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: $1,963 in Toulouse versus $1,983 in Montpellier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,077 in Toulouse versus $2,927 in Montpellier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,191 in Toulouse versus $3,871 in Montpellier.

Living in Toulouse costs roughly 1% less than in Montpellier, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 47% above, Montpellier 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €15.06

$17.30 €15.11

-0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €61.0

$58.6 €51.2

19.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 €11.24

$13.07 €11.42

-1.53%

Cappuccino

$3.57 €3.12

$3.67 €3.21

-2.72%

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

$2.69 €2.35

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.89 €1.66

-12.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.17 €7.14

$5.93 €5.18

37.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €4.95

$4.51 €3.94

25.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.42 €1.24

-0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.84

$3.14 €2.74

-33.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 €2.66

$2.62 €2.29

16.03%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.59

$4.23 €3.70

-3.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.25 €22.06

$18.64 €16.28

35.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.71 €12.85

$15.23 €13.31

-3.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 €15.69

$25.87 €22.60

-30.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.21 €2.80

1.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 €2.56

$2.24 €1.96

30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 €2.80

$2.52 €2.21

27.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 €3.08

$3.85 €3.36

-8.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.37 €2.07

18.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 €2.76

$2.65 €2.31

18.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.58 €1.38

15.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.56 €0.49

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 €12.81

$13.92 €12.17

5.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 €8.14

$8.19 €7.16

13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 €3.36

$3.05 €2.66

26.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.62

$3.96 €3.46

-24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.80 €1.57

12.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 €57.6

$17.70 €15.47

272.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 €2.56

$5.35 €4.68

-45.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.59 €1.39

-12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.03 €34.97

$33.49 €29.26

19.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.02 €1.76

4.46%

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

$37.6K €32.9K

$37.4K €32.6K

0.72%

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

$40.0K €35.0K

$38.5K €33.6K

3.93%

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

$190 €166

$189 €165

0.39%

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

$22.13 €19.34

$28.13 €24.57

-21.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.22 €31.65

$34.31 €29.98

5.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 €34.66

$38.30 €33.46

3.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 €23.20

$28.98 €25.32

-8.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 €12.30

$13.69 €11.96

2.85%

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

$871 €761

$779 €681

11.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K €16.0K

$8,217 €7,180

122.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €106

$102 €89.0

19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 €43.30

$44.38 €38.77

11.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €110

$107 €93.2

18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €144

$183 €160

-10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 €763

$850 €743

2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 €598

$765 €669

-10.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 €1,328

$1,384 €1,209

9.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 €1,028

$1,107 €967

6.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,501 €5,680

$5,115 €4,469

27.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,289 €2,874

$3,926 €3,430

-16.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,910 €2,543

$2,699 €2,358

7.83%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $874 in Toulouse and $850 in Montpellier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Toulouse vs $59.0 in Montpellier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $406 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

Toulouse is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Toulouse, 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: $874 in Toulouse versus $850 in Montpellier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Montpellier pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Toulouse – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $59.0 in Montpellier. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,963 in Toulouse versus $1,983 in Montpellier, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Toulouse but tight or insufficient in Montpellier. The gap between the two cities makes Toulouse the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Toulouse is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montpellier, 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 Toulouse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Montpellier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.