Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Chartres Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Chartres

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,985 per month in Toulouse vs $1,621 in Chartres, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,055 per month in Toulouse vs $2,438 in Chartres, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,126 per month in Toulouse vs $3,256 in Chartres, rent included.

Toulouse costs about 23% more than Chartres, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Toulouse and Chartres sit above the global median – Toulouse by 48%, Chartres by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.56

$17.13 €14.61

-0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.0

$56.0 €47.78

23.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 €10.87

$10.88 €9.28

17.19%

Cappuccino

$3.55 €3.02

$3.15 €2.69

12.70%

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

$2.63 €2.24

$2.96 €2.53

-11.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.94 €1.66

-10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 €6.72

$6.39 €5.45

23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$5.80 €4.95

0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.13 €0.96

26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.87

$1.75 €1.49

25.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.53

$2.34 €2.00

26.92%

Eggs

$4.14 €3.53

$4.05 €3.46

2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.95 €21.29

$22.69 €19.35

9.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.45 €12.32

$13.39 €11.42

7.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.27

$17.62 €15.03

1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €2.88

$3.77 €3.22

-10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 €2.51

$2.24 €1.91

31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 €2.71

$2.38 €2.03

33.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 €3.06

$3.19 €2.72

12.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.38

$1.90 €1.62

46.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 €2.79

$1.18 €1.01

177.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.13 €0.96

60.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.81

$0.69 €0.59

37.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 €12.82

$11.50 €9.81

30.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 €7.50

$7.19 €6.13

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.05 €3.45

$2.41 €2.06

68.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.61

$4.31 €3.68

-29.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.73 €1.47

22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 €54.3

$49.41 €42.15

28.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.61

$4.53 €3.86

-32.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.83 €1.56

-27.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 €34.77

$32.06 €27.34

27.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.06 €1.75

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

$37.1K €31.7K

$17.2K €14.6K

116.36%

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

$40.4K €34.4K

$25.1K €21.4K

60.84%

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

$187 €160

$197 €168

-5.08%

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

$22.43 €19.13

$21.77 €18.57

3.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.69 €30.45

$29.83 €25.44

19.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.01 €34.13

$29.10 €24.83

37.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.24 €22.38

$18.54 €15.81

41.53%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.72

$14.26 €12.17

-3.72%

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

$859 €733

$573 €489

49.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €15.5K

$8,508 €7,257

113.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 €106

$88.8 €75.7

39.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.74 €42.43

$37.29 €31.81

33.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 €110

$83.9 €71.6

53.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €140

$98.4 €84.0

66.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 €724

$781 €666

8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 €600

$493 €421

42.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 €1,329

$927 €791

68.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 €1,001

$803 €685

46.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,267 €5,346

$4,281 €3,652

46.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,593 €3,065

$3,025 €2,580

18.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,003 €2,562

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.69

0.54%

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

Last update for Toulouse: April 21, 2026

Last update for Chartres: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $849 in Toulouse versus $781 in Chartres. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Toulouse versus $56 in Chartres. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $408 vs $356 – making Chartres the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Chartres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toulouse costs about 23% more than Chartres, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,978 per month in Toulouse and $2,431 in Chartres. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chartres, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $859 per month in Toulouse and $573 in Chartres. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Toulouse, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chartres, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Toulouse at $1,985. In Chartres it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toulouse it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chartres costs $1,621 versus $1,985 in Toulouse. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chartres. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toulouse makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.