It’s the practical question that people moving to France need to ask themselves – from accommodation to transport, via grocery shopping and childcare, we take a look at the cost of living in France in 2026.
If you’re planning a move to France, you will need to consider whether you can realistically afford to live here.
With the obvious caveat that the cost of living varies dramatically depending on where you are (Paris, the Riviera and other coastal areas can be very expensive, rural areas are a lot cheaper), here’s a look at the price of life in France in 2026.
Income
If you’re moving to France to work as an employee, you will be covered by the country’s minimum wage – known as the SMIC. This is regularly revised, in January 2026 it rose to €1,443.11 per month, after tax (roughly €17,300 net per year).
French taxes and social charges can be quite high, so if you’re moving as an employee it’s always best to ask what the salary will be after taxes and other deductions.
The minimum wage level is also important for retirees and people intending to run their own business or work as a freelancer, as it is used as a guideline amount to show whether you can support yourself financially.
Certain types of visas – especially those for retirees – will ask for proof that you can support yourself financially while in France, which is calculated using the minimum wage. Likewise people who are intending to be self-employed need to show that they can earn at least the level of the minimum wage.
Housing
Perhaps the biggest regional difference in France is the cost of housing – while in rural France it’s possible to buy a house for a relatively cheap price, in the big cities it is a different story. Paris regularly tops world rankings for the most expensive rents.
Taking the rent on a one-bedroom apartment as an example, in Paris, the cost would be approximately €1,485 per month. According to property website SeLoger, as of January 2026, the average price per square metre is €33 in the capital. As a general rule, the central arrondissements are the most expensive, with prices falling as you go further from the centre, and then falling again once you cross the prériphérique into the Paris suburbs.
Meanwhile in Brittany, taking the capital Rennes as an example, the price per square metre is around €14, making the rent per month €630. It’s about the same price in Strasbourg in the Grand-Est region, with €15 per square metre, making rent at around €675.
Meanwhile, in Nice on the French Riviera, the average price per square metre is around €20, which would make rent for one-bedroom apartments around €900 a month – considerably more expensive than most other regions of France, but still not approaching Paris prices.
If you are looking to purchase an apartment, the average price per square metre in Paris is €9,569 versus €5,127 in Nice.
If, however, you are looking to buy a house in a rural area, it’s possible to find homes of 90 square metres or more for less than €100,000 (although many older properties are like to need renovation work).
Property taxes
If you are a tenant, you won’t need to pay any property taxes.
Meanwhile, if you buy a home in France, you will need to pay the property owners’ tax – taxe foncière – whether you live in the property or rent it out. The exact amount varies significantly depending on the area, local tax rates and the property’s value but the 2023 average was €1,200 per year. There are some income-based exemptions for older people.
The taxe d’habitation (residence tax) has been fully abolished for primary residences since 2023, so no one pays it for their main home anymore. However, it still applies to second-home owners, who pay it in addition to the taxe foncière. For a second homes, the average tax is roughly €1,000 per year, but it can be higher in cities facing housing shortages, where local authorities may apply a surcharge.
READ ALSO: Could you be exempt from paying France’s taxe foncière in 2026?
Transport
In Paris the Navigo card, which gives unlimited access to the Paris public transport system (Metro, bus, tram and train) costs €90.80 per month (versus €75.20 back in 2022), although you can also use pay-as-you-go travel passes such as the Liberté Plus, which allow you to save money by combining public transport use with walking or cycling.
In Bordeaux, prices are around €53 per month, and in Lyon €74. Meanwhile, public transport is fully free in Montpellier for all residents.
READ MORE: Why so many Americans are moving to Montpellier
If you’re outside the cities, you will almost certainly need a car – public transport is either patchy or non-existent in most of rural France.
On average, used cars in France cost around €20,000. Car insurance prices depend on factors like region, driver profile, vehicle type, and level of coverage chosen. According to recent data, the national average cost of car insurance is around €750 per year for a typical French driver, which is around €62 per month.
The current petrol/gasoline price in France is €1.66 per litre and for diesel it’s €1.72 per litre.
