Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Montpellier

For one person, living is cheaper in Montpellier: $1,948 a month against $2,004 in Toulouse, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. The total is higher in Toulouse despite lower rent and utilities.

97

Cost of Living Index in Toulouse
Learn more

Toulouse Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Montpellier
Learn more

Montpellier Living Index

Jump to prices

Toulouse

🇫🇷 France

$2,004

/mo nomad

Montpellier

🇫🇷 France

$1,948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toulouse and in Montpellier

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,004 in Toulouse versus $1,948 in Montpellier.

Toulouse $2,004
Montpellier $1,948

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,072 in Toulouse versus $2,955 in Montpellier.

Toulouse $3,072
Montpellier $2,955

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,140 in Toulouse versus $3,962 in Montpellier.

Toulouse $4,140
Montpellier $3,962

Living in Toulouse is roughly 3% more expensive than in Montpellier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 47% above, Montpellier 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 €15.12

$16.70 €14.96

1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 €71.1

$72.1 €64.6

10.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 €12.04

$13.24 €11.86

1.51%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €4.03

$3.65 €3.27

23.29%

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

$3.95 €3.53

$3.05 €2.73

29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.64

$1.98 €1.77

48.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 €6.57

$5.75 €5.15

27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.15

$4.58 €4.10

49.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.35 €1.21

-1.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.83

$2.20 €1.97

-7.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.71 €2.43

-4.43%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.14

$3.72 €3.33

24.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.00 €20.60

$18.67 €16.72

23.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.66 €13.13

$13.81 €12.37

6.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.29 €19.07

$24.91 €22.31

-14.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €2.99

$2.87 €2.57

16.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.46 €2.20

5.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.85 €2.56

16.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.19

$3.92 €3.51

-8.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.22

$2.32 €2.08

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$2.98 €2.67

-6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.74 €1.56

-13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$0.63 €0.57

52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.91 €12.46

$14.24 €12.76

-2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 €7.88

$7.64 €6.84

15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.15

$3.65 €3.27

-3.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.74 €2.46

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.03 €1.81

8.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 €57.5

$2.08 €1.87

2985.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 €7.33

$5.04 €4.51

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.63 €1.46

42.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 €34.01

$33.42 €29.93

13.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.13 €1.91

4.69%

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

$35.2K €31.5K

$34.4K €30.8K

2.24%

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

$35.7K €31.9K

$39.0K €34.9K

-8.43%

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

$217 €195

$220 €197

-1.32%

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

$13.92 €12.47

$16.67 €14.93

-16.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €30.01

$32.14 €28.78

4.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.27 €31.59

$35.24 €31.56

0.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 €19.55

$14.08 €12.61

55.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 €11.85

$13.79 €12.35

-4.06%

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

$1,002 €897

$731 €655

37.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,903 €8,869

$13.2K €11.8K

-25.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €102

$89.0 €79.7

27.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €46.98

$63.8 €57.1

-17.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €105

$102 €91.5

15.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €148

$177 €159

-6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 €793

$847 €759

4.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 €601

$735 €659

-8.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 €1,349

$1,576 €1,411

-4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €1,007

$1,231 €1,103

-8.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 €5,320

$4,909 €4,396

21.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,403 €3,048

$3,599 €3,224

-5.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 €2,612

$2,777 €2,487

5.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.81

-0.52%

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

Last update for Toulouse: October 26, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toulouse

$672 33.5%

Montpellier

$735 37.8% 9.5% $64

Groceries & Markets

Toulouse

$405 20.2%

Montpellier

$388 19.9% 4.2% $17

Eating Out

Toulouse

$307 15.3%

Montpellier

$275 14.1% 10.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toulouse

$265 13.2%

Montpellier

$269 13.8% 1.6% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Toulouse

$202 10.1%

Montpellier

$194 10% 3.6% $7.2

Getting Around

Toulouse

$93 4.6%

Montpellier

$23 1.2% 74.8% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Toulouse

$62 3.1%

Montpellier

$63 3.2% 1.8% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Toulouse and $847 in Montpellier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 5% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Toulouse vs $72 in Montpellier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $388 per month, with Montpellier cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Toulouse

🇫🇷 Montpellier

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

Same time as Toulouse

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

504,078

302,454

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Toulouse Montpellier 200 km

From you

Toulouse
Montpellier

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

Toulouse vs Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpellier is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $885 in Toulouse versus $847 in Montpellier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 $72 versus $79 in Toulouse. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Montpellier gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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.