Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pau and Toulouse

For one person, living is cheaper in Pau: $1,452 a month against $2,004 in Toulouse, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Pau
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Pau Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Toulouse
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Toulouse Living Index

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Pau

🇫🇷 France

$1,452

/mo nomad

Toulouse

🇫🇷 France

$2,004

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pau and in Toulouse

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 Toulouse actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,452 per month in Pau vs $2,004 in Toulouse, rent included.

Pau $1,452
Toulouse $2,004

A couple spends around $2,274 per month in Pau vs $3,072 in Toulouse, rent included.

Pau $2,274
Toulouse $3,072

A family of three spends $3,097 per month in Pau vs $4,140 in Toulouse, rent included.

Pau $3,097
Toulouse $4,140

Pau is about 28% cheaper than Toulouse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pau and Toulouse sit above the global median – Pau by 7%, Toulouse by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 €15.03

$16.88 €15.12

-0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.82 €42.83

$79.4 €71.1

-39.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 €10.18

$13.44 €12.04

-15.40%

Cappuccino

$3.83 €3.43

$4.50 €4.03

-14.89%

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

$2.65 €2.37

$3.95 €3.53

-32.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.41

$2.95 €2.64

-46.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.15

$7.33 €6.57

-21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 €3.44

$6.86 €6.15

-43.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.33 €1.19

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €2.02

$2.04 €1.83

10.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.40

$2.59 €2.32

-39.77%

Eggs

$5.57 €4.99

$4.62 €4.14

20.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.77 €18.60

$23.00 €20.60

-9.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 €10.58

$14.66 €13.13

-19.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.35 €21.81

$21.29 €19.07

14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.35

$3.34 €2.99

12.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.59 €2.32

-16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$3.31 €2.97

-37.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.88

$3.57 €3.19

-9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.48 €2.22

-30.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.79 €2.50

-20.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.50 €1.34

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.61

$0.96 €0.86

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 €11.42

$13.91 €12.46

-8.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 €8.97

$8.80 €7.88

13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.45 €3.99

$3.51 €3.15

26.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €5.06

$3.43 €3.07

64.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.21 €1.98

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.00 €30.45

$64.2 €57.5

-47.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 €7.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 €34.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.82

$2.23 €2.00

-8.97%

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

$34.0K €30.5K

$35.2K €31.5K

-3.33%

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

$36.5K €32.7K

$35.7K €31.9K

2.22%

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

$86.0 €77.0

$217 €195

-60.41%

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

$30.75 €27.54

$13.92 €12.47

120.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.92 €29.48

$33.51 €30.01

-1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.89 €37.51

$35.27 €31.59

18.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 €19.55

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 €10.83

$13.23 €11.85

-8.62%

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

$394 €353

$1,002 €897

-60.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 €4,007

$9,903 €8,869

-54.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €99.1

$113 €102

-2.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 €30.62

$52.5 €46.98

-34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 €80.8

$117 €105

-23.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 €80.6

$165 €148

-45.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €663

$885 €793

-16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 €352

$672 €601

-41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €964

$1,507 €1,349

-28.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 €618

$1,124 €1,007

-38.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,478 €2,219

$5,940 €5,320

-58.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,000 €1,792

$3,403 €3,048

-41.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 €2,753

$2,916 €2,612

5.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.79

0.53%

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

Last update for Pau: October 24, 2026

Last update for Toulouse: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pau

$394 27.1%

Toulouse

$672 33.5% 70.7% $278

Groceries & Markets

Pau

$389 26.8%

Toulouse

$405 20.2% 4% $15

Eating Out

Pau

$268 18.4%

Toulouse

$307 15.3% 14.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pau

$150 10.3%

Toulouse

$265 13.2% 76.8% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Pau

$146 10.1%

Toulouse

$202 10.1% 37.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Pau

$66 4.6%

Toulouse

$62 3.1% 6.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Pau

$39 * 2.7%

Toulouse

$93 4.6% 136% $53

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 $885 in Toulouse. 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 5% 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 $79 in Toulouse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $405 – making Pau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Pau

🇫🇷 Toulouse

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

Same time as Pau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,066

504,078

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Pau vs Toulouse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,452 in Pau, $2,004 in Toulouse – Pau comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,178 per month in Pau and $3,007 in Toulouse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $740 there versus $885 in Toulouse.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Toulouse, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Pau and $79 in Toulouse. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pau, where all-in costs run around $1,452, than in Toulouse at $2,004. In Pau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toulouse it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Pau is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 28% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.