Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Saintes Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Saintes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,985 in Toulouse versus $1,743 in Saintes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,055 in Toulouse versus $2,581 in Saintes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,126 in Toulouse versus $3,420 in Saintes.

Living in Toulouse is roughly 14% more expensive than Saintes, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 48% above, Saintes 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.56

$17.66 €15.07

-3.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.0

$29.15 €24.87

137.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 €10.87

$9.38 €8.00

35.93%

Cappuccino

$3.55 €3.02

$3.49 €2.98

1.72%

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

$2.63 €2.24

$2.53 €2.16

3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.49 €1.27

16.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 €6.72

$4.72 €4.03

66.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$5.19 €4.43

12.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.09 €0.93

31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.87

$4.16 €3.54

-47.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.53

$3.53 €3.01

-15.86%

Eggs

$4.14 €3.53

$2.27 €1.94

82.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.95 €21.29

$22.70 €19.36

9.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.45 €12.32

$13.39 €11.42

7.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.27

$20.94 €17.86

-14.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €2.88

$3.04 €2.59

11.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 €2.51

$2.06 €1.75

42.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 €2.71

$2.08 €1.78

52.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 €3.06

$3.17 €2.70

12.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.38

$0.84 €0.72

232.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 €2.79

$1.81 €1.55

80.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.62 €1.38

11.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.81

$0.56 €0.48

69.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 €12.82

$12.80 €10.92

17.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 €7.50

$8.68 €7.41

1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.05 €3.45

$2.70 €2.30

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.61

$3.21 €2.74

-4.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.95 €1.67

8.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 €54.3

$49.52 €42.24

28.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 €2.61

$5.73 €4.89

-46.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.13

$2.52 €2.15

-47.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 €34.77

$36.99 €31.55

10.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.01 €1.72

2.49%

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

$37.1K €31.7K

$37.8K €32.3K

-1.78%

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

$40.4K €34.4K

$39.6K €33.7K

2.10%

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

$187 €160

$184 €157

1.66%

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

$22.43 €19.13

$11.43 €9.75

96.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.69 €30.45

$27.26 €23.25

30.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.01 €34.13

$38.31 €32.68

4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.24 €22.38

$18.21 €15.54

44.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.72

$10.50 €8.95

30.76%

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

$859 €733

$785 €670

9.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K €15.5K

$8,631 €7,362

110.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 €106

$46.54 €39.70

166.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.74 €42.43

$35.67 €30.42

39.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 €110

$68.8 €58.7

87.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €140

$114 €96.9

44.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 €724

$764 €652

11.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 €600

$625 €533

12.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 €1,329

$1,384 €1,181

12.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 €1,001

$1,081 €923

8.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,267 €5,346

$4,198 €3,581

49.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,593 €3,065

$3,389 €2,891

6.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,003 €2,562

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.62

2.49%

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

Last update for Toulouse: April 21, 2026

Last update for Saintes: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $849 in Toulouse and $764 in Saintes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Toulouse vs $29 in Saintes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $382 per month, with Saintes 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 Saintes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saintes wins on cost – living expenses run 14% 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 $2,978 in Toulouse and $2,614 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: $849 in Toulouse versus $764 in Saintes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,985 per month in Toulouse versus $1,743 in Saintes – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Saintes runs roughly 29% less than in Toulouse. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,743 in Saintes versus $1,985 in Toulouse, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saintes but tight or insufficient in Toulouse. The gap between the two cities makes Saintes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Saintes delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,743 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Saintes hard to pass up.

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 14% less than in Toulouse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.