Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe, NM and Montpellier

For one person, living is cheaper in Montpellier: $1,948 a month against $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe, NM
Learn more

Santa Fe, NM Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Montpellier
Learn more

Montpellier Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Montpellier

🇫🇷 France

$1,948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Fe, NM and in Montpellier

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM versus $1,948 in Montpellier.

Santa Fe, NM $2,868
Montpellier $1,948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,964 in Santa Fe, NM versus $2,955 in Montpellier.

Santa Fe, NM $3,964
Montpellier $2,955

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,059 in Santa Fe, NM versus $3,962 in Montpellier.

Santa Fe, NM $5,059
Montpellier $3,962

Living in Santa Fe, NM is roughly 47% more expensive than in Montpellier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Fe, NM 111% above, Montpellier 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 $16.79

$16.70 €14.96

0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$72.1 €64.6

-6.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 $10.05

$13.24 €11.86

-24.09%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.65 €3.27

40.55%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$3.05 €2.73

-6.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.98 €1.77

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.75 €5.15

6.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$4.58 €4.10

55.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.35 €1.21

-30.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.20 €1.97

42.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.71 €2.43

69.00%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.72 €3.33

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$18.67 €16.72

-37.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.72 $9.72

$13.81 €12.37

-29.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$24.91 €22.31

-31.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.87 €2.57

64.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.46 €2.20

-39.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.85 €2.56

34.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.92 €3.51

9.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.32 €2.08

40.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.98 €2.67

-31.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.74 €1.56

14.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.63 €0.57

285.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$14.24 €12.76

-24.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 $16.16

$7.64 €6.84

111.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.65 €3.27

-41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.74 €2.46

35.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.03 €1.81

-49.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.97 $19.97

$2.08 €1.87

860.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 $3.66

$5.04 €4.51

-27.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.63 €1.46

20.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.25 $32.25

$33.42 €29.93

-3.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.13 €1.91

-52.11%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$34.4K €30.8K

-23.00%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$39.0K €34.9K

-34.20%

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

$159 $159

$220 €197

-27.74%

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

$45.35 $45.35

$16.67 €14.93

172.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$32.14 €28.78

128.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 $69.7

$35.24 €31.56

97.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 €12.61

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 $13.16

$13.79 €12.35

-4.57%

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

$1,344 $1,344

$731 €655

83.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K $15.5K

$13.2K €11.8K

17.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$89.0 €79.7

-37.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 $42.87

$63.8 €57.1

-32.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$102 €91.5

-23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$177 €159

-32.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 $2,172

$847 €759

156.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,652 $1,652

$735 €659

124.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,059 $3,059

$1,576 €1,411

94.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 $2,387

$1,231 €1,103

93.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,231 $6,231

$4,909 €4,396

26.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 $3,826

$3,599 €3,224

6.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,927 $3,927

$2,777 €2,487

41.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

3.81

72.44%

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

Last update for Santa Fe, NM: October 24, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Fe, NM

$1.7K 57.6%

Montpellier

$735 37.8% 55.5% $916

Groceries & Markets

Santa Fe, NM

$381 13.3%

Montpellier

$388 19.9% 1.8% $6.7

Eating Out

Santa Fe, NM

$292 10.2%

Montpellier

$275 14.1% 5.6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Fe, NM

$278 9.7%

Montpellier

$269 13.8% 3.2% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Fe, NM

$133 4.6%

Montpellier

$194 10% 46.1% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Fe, NM

$96 3.4%

Montpellier

$63 3.2% 34.5% $33

Getting Around

Santa Fe, NM

$38 1.3%

Montpellier

$23 1.2% 37.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM and $847 in Montpellier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe, NM pays 41% 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: $67 in Santa Fe, NM vs $72 in Montpellier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $388 per month, with Santa Fe, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM

🇫🇷 Montpellier

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

19:24 7:24 PM

8 h ahead of Santa Fe, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,505

302,454

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Fe, NM Montpellier 8,700 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Fe, NM
Montpellier

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

Santa Fe, NM vs Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Santa Fe, NM, 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: $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM versus $847 in Montpellier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,344 in Santa Fe, NM versus $731 in Montpellier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Fe, NM – a meal for two runs $67 versus $72 in Montpellier. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,948 in Montpellier versus $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montpellier but tight or insufficient in Santa Fe, NM. The gap between the two cities makes Montpellier the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Montpellier wins on affordability, Santa Fe, NM on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.