Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Saint-Etienne

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Etienne: $1,436 a month against $2,004 in Toulouse, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Toulouse
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Toulouse Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Etienne
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Saint-Etienne Living Index

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Toulouse

🇫🇷 France

$2,004

/mo nomad

Saint-Etienne

🇫🇷 France

$1,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toulouse and in Saint-Etienne

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 Saint-Etienne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,004 per month in Toulouse vs $1,436 in Saint-Etienne, rent included.

Toulouse $2,004
Saint-Etienne $1,436

A couple spends around $3,072 per month in Toulouse vs $2,264 in Saint-Etienne, rent included.

Toulouse $3,072
Saint-Etienne $2,264

A family of three spends $4,140 per month in Toulouse vs $3,092 in Saint-Etienne, rent included.

Toulouse $4,140
Saint-Etienne $3,092

Toulouse costs about 40% more than Saint-Etienne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Toulouse and Saint-Etienne sit above the global median – Toulouse by 47%, Saint-Etienne by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 €15.16

$16.56 €14.88

1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 €71.4

$56.7 €50.9

40.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 €12.08

$13.54 €12.16

-0.74%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €4.04

$2.07 €1.86

117.39%

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

$3.95 €3.55

$3.42 €3.07

15.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.65

$1.70 €1.53

73.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 €6.59

$5.07 €4.55

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.16

$5.75 €5.16

19.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.20

$1.29 €1.15

3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.84

$1.10 €0.99

85.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.09 €1.88

23.92%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.15

$3.05 €2.74

51.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.00 €20.66

$17.01 €15.28

35.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.66 €13.17

$11.17 €10.03

31.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.29 €19.13

$16.35 €14.68

30.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €3.00

$3.27 €2.94

2.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$2.54 €2.28

1.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$2.45 €2.20

35.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.20

$2.71 €2.43

31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.23

$1.57 €1.41

57.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$1.73 €1.55

61.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.10 €0.99

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.87

$2.30 €2.07

-58.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.91 €12.50

$12.15 €10.91

14.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 €7.90

$10.14 €9.11

-13.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.16

$3.32 €2.99

5.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.26 €2.93

5.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.81 €1.62

22.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 €57.7

$39.87 €35.82

60.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 €7.36

$2.83 €2.54

189.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 €34.11

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €2.01

$2.11 €1.89

5.69%

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

$35.2K €31.6K

$20.1K €18.0K

75.26%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$32.0K €28.7K

11.54%

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

$217 €195

$164 €148

32.15%

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

$13.92 €12.51

$29.01 €26.06

-52.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €30.10

$19.04 €17.11

76.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.27 €31.69

$29.86 €26.82

18.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 €19.61

$6.61 €5.94

230.26%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 €11.88

$9.89 €8.88

33.77%

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

$1,002 €900

$996 €894

0.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,903 €8,896

$15.8K €14.2K

-37.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €102

$72.1 €64.8

57.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €47.12

$30.47 €27.37

72.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €106

$103 €92.3

14.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €148

$151 €135

9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 €795

$515 €463

71.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 €603

$370 €332

81.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 €1,353

$873 €785

72.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €1,010

$716 €643

56.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 €5,336

$1,677 €1,506

254.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,403 €3,057

$1,619 €1,454

110.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 €2,620

$2,255 €2,026

29.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.67

3.27%

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

Last update for Toulouse: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint-Etienne: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toulouse

$672 33.5%

Saint-Etienne

$370 25.8% 44.9% $302

Groceries & Markets

Toulouse

$405 20.2%

Saint-Etienne

$339 23.6% 16.3% $66

Eating Out

Toulouse

$307 15.3%

Saint-Etienne

$255 17.8% 16.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toulouse

$265 13.2%

Saint-Etienne

$212 14.8% 19.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Toulouse

$202 10.1%

Saint-Etienne

$160 11.2% 20.6% $42

Getting Around

Toulouse

$93 4.6%

Saint-Etienne

$50 * 3.5% 46.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Toulouse

$62 3.1%

Saint-Etienne

$50 3.5% 19.6% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Toulouse versus $515 in Saint-Etienne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Toulouse, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Toulouse versus $57 in Saint-Etienne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $339 – making Saint-Etienne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Toulouse

🇫🇷 Saint-Etienne

🕒 Local time

18:49 6:49 PM

Same time as Toulouse

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

504,078

172,718

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Toulouse Saint-Etienne 310 km

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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 Saint-Etienne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toulouse is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,007 per month in Toulouse and $2,154 in Saint-Etienne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint-Etienne, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $515 there versus $885 in Toulouse.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Saint-Etienne. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,002 per month in Toulouse and $996 in Saint-Etienne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Toulouse has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,436 in Saint-Etienne to $2,004 in Toulouse. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Saint-Etienne. 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.