Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Montpellier Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Montpellier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,026 in Toulouse versus $1,960 in Montpellier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,037 in Toulouse versus $2,922 in Montpellier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,047 in Toulouse versus $3,884 in Montpellier.

Living in Toulouse is roughly 3% more expensive than Montpellier, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 51% above, Montpellier 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.72

$17.30 €14.90

-1.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €60.1

$56.9 €48.97

22.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.61 €10.86

$13.07 €11.25

-3.52%

Cappuccino

$3.53 €3.04

$3.72 €3.21

-5.11%

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

$2.65 €2.28

$2.72 €2.34

-2.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.91 €1.64

-11.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 €6.95

$5.92 €5.10

36.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.07

$4.50 €3.87

30.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.36 €1.17

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.98 €2.57

-27.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.62 €2.26

14.89%

Eggs

$4.28 €3.68

$4.19 €3.60

2.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.17 €21.67

$19.08 €16.43

31.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.29 €12.30

$15.47 €13.32

-7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.42 €15.86

$26.43 €22.76

-30.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 €2.84

$3.17 €2.73

4.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 €2.62

$2.29 €1.97

32.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 €2.83

$2.48 €2.14

32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 €3.06

$3.87 €3.33

-8.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.38

$2.36 €2.03

16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 €2.77

$2.65 €2.28

21.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.58 €1.36

16.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.58 €0.50

55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.96 €12.88

$14.04 €12.09

6.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 €7.79

$8.12 €7.00

11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 €3.48

$3.12 €2.68

29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.64

$3.80 €3.27

-19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.81 €1.56

18.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 €54.7

$17.41 €14.99

264.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 €2.66

$5.08 €4.38

-39.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.59 €1.37

-13.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.99 €35.30

$33.35 €28.72

22.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.03 €1.75

2.46%

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

$37.8K €32.5K

$37.5K €32.3K

0.82%

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

$40.2K €34.6K

$38.0K €32.8K

5.65%

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

$193 €166

$190 €164

1.40%

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

$22.68 €19.53

$28.11 €24.20

-19.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 €31.45

$35.06 €30.19

4.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.88 €34.34

$38.36 €33.04

3.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.71 €23.00

$29.35 €25.28

-8.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 €12.09

$14.15 €12.18

-0.78%

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

$864 €744

$770 €663

12.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K €16.2K

$8,169 €7,034

130.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 €108

$103 €88.5

21.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 €42.32

$44.46 €38.29

10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 €111

$108 €93.0

19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €142

$178 €153

-7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 €758

$836 €720

5.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 €600

$752 €648

-7.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 €1,324

$1,363 €1,174

12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 €1,016

$1,115 €960

5.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,362 €5,478

$5,167 €4,449

23.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,307 €2,847

$4,116 €3,545

-19.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,994 €2,578

$2,784 €2,397

7.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.64

1.92%

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

Last update for Toulouse: June 1, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Toulouse and $836 in Montpellier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 8% 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: $70.0 in Toulouse vs $57.0 in Montpellier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $408 per month, with Montpellier 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 Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Toulouse pays 8% more on average, 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: $880 in Toulouse versus $836 in Montpellier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Toulouse. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Montpellier – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $70.0 in Toulouse. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,960 in Montpellier versus $2,026 in Toulouse, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Montpellier but tight or insufficient in Toulouse. The gap between the two cities makes Montpellier the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montpellier is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Toulouse, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Toulouse and Montpellier are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Montpellier gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Toulouse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.