Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Saintes

For one person, living is cheaper in Saintes: $1,872 a month against $2,004 in Toulouse, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Toulouse
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Toulouse Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Saintes
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Saintes Living Index

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Toulouse

🇫🇷 France

$2,004

/mo nomad

Saintes

🇫🇷 France

$1,872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toulouse and in Saintes

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 Saintes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,004 in Toulouse versus $1,872 in Saintes.

Toulouse $2,004
Saintes $1,872

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,072 in Toulouse versus $2,858 in Saintes.

Toulouse $3,072
Saintes $2,858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,140 in Toulouse versus $3,843 in Saintes.

Toulouse $4,140
Saintes $3,843

Living in Toulouse is roughly 7% more expensive than in Saintes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 47% above, Saintes 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 €15.17

$22.58 €20.29

-25.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 €71.4

$68.3 €61.4

16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 €12.08

$6.52 €5.86

106.13%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €4.04

$3.69 €3.31

21.95%

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

$3.95 €3.55

$2.71 €2.44

45.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.65

$1.35 €1.21

118.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 €6.59

$7.35 €6.60

-0.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.17

$4.62 €4.15

48.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.20

$1.04 €0.93

27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.84

$1.85 €1.66

10.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.88 €1.69

37.77%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.15

$2.26 €2.03

104.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.00 €20.66

$23.82 €21.41

-3.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.66 €13.17

$11.79 €10.59

24.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.29 €19.13

$17.67 €15.88

20.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €3.00

$4.20 €3.77

-20.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$3.71 €3.33

-30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.97

$1.94 €1.74

70.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.20

$5.14 €4.62

-30.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.23

$0.76 €0.68

226.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$1.20 €1.07

132.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.71 €1.53

-12.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.87

$0.34 €0.31

182.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.91 €12.50

$14.46 €12.99

-3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 €7.91

$12.93 €11.62

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.16

$2.39 €2.15

46.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.08

$2.36 €2.12

45.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.86 €1.67

18.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 €57.7

$44.18 €39.69

45.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 €7.36

$4.37 €3.93

87.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.10

$2.31 €2.08

0.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 €34.12

$33.94 €30.49

11.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €2.01

$1.94 €1.74

14.95%

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

$35.2K €31.6K

$36.5K €32.8K

-3.52%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$38.1K €34.2K

-6.26%

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

$217 €195

$134 €120

62.02%

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

$13.92 €12.51

$11.13 €10.00

25.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €30.11

$33.75 €30.33

-0.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.27 €31.69

$35.92 €32.27

-1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 €19.62

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 €11.89

$9.91 €8.91

33.50%

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

$1,002 €900

$849 €762

18.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,903 €8,897

$10.9K €9,791

-9.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €102

$109 €97.9

4.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €47.13

$38.98 €35.02

34.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €106

$108 €97.0

8.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €148

$150 €134

10.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 €796

$691 €621

28.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 €603

$717 €644

-6.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 €1,354

$1,441 €1,295

4.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €1,010

$1,179 €1,060

-4.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 €5,337

$3,571 €3,209

66.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,403 €3,058

$3,323 €2,986

2.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 €2,620

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

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

Last update for Toulouse: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saintes: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toulouse

$672 33.5%

Saintes

$717 38.3% 6.8% $46

Groceries & Markets

Toulouse

$405 20.2%

Saintes

$364 19.4% 10.1% $41

Eating Out

Toulouse

$307 15.3%

Saintes

$307 16.4% 0.2% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toulouse

$265 13.2%

Saintes

$179 9.6% 32.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Toulouse

$202 10.1%

Saintes

$183 9.8% 9.5% $19

Getting Around

Toulouse

$93 4.6%

Saintes

$68 3.6% 27.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Toulouse

$62 3.1%

Saintes

$56 3% 9.7% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Toulouse and $691 in Saintes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79 in Toulouse vs $68 in Saintes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $364 per month, with Saintes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Toulouse

🇫🇷 Saintes

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Toulouse

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

504,078

25,518

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Toulouse Saintes 290 km

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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 Saintes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saintes wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Toulouse. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Saintes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,007 in Toulouse and $2,808 in Saintes to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Toulouse versus $691 in Saintes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,004 per month in Toulouse versus $1,872 in Saintes – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Saintes runs roughly 31% less than in Toulouse. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Toulouse and Saintes 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 Saintes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Toulouse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.