Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Bourges Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Bourges

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,009 in Toulouse versus $2,039 in Bourges.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,043 in Toulouse versus $3,074 in Bourges.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,077 in Toulouse versus $4,109 in Bourges.

Living in Toulouse costs roughly 2% less than in Bourges, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 49% above, Bourges 51% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.39 โ‚ฌ14.80
$17.27 โ‚ฌ14.70
0.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.5 โ‚ฌ59.1
$73.7 โ‚ฌ62.8
-5.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.96 โ‚ฌ11.03
$12.50 โ‚ฌ10.64
3.68%
Cappuccino
$3.40 โ‚ฌ2.89
$3.86 โ‚ฌ3.28
-11.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 โ‚ฌ2.23
$2.91 โ‚ฌ2.48
-9.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 โ‚ฌ1.48
$1.77 โ‚ฌ1.51
-1.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.96 โ‚ฌ6.77
$8.28 โ‚ฌ7.04
-3.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.77 โ‚ฌ4.91
$6.96 โ‚ฌ5.92
-17.10%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 โ‚ฌ1.21
$1.47 โ‚ฌ1.25
-3.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 โ‚ฌ1.79
$2.55 โ‚ฌ2.17
-17.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.15 โ‚ฌ2.68
$2.68 โ‚ฌ2.28
17.54%
Eggs
$4.16 โ‚ฌ3.54
$4.17 โ‚ฌ3.55
-0.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$25.31 โ‚ฌ21.54
$24.15 โ‚ฌ20.55
4.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.45 โ‚ฌ12.30
$15.86 โ‚ฌ13.50
-8.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.30 โ‚ฌ15.57
$25.31 โ‚ฌ21.54
-27.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 โ‚ฌ2.81
$2.72 โ‚ฌ2.31
21.69%
Banana (1kg)
$2.92 โ‚ฌ2.49
$2.57 โ‚ฌ2.18
13.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.18 โ‚ฌ2.70
$3.49 โ‚ฌ2.97
-8.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.49 โ‚ฌ2.97
$3.89 โ‚ฌ3.31
-10.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.71 โ‚ฌ2.31
$2.76 โ‚ฌ2.35
-1.81%
Onion (1kg)
$3.26 โ‚ฌ2.77
$2.79 โ‚ฌ2.38
16.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.84 โ‚ฌ1.56
$1.48 โ‚ฌ1.26
24.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 โ‚ฌ0.78
$0.87 โ‚ฌ0.74
4.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.99 โ‚ฌ12.76
$13.72 โ‚ฌ11.67
9.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.23 โ‚ฌ7.86
$8.38 โ‚ฌ7.13
10.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.91 โ‚ฌ3.32
$3.16 โ‚ฌ2.69
23.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 โ‚ฌ2.68
$3.13 โ‚ฌ2.67
0.64%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.10 โ‚ฌ1.79
$1.93 โ‚ฌ1.64
8.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.2 โ‚ฌ55.5
$49.60 โ‚ฌ42.21
31.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 โ‚ฌ2.59
$5.89 โ‚ฌ5.02
-48.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.39 โ‚ฌ1.18
$1.91 โ‚ฌ1.63
-27.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.43 โ‚ฌ35.26
$57.4 โ‚ฌ48.80
-27.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.00 โ‚ฌ1.70
$2.10 โ‚ฌ1.79
-4.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.1K โ‚ฌ31.6K
$37.7K โ‚ฌ32.1K
-1.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.9K โ‚ฌ33.1K
$37.9K โ‚ฌ32.3K
2.51%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 โ‚ฌ160
$284 โ‚ฌ242
-33.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.24 โ‚ฌ18.92
$22.27 โ‚ฌ18.95
-0.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.06 โ‚ฌ30.69
$37.15 โ‚ฌ31.61
-2.93%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.97 โ‚ฌ34.01
$38.25 โ‚ฌ32.55
4.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.25 โ‚ฌ22.34
$18.44 โ‚ฌ15.69
42.35%
Cinema Ticket
$14.05 โ‚ฌ11.95
$14.10 โ‚ฌ12.00
-0.35%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$851 โ‚ฌ724
$291 โ‚ฌ247
192.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K โ‚ฌ16.0K
$11.9K โ‚ฌ10.1K
57.94%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$124 โ‚ฌ106
$110 โ‚ฌ93.7
12.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.48 โ‚ฌ42.11
$49.93 โ‚ฌ42.49
-0.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$130 โ‚ฌ110
$123 โ‚ฌ104
5.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 โ‚ฌ136
$163 โ‚ฌ139
-2.02%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$879 โ‚ฌ748
$770 โ‚ฌ655
14.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$690 โ‚ฌ587
$606 โ‚ฌ516
13.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,577 โ‚ฌ1,342
$1,225 โ‚ฌ1,042
28.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,166 โ‚ฌ992
$1,105 โ‚ฌ940
5.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,291 โ‚ฌ5,354
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,529 โ‚ฌ3,003
$1,047 โ‚ฌ891
237.01%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Toulouse
Bourges
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,011 โ‚ฌ2,562
$2,993 โ‚ฌ2,547
0.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.71
3.76
-1.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Toulouse: April 13, 2026

Last update for Bourges: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $879 in Toulouse and $770 in Bourges. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69 in Toulouse vs $74 in Bourges for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $427 per month, with Toulouse 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
Toulouse vs Bourges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Toulouse or Bourges?
Toulouse wins on cost โ€“ living expenses run 2% lower than in Bourges. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toulouse the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Toulouse or Bourges?
Toulouse pays 1% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Toulouse vs Bourges?
Rent for a central apartment: $879 in Toulouse versus $770 in Bourges. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Toulouse vs Bourges?
Dining out is cheaper in Toulouse โ€“ a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $74.0 in Bourges. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Toulouse compared to Bourges?
All in, you'll spend $2,009 per month in Toulouse versus $2,039 in Bourges โ€“ a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Toulouse or Bourges?
At $2,009 in Toulouse versus $2,039 in Bourges, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Toulouse but tight or insufficient in Bourges. The gap between the two cities makes Toulouse the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Toulouse or Bourges?
Both work as nomad bases, but Toulouse delivers better value โ€“ similar infrastructure at $2,009 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Toulouse hard to pass up.
How safe is Toulouse compared to Bourges?
Safety-wise, Toulouse and Bourges are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Toulouse gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 2% less than in Bourges. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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