Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and France

Name: France
Address: FR

For one person, living is cheaper in France: $1,962 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in France
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France Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇫🇷 France

$1,962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in France

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,962 in France.

United States $2,734
France $1,962

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $2,999 in France.

United States $3,985
France $2,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $4,037 in France.

United States $5,235
France $4,037

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $1,181–$2,732 in France. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 39% more expensive than in France on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, France 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$16.74 €15.00

19.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$66.4 €59.5

20.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$13.62 €12.20

-13.36%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.95 €3.54

40.51%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$3.42 €3.06

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.06 €1.85

5.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$6.88 €6.17

-11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$5.46 €4.90

45.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.31 €1.18

-20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.03 €1.82

76.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.58 €2.31

75.19%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.34 €3.89

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$19.75 €17.70

-33.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$13.45 €12.05

-6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$21.73 €19.47

-19.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.04 €2.72

74.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.29 €2.05

-26.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.90 €2.60

53.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.55 €3.18

34.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.19 €1.96

35.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.39 €2.15

31.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.58 €1.42

39.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.81 €0.73

190.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$13.70 €12.28

-19.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.05 €7.22

86.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.66 €2.38

-22.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.05 €2.73

24.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.07 €1.86

-6.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$59.6 €53.4

-0.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$5.05 €4.52

-29.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.09 €1.87

-10.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$36.96 €33.12

-19.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.11 €1.89

-51.66%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$35.2K €31.5K

-18.25%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$37.3K €33.5K

-29.80%

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

$218 $218

$220 €197

-0.78%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$19.75 €17.70

216.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$34.36 €30.79

116.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$35.58 €31.88

17.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$20.37 €18.25

11.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$13.47 €12.07

9.13%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$898 €804

65.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$12.3K €11.0K

105.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$101 €90.8

-46.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$45.51 €40.78

-6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$105 €94.5

-10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$139 €124

-18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$877 €786

89.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$703 €630

91.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,556 €1,395

72.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$1,248 €1,118

73.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$5,494 €4,923

-40.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$3,778 €3,386

-34.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$2,716 €2,434

58.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.78

73.28%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for France: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

France

$703 35.8% 47.9% $645

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

France

$374 19.1% 10% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

France

$274 14% 22.8% $81

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

France

$289 14.8% 11.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

France

$176 9% 28.3% $39

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

France

$83 4.3% 4% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

France

$63 3.2% 12.3% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $810 in France. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $1,622 in Paris.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $2,718 in France. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 100% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 17% more in the United States.

Public transport is 24% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 67% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇫🇷 France

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

04:43 4:43 AM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

68,373,433

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

United States France 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs France: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,962 per month in France and $2,734 in the United States, France comes out about 28% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in France: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $810 in France. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In France, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: France wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.