What Are The Costs of Living in Paris? List of Expenses Examples

How much does Paris cost? How much to expect to pay for a restaurant or a coffee? Like a lot of capital cities, Paris is slightly more expensive (+13%) to live in than the rest of the country. We made a study for this article to give you as many examples as possible of the daily expenses to expect when you come to Paris.

 

Housing

Hotels

The prices you will see below are obviously variable according to the periods but also according to the geographic location and the category of the hotel. Therefore, you will have an average price of the “classic” double room.

• Average price of cheap hotels (1 and 2 stars): less than €100/night
• Average price of mid-range hotels (3 and 4 stars): from €100 to 250/night
• Average price of luxury hotels: more than €250/night
• Overall average price of hotels: €145/night

However, the hotels often lower their prices during the weekends and the summer because there are fewer businessmen.

The average price of a place in a dormitory in a youth hostel is approximately of €22/night (the minimum price is about €16 and the maximum price is about €30 but rarer).

 

Apartments

If you want to purchase, the average price of an apartment per square meter is approximately (classified from the most expensive to the cheapest district):

• from the 1st to the 8th district: €13,859
• the 9th, 11th, 15th, 16th, and 17th districts: €11,934
• the 10th, 13th, 14th, 18th, and 20th districts: €10,751
• the 12th and 19th districts: €10,243.50
• overall average price: €12,239.20

If you want to rent, the average price of an apartment per square meter is approximately (classified from the most expensive to the cheapest district):

• from the 1st to the 7th district: €39.57
• the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 16th, and 17th districts: €36.28
• the 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 19th and 20th districts: €32.33
• overall average price: €36.25

 

Catering

Restaurants

If you want to have lunch or dinner in a Parisian restaurant, your choice will depend on your purse. Here is an average of what you will spend to taste a meal in Paris, at the restaurant (starter – main course – dessert).

• small budgets: less than €30/person
• moderate budgets: between €30 and €90/person
• large budgets: more than €90/person

To eat on the run, the average price of a McDonald’s is €8, the sandwich stores have an average price of €5.8 and Burger King of €11.

 

Cafés / Bars

Need to relax after work or to simply take a drink with a friend?

The average price of a pint of a draft beer would approximately be 8, the average price of a small bottle of water would be €2.10, €3.50 for a Coke, €3.55 a cappuccino and €1.60 a coffee.

 

Salaries

In 2022 the minimum wage for an employee working full-time (35h) was €1,269  net per month.

The average salary in France is €2,448/month. Executives earned €4,072, intermediate professions earned €2,254, employees €1,612, laborers €1,686.

Source: INSEE

 

Day-to-day Shopping

Clothes / Shoes

Designer jeans: €87
Summer dress: €35
Designer sports shoes: €85
Leather shoes: €120
Designer woman’s winter jacket: €70

 

Others

Shopping (average price of a trolley per week and for four people): €145
Cigarettes: €7.5
Hairdresser: from €22 except for major retailers and €28 for major retailers for a basic haircut.
GP: €32 the consultation
Perfume: depends on the brand and the size of the bottle; the price will vary from less than €50 to more than €200.

 

Transportation

Regarding transport services, the region Île-de-France is divided into five zones (Paris is zone 1) that will change the price. If you stay in the same zone or if you travel from one to another, the price will change. But be careful because if you travel from zone 1 to 3, the price will not be the same as if you travel from zone 2 to 4. Moreover, the ticket you buy will be valid in the buses, the RER, the metro, the Tram and SNCF (except for the “Ticket+” which will not be valid for SNCF and is €1.90).

To travel unlimited for one day and in the five zones, the ticket costs €7.50.

If you live in Paris, it is better if you take a subscription in order to move more easily. The week ticket is valid in the five zones and costs €22.80, and the year ticket costs €75.20 per month. However, if you are a student, the year ticket costs €350 or approximately €29 per month.

If you are a tourist and you want to visit Paris, the ticket “Paris Visite” will allow you to travel unlimited during 1, 2, 3 or 5 days long in the five zones from €13.20.