Meanwhile there are government financial aid schemes available for people who want to either buy or lease an electric vehicle. French has a generally good national network of EV charging points.
Healthcare
Once you have lived in France for three months, you are entitled to register in the public healthcare system – here’s how.
Once you are registered (and it can take several months), the state reimburses the majority of your costs for medical appointments, prescriptions and treatments. There is also the option to purchase top-up insurance known as a mutuelle, which (in most cases) will ensure that 100 percent of your medical costs are reimbursed.
For a person in France in 2026, a typical mutuelle plan usually costs around €30-€70 per month, with variations based on age and coverage level.
READ MORE: How to challenge increases in your 2026 French health insurance costs
Americans planning a move should note the introduction of a new healthcare fee that would mainly affect American retirees or people who have never worked in France – details here.
Groceries
According to the website Que Choisir – which combines data on average grocery store bundles across France – the national average for a panier (a basket of essential groceries) per month is €234 for a single person.
This price range, however, only includes big supermarkets like Leclerc, Auchan and Super U – smaller grocery stores or mini-supermarkets are usually more expensive, although France also has an excellent network of markets for essentials such as fruit and vegetables, cheese or meat.
READ ALSO: All you need to know about shopping at French food markets✎
Utilities
Energy prices are set nationally in France, and as of February 2026, the electricity cost per kilowatt for a regulated rate with the national energy provider (EDF) was €0.194 TTC. The average annual electricity bill for an average household is €1 106 per year for electricity alone (€92 per month).
Gas prices for households in 2026 are set around €0.098 – €0.13 per kWh TTC for heating and other uses. Households that rely on gas heating typically consume around 10 000 -12 000 kWh of gas per year, which equates to roughly €80 – €100 of monthly gas costs.
When you combine these two for a household that heats with gas but uses electricity for regular appliances, a reasonable average energy bill in 2026 can cost around €200 – €250 per month.
By contrast, for a household that is fully electric – heating, hot water, and cooking all on electricity – energy consumption (and therefore bills) tend to be higher. In those cases, monthly costs are easily around €220 – €300 per month. It all depends on home size and other factors like insulation. These prices are approximate and can also vary depending on what kind of contract you subscribe to.
In France, an average monthly internet bill is between €25 and €40 per month.
Childcare
After the age of three, children are required to attend pre-school (maternelle), which is free.
However, until your child reaches the age of three, you may need to pay for childcare – usually either a nanny, garderie (daycare) or a nursery, while working parents may also need to pay for after-school childcare.
The cost of a place in a nursery varies between €200 and €900 per month. The rate depends on each family’s situation. It is calculated directly based on your household income and the number of children.
Typically, if you earn between €2,000 and €3,000 per month, you will find yourself paying between €180 and €250 a month for full-time daycare at a crèche. If you earn between €2,000 and €4,000 you might the crèche will cost you between €250 and €400.
Families in France also benefit from state benefits. After your child is born, you may qualify for the prestation d’accueil du jeune enfant (Paje), which can be paid at the time of the birth (or adoption) of the child and until the child reaches the age of six, for families who demonstrate financial need. CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales de Paris) also offers assistance to low-income families with children.
Tuition fees
Universities in France, if they are state universities, are very reasonably priced, especially compared to the tuition you would pay in the United States or the United Kingdom.
French, EU, EEA, Andorran, and Swiss students pay the following tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year:
- €178 per year for a bachelor’s (licence) degree
- €254 per year for a master’s degree
- €628 per year in a school of engineering
- €397 per year for a doctorate
In addition, there are several cases in which you may pay these fees even if you are not a European student. For example, if you are a resident of Quebec or a long-term French resident, you might be entitled to lower tuition fees.
Those from outside the EU/EEA must pay €2,895 for a licence and €3,841 for a master’s degree. Meanwhile, private universities charge €6,000 to €18,000 per year, although those coming to France to study have extra financial requirements and must show that they can support themselves in order to get a student visa.
EXPLAINED: The difference between a French university and a ‘grande école’
