Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Saint-Etienne Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Saint-Etienne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Paris versus $1,498 in Saint-Etienne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,110 in Paris versus $2,331 in Saint-Etienne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,495 in Paris versus $3,164 in Saint-Etienne.

Living in Paris is roughly 82% more expensive than in Saint-Etienne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paris 98% above, Saint-Etienne 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 €15.75

$17.52 €15.10

4.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 €69.3

$59.3 €51.1

35.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €12.00

$13.82 €11.91

0.72%

Cappuccino

$4.98 €4.29

$2.19 €1.89

127.40%

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

$4.88 €4.20

$3.57 €3.08

36.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 €2.54

$1.75 €1.51

68.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 €7.20

$5.18 €4.47

61.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 €5.88

$5.86 €5.05

16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.40 €1.20

13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.19 €1.03

105.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 €2.49

$2.23 €1.92

29.60%

Eggs

$4.61 €3.97

$3.10 €2.67

48.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.95 €20.65

$18.00 €15.51

33.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.08 €12.99

$11.82 €10.19

27.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 €19.43

$16.98 €14.64

32.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 €3.04

$3.59 €3.10

-1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.76 €2.38

-14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.59 €2.23

16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.98 €2.57

43.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.67 €1.44

25.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 €2.24

$1.78 €1.53

45.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.19 €1.03

68.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.34 €1.16

-26.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.16 €13.07

$12.61 €10.87

20.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 €8.20

$10.29 €8.87

-7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.41

$3.52 €3.03

-20.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.36

$3.58 €3.09

8.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.48

$1.91 €1.65

50.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 €90.8

$40.08 €34.55

162.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.42 €8.12

$2.99 €2.57

215.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.53 €40.97

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.90

$2.09 €1.80

5.26%

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

$36.1K €31.1K

$20.6K €17.8K

74.86%

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

$36.9K €31.8K

$32.7K €28.2K

12.85%

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

$261 €225

$174 €150

50.03%

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

$17.35 €14.95

$30.17 €26.01

-42.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 €26.04

$20.07 €17.30

50.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.37 €38.24

$31.85 €27.45

39.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.97 €16.35

$7.07 €6.09

168.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 €12.95

$10.32 €8.90

45.54%

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

$1,854 €1,598

$1,068 €921

73.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K €22.9K

$16.8K €14.5K

58.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €99.9

$73.1 €63.0

58.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 €45.59

$32.41 €27.93

63.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €108

$109 €94.1

15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €143

$156 €134

6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,387

$552 €476

191.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,026

$373 €321

219.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,573 €3,080

$919 €792

288.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 €2,023

$760 €655

208.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.5K €12.5K

$1,795 €1,547

706.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K €8,676

$1,659 €1,430

506.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 €3,101

$2,306 €1,988

56.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.67

-10.90%

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

Last update for Paris: September 6, 2026

Last update for Saint-Etienne: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Paris and $552 in Saint-Etienne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paris pays 56% 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: $80.0 in Paris vs $59.0 in Saint-Etienne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $346 per month, with Saint-Etienne 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 Saint-Etienne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint-Etienne wins on cost – living expenses run 82% 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 56% 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 $552 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 $59.0 versus $80.0 in Paris. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,725 per month in Paris versus $1,498 in Saint-Etienne – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,498 in Saint-Etienne versus $2,725 in Paris, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Saint-Etienne but tight or insufficient in Paris. The gap between the two cities makes Saint-Etienne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Saint-Etienne delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,498 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Saint-Etienne hard to pass up.

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 82% less than in Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.