Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Saint-Etienne

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Etienne: $1,436 a month against $2,693 in Paris, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Paris
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Paris Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Etienne
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Saint-Etienne Living Index

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Paris

🇫🇷 France

$2,693

/mo nomad

Saint-Etienne

🇫🇷 France

$1,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paris and in Saint-Etienne

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 Saint-Etienne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,693 in Paris versus $1,436 in Saint-Etienne.

Paris $2,693
Saint-Etienne $1,436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Paris versus $2,264 in Saint-Etienne.

Paris $4,133
Saint-Etienne $2,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,574 in Paris versus $3,092 in Saint-Etienne.

Paris $5,574
Saint-Etienne $3,092

Living in Paris is roughly 88% more expensive than in Saint-Etienne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paris 98% above, Saint-Etienne 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.26 €17.30

$16.56 €14.88

16.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 €70.0

$56.7 €50.9

37.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €12.25

$13.54 €12.16

0.74%

Cappuccino

$4.95 €4.45

$2.07 €1.86

139.13%

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

$4.67 €4.19

$3.42 €3.07

36.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.36

$1.70 €1.53

54.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.65 €6.87

$5.07 €4.55

50.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 €6.13

$5.75 €5.16

18.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.29 €1.15

21.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.25

$1.10 €0.99

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$2.09 €1.88

33.97%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.97

$3.05 €2.74

44.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.02 €19.78

$17.01 €15.28

29.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.61 €12.23

$11.17 €10.03

21.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$16.35 €14.68

33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.83

$3.27 €2.94

-3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.54 €2.28

-11.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 €2.63

$2.45 €2.20

19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 €3.76

$2.71 €2.43

54.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.65

$1.57 €1.41

17.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.73 €1.55

46.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.68

$1.10 €0.99

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$2.30 €2.07

-61.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.57 €13.08

$12.15 €10.91

19.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.12 €8.19

$10.14 €9.11

-10.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.40

$3.32 €2.99

-19.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.13

$3.26 €2.93

7.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 €2.49

$1.81 €1.62

53.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 €91.4

$39.87 €35.82

155.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 €7.94

$2.83 €2.54

212.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.04 €41.36

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.11 €1.89

5.69%

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

$34.9K €31.3K

$20.1K €18.0K

73.61%

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

$37.9K €34.0K

$32.0K €28.7K

18.42%

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

$252 €226

$164 €148

53.15%

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

$15.85 €14.24

$29.01 €26.06

-45.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 €26.53

$19.04 €17.11

55.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.09 €35.11

$29.86 €26.82

30.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 €16.31

$6.61 €5.94

174.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 €14.09

$9.89 €8.88

58.65%

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

$1,749 €1,571

$996 €894

75.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K €23.2K

$15.8K €14.2K

63.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €101

$72.1 €64.8

56.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 €46.30

$30.47 €27.37

69.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 €106

$103 €92.3

15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 €145

$151 €135

7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 €1,457

$515 €463

214.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 €1,134

$370 €332

241.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,788 €3,402

$873 €785

333.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 €2,158

$716 €643

235.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K €12.8K

$1,677 €1,506

751.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,642 €8,662

$1,619 €1,454

495.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 €3,195

$2,255 €2,026

57.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

3.67

-5.99%

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

Last update for Paris: October 27, 2026

Last update for Saint-Etienne: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paris

$1.3K 46.9%

Saint-Etienne

$370 25.8% 70.7% $893

Groceries & Markets

Paris

$399 14.8%

Saint-Etienne

$339 23.6% 15% $60

Eating Out

Paris

$336 12.5%

Saint-Etienne

$255 17.8% 23.9% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paris

$297 11%

Saint-Etienne

$212 14.8% 28.5% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Paris

$200 7.4%

Saint-Etienne

$160 11.2% 20% $40

Getting Around

Paris

$129 4.8%

Saint-Etienne

$50 * 3.5% 61.2% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Paris

$70 2.6%

Saint-Etienne

$50 3.5% 29.6% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,622 in Paris and $515 in Saint-Etienne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paris pays 58% 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: $78 in Paris vs $57 in Saint-Etienne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $339 per month, with Saint-Etienne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Paris

🇫🇷 Saint-Etienne

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

Same time as Paris

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,133,111 Capital

172,718

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

Paris
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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 Saint-Etienne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Etienne wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Paris. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Saint-Etienne the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,622 in Paris versus $515 in Saint-Etienne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saint-Etienne – a meal for two runs $57 versus $78 in Paris. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,693 per month in Paris versus $1,436 in Saint-Etienne – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 Saint-Etienne 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 Saint-Etienne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.