Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Strasbourg and Pau

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.

106

Cost of Living Index in Strasbourg
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Strasbourg Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Pau
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Pau Living Index

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Strasbourg

🇫🇷 France

$2,199

/mo nomad

Pau

🇫🇷 France

$1,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Strasbourg and in Pau

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

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

Strasbourg $2,199
Pau $1,452

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

Strasbourg $3,271
Pau $2,274

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

Strasbourg $4,343
Pau $3,097

Strasbourg costs about 51% more than Pau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 €15.01

$16.79 €15.04

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €61.9

$47.82 €42.85

44.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.15 €12.68

$11.37 €10.19

24.45%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.94

$3.83 €3.43

14.88%

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

$3.37 €3.02

$2.65 €2.37

27.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.11

$1.57 €1.41

50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 €7.12

$5.75 €5.16

38.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 €5.40

$3.85 €3.45

56.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.17

$1.14 €1.02

14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.74

$2.26 €2.02

-14.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$1.56 €1.40

80.13%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.96

$5.57 €4.99

-20.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.39 €29.92

$20.77 €18.61

60.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.15 €15.37

$11.81 €10.58

45.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.90 €18.72

$24.35 €21.82

-14.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$3.75 €3.36

-32.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.17 €1.94

15.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 €2.88

$2.06 €1.85

56.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 €3.25

$3.22 €2.88

12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.72 €1.54

27.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$2.21 €1.98

21.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.25 €1.12

8.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.66

$0.68 €0.61

7.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.58 €12.17

$12.75 €11.43

6.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 €8.10

$10.02 €8.98

-9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.87

$4.45 €3.99

-53.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.07

$5.65 €5.06

-19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.36 €1.21

57.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 €55.8

$34.00 €30.47

83.15%

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)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.03 €1.82

6.90%

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

$35.1K €31.5K

$34.0K €30.5K

3.20%

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

$38.1K €34.2K

$36.5K €32.7K

4.59%

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

$348 €312

$86.0 €77.0

304.99%

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

$18.23 €16.34

$30.75 €27.56

-40.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.16 €29.72

$32.92 €29.50

0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.69 €31.09

$41.89 €37.53

-17.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 €23.61

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 €13.24

$12.09 €10.83

22.17%

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

$1,062 €952

$394 €353

169.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K €14.0K

$4,474 €4,009

249.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.6

$111 €99.1

-8.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.10 €38.62

$34.19 €30.64

26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$90.2 €80.8

14.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €129

$90.0 €80.6

60.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €898

$740 €663

35.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 €662

$394 €353

87.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 €1,709

$1,076 €965

77.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,110

$691 €619

79.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 €4,936

$2,478 €2,220

122.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,168 €2,839

$2,000 €1,793

58.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,949 €2,643

$3,074 €2,755

-4.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

3.81

-1.31%

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

Last update for Strasbourg: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pau: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Strasbourg

$738 33.6%

Pau

$394 27.1% 46.7% $345

Groceries & Markets

Strasbourg

$433 19.7%

Pau

$389 26.8% 10% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Strasbourg

$400 18.2%

Pau

$150 10.3% 62.5% $250

Eating Out

Strasbourg

$304 13.8%

Pau

$268 18.4% 11.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Strasbourg

$176 8%

Pau

$146 10.1% 17% $30

Getting Around

Strasbourg

$85 3.9%

Pau

$39 * 2.7% 53.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Strasbourg

$64 2.9%

Pau

$66 4.6% 2.8% $1.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,002 in Strasbourg versus $740 in Pau. 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 $69 in Strasbourg versus $48 in Pau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $433 vs $389 – making Pau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Strasbourg

🇫🇷 Pau

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

Same time as Strasbourg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

291,313

77,066

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Strasbourg Pau 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Strasbourg
Pau

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

Strasbourg vs Pau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,199 in Strasbourg, $1,452 in Pau – Pau comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,299 per month in Strasbourg and $2,178 in Pau. 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 $1,002 in Strasbourg.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Strasbourg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Strasbourg and $48 in Pau. 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 Strasbourg at $2,199. In Pau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Strasbourg 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 34% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.