Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pau and Strasbourg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pau: $1,452 a month against $2,199 in Strasbourg, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Pau, France
Strasbourg, France
Pau
🇫🇷 France
$1,452
/mo nomad
Strasbourg
🇫🇷 France
$2,199
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pau and in Strasbourg

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

A single person spends $1,452 per month in Pau vs $2,199 in Strasbourg, rent included.

  • Pau $1,452
  • Strasbourg $2,199

A couple spends around $2,274 per month in Pau vs $3,271 in Strasbourg, rent included.

  • Pau $2,274
  • Strasbourg $3,271

A family of three spends $3,097 per month in Pau vs $4,343 in Strasbourg, rent included.

  • Pau $3,097
  • Strasbourg $4,343

Pau is about 34% cheaper than Strasbourg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pau and Strasbourg sit above the global median – Pau by 7%, Strasbourg by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.79 €15.04
$16.75 €15.01
0.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.82 €42.85
$69.1 €61.9
-30.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 €10.19
$14.15 €12.68
-19.65%
Cappuccino
$3.83 €3.43
$4.40 €3.94
-12.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 €2.37
$3.37 €3.02
-21.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 €1.41
$2.36 €2.11
-33.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.75 €5.16
$7.94 €7.12
-27.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.85 €3.45
$6.03 €5.40
-36.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.30 €1.17
-12.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.26 €2.02
$1.94 €1.74
16.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.56 €1.40
$2.81 €2.52
-44.48%
Eggs
$5.57 €4.99
$4.42 €3.96
26.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.77 €18.61
$33.39 €29.92
-37.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.81 €10.58
$17.15 €15.37
-31.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.35 €21.82
$20.90 €18.72
16.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.75 €3.36
$2.53 €2.27
48.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 €1.94
$2.51 €2.25
-13.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.06 €1.85
$3.22 €2.88
-36.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.22 €2.88
$3.63 €3.25
-11.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 €1.54
$2.20 €1.97
-21.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.98
$2.68 €2.40
-17.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 €1.12
$1.36 €1.22
-8.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 €0.61
$0.73 €0.66
-6.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.75 €11.43
$13.58 €12.17
-6.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 €8.98
$9.04 €8.10
10.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.45 €3.99
$2.09 €1.87
112.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.65 €5.06
$4.54 €4.07
24.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.36 €1.21
$2.14 €1.92
-36.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.00 €30.47
$62.3 €55.8
-45.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.26 €2.92
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.10 €1.88
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$26.73 €23.95
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.82
$2.17 €1.95
-6.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K €30.5K
$35.1K €31.5K
-3.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.5K €32.7K
$38.1K €34.2K
-4.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.0 €77.0
$348 €312
-75.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.75 €27.56
$18.23 €16.34
68.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.92 €29.50
$33.16 €29.72
-0.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.89 €37.53
$34.69 €31.09
20.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$26.35 €23.61
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.09 €10.83
$14.77 €13.24
-18.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$394 €353
$1,062 €952
-62.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,474 €4,009
$15.6K €14.0K
-71.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 €99.1
$101 €90.6
9.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.19 €30.64
$43.10 €38.62
-20.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.2 €80.8
$103 €92.3
-12.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.0 €80.6
$144 €129
-37.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$740 €663
$1,002 €898
-26.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$394 €353
$738 €662
-46.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,076 €965
$1,907 €1,709
-43.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$691 €619
$1,239 €1,110
-44.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,478 €2,220
$5,509 €4,936
-55.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,000 €1,793
$3,168 €2,839
-36.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pau
Strasbourg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,074 €2,755
$2,949 €2,643
4.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
3.76
1.33%

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

Last update for Pau: October 24, 2026

Last update for Strasbourg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Pau
$394
Strasbourg
$738 87.7% $345
Groceries & Markets
Pau
$389
Strasbourg
$433 11.1% $43
Eating Out
Pau
$268
Strasbourg
$304 13.5% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pau
$150
Strasbourg
$400 167% $250
Clothing & Footwear
Pau
$146
Strasbourg
$176 20.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Pau
$66
Strasbourg
$64 2.8% $1.8
Getting Around
Pau
$39 *
Strasbourg
$85 115% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $740 in Pau versus $1,002 in Strasbourg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Pau, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Pau versus $69 in Strasbourg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $433 – making Pau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Pau
🇫🇷 Strasbourg
🕒 Local time
05:45 5:45 AM
05:45 5:45 AM
Same time as Pau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
77,066
291,313
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pau Strasbourg 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Pau
  • Strasbourg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Pau vs Strasbourg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Pau and in Strasbourg compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,452 in Pau, $2,199 in Strasbourg – Pau comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Pau compared to Strasbourg?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,178 per month in Pau and $3,299 in Strasbourg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Pau and Strasbourg?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $740 there versus $1,002 in Strasbourg.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 11% more in Strasbourg, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Pau and $69 in Strasbourg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pau, where all-in costs run around $1,452, than in Strasbourg at $2,199. In Pau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Strasbourg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Pau or Strasbourg?
Families tend to lean toward Pau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Pau or Strasbourg safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Where should expats move: Pau or Strasbourg?
For expats, Pau is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 34% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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