76

22.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.06 €2.63

-7.84%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.06

$3.82 €3.28

23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.28 €20.04

$14.50 €12.48

60.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 €12.85

$12.71 €10.93

17.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.94 €19.74

$19.59 €16.85

17.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 €3.04

$3.15 €2.71

12.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.26 €1.95

1.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$3.03 €2.61

-0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 €3.69

$3.05 €2.62

40.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.93 €1.66

4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.01 €1.73

28.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.36 €1.17

47.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.52 €0.45

92.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.94 €12.86

$13.68 €11.77

9.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 €8.16

$6.88 €5.92

37.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.66 €3.15

-22.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.22

$2.82 €2.43

32.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.08 €1.79

43.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 €90.5

$65.1 €56.0

61.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 €8.04

$2.35 €2.02

297.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.90 €1.63

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.24 €40.65

$37.35 €32.14

26.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.17 €1.87

7.37%

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

$36.0K €31.0K

$35.9K €30.9K

0.44%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$35.7K €30.7K

2.15%

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

$273 €235

$170 €146

60.76%

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

$17.34 €14.92

$15.00 €12.91

15.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.52 €26.26

$31.93 €27.48

-4.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.60 €36.66

$24.28 €20.89

75.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.23 €17.41

$4.54 €3.91

345.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 €13.23

$14.15 €12.18

8.69%

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

$1,893 €1,629

$821 €706

130.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.4K €22.7K

$13.8K €11.9K

91.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €98.5

$122 €105

-6.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.80

$36.63 €31.52

45.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$94.5 €81.3

30.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €142

$137 €118

19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,385

$825 €710

95.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,064

$685 €589

80.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,557 €3,061

$1,691 €1,455

110.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 €1,951

$1,288 €1,109

76.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.8K €12.7K

$5,389 €4,638

174.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K €8,684

$3,764 €3,239

168.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,612 €3,108

$3,030 €2,607

19.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.89

-15.94%

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

Last update for Paris: August 30, 2026

Last update for Nantes: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Paris and $825 in Nantes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paris pays 19% 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: $82.0 in Paris vs $58.0 in Nantes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $342 per month, with Nantes 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 Nantes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,609 in Paris versus $825 in Nantes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nantes runs roughly 61% less than in Paris. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,893 in Paris versus $821 in Nantes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,826 in Nantes versus $2,705 in Paris, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nantes but tight or insufficient in Paris. The gap between the two cities makes Nantes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nantes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,826 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nantes hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Paris and Nantes 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 Nantes 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.