Beware: the prices indicated above are valid at the moment when the article is written, in 2017. The RATP, which is managing the public transport in Île-de-France, is likely to increase the prices every year.

Regarding the taxis of Paris, the average price for 1km is approximately €1.30 for an average of €38 per hour, the minimum fare will cost €7.

For a fare to airports, there are special prices. If you are on the right bank, it will cost you €35 to go to Orly and 50€ to Charles de Gaulle. If you are on the left bank, it will cost you €30 to go to Orly and €55 to Charles de Gaulle.

 

Culture

Cinema

In Paris, the average price of screening is €10 for a seat in a basic cinema (except the price of a 3D movie).

 

Museums

Louvre Museum: if you spend €15, you will be able to visit the museum and its exhibitions throughout the year. Except for the people under 18, for people between 18 and 25 and living in Europe, for the teachers, for artists belonging to The International Association of Art, for members of ICOM and ICOMOS (The International Council of Museums), for job-seekers with minimum allowances and for disabled people and their guide. Those people will have free access to the museum upon the presentation of evidence. Likewise, some nocturnal visits will be free for people under 26.

Grévin Museum: if you want to take a selfie with Michael Jackson, Elizabeth II, Barack Obama or Léonard de Vinci, you will have to spend €22.50 if you are over 16, €17.50 if you are between 5 and 15, but you can walk in freely if you are under 5. Nonetheless, with the web exclusiveness, you can have a reduction.

Musée d’Histoire Naturelle: paleontology, botanical, anthropology or mineralogy lover? This multi-faceted museum will open its doors to different prices depending on which gallery you are going to visit. The reduced or full rate will change from €5 to €14, but some galleries are free for children under 4.

Centre Pompidou: passionate about modern or contemporary art? The Centre Pompidou opens the doors to the museum and exhibitions for €14, or €11 if you are under 26. If you want to visit the museum only, it will cost €12.

Orsay Museum: it has the world’s biggest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings. To walk in this museum, you will have to pay €12 for the full price, €9 from 4:30 pm (except on Thursday, daytime) and €9 for the nocturnal on Thursdays from 6:00 pm. It will be free of charge people under 18, for primary and secondary school teachers, disabled people and their guide, and for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.

 

Landmarks

Eiffel Tower: the ultimate symbol of France. To climb this tower, the full price is from €7 to €17 depending on your motivation (“with or without the elevator?”), the reduced price (people between 12 and 24) is from €5 to €14.50, and from €4 to €8 for children between 4 and 11, disabled people and job-seekers.

Sacré Coeur Basilica: after climbing up the Butte Montmartre, your reward will be free access to the basilica. However, access to the Dome and the Crypt is charged. From €2 to €5 for children between 4 and 16 depending on the rate and from 3€ to 8€ for adults.

Notre Dame de Paris: the access to the Cathedral that inspired Victor Hugo is free of charge, but if you hope to see Quasimodo while climbing up the stairs of the towers, you will first have to lighten your purse of €10, probably because of Frollo.

Saint-Denis Basilica: the Necropolis of the Kings will welcome you for €9 as a full price, but free of charge for people under 18, people living in the EU and between 18 and 25, disabled people and their guide, job-seekers and teachers.

Arc de Triomphe: to observe frieze, sculptures and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier located under this historical monument, it is free of charge. Nevertheless, if you want to see a breathtaking view on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, the full price is €12, but it is free of charge for people under 18, people living in the EU and between 18 and 25, disabled people and their guide.

 

Musicals / Cabarets

Moulin Rouge: this world-recognized cabaret offers you different prices varying with the date, the time of the show but also if you take a VIP seat. Thus you can see prices that go from €95 to €420. Prepare for Cancan!

Théâtre Mogador: the price will change according to the seat and the show.

Opéra Garnier: beware of the Phantom and come and admire the works of the greatest composers for a price that can reach approximately €260 for an opera, approximately €160 for ballet, and €120 for another concert or recital, still according to the date and seat.

Trianon: Parisian theatre located at the base of the Butte Montmartre, come and see a play or a concert in which the price will change depending on the seat and the show.*

 

And now that you know how much the city costs, check this article on the best times of the year to visit Paris