Cost of living in Paris – what to budget for in 2026

• The minimum wage (SMIC) is €1,867.02 gross a month for a full-time job of 35 hours a week, about €1,477.93 net before income tax, according to Service-Public in 2026.
• French salaries are discussed gross (brut). Social contributions are deducted to give the net salary, and income tax is then withheld at source. Ask employers for the gross annual salary and estimate your net pay before you compare offers.
• Several residence routes use salary thresholds, for example the talent card for qualified employees (€39,582 gross a year in 2026); see talent card.

The Paris rent observatory OLAP publishes the most reliable figures for unfurnished private rentals. On 1 January 2025:

• The average rent in Paris was €26.3 per m² a month excluding charges, or €1,307 a month for an average home of 50 m².
• Tenants who had recently moved in, which is what you will pay as a newcomer, paid on average €28.3 per m²: about €32.3 per m² for one-room homes, €27.9 for two rooms and €27.2 for three rooms.
• In the inner suburbs (petite couronne: Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne), the average was €19.1 per m², or €996 for 52 m².
• Rents of recent movers in Paris rose by 4.4% during 2024.

As an illustration based on these averages, a 25 m² one-room flat at €32.3 per m² comes to about €810 a month excluding charges, and a 40 m² two-room flat at €27.9 per m² to about €1,120. Furnished flats are not included in these figures.

Add service charges (charges) for the building, a deposit of up to one month's rent (unfurnished) or two months (furnished), and possibly capped agency fees. Paris applies rent control: the base rent may not exceed the increased reference rent for that type of home, and you can check a lease with the official simulator. See finding a flat in Paris and tenant rights in Paris.

• No housing tax on your main home: the taxe d'habitation on main residences was abolished from 1 January 2023. It still applies to second homes.
• Home insurance is compulsory for tenants, at least for fire, water damage and explosion. Prices depend on the insurer and the flat; compare several offers. See home insurance in France.
• Housing aid from the CAF can reduce the rent, depending on your income, rent and household; international students can also apply. See housing aid from the CAF.

Electricity is often not included in the rent. The regulated electricity tariff (tarif réglementé de vente, TRVE) stayed almost unchanged on 1 February 2026 (-0.83% on average). The energy regulator CRE gives an example of a household using 4.5 MWh a year: its bill on the regulated tariff is about €1,042 a year including taxes. A small studio uses much less. Several suppliers offer market contracts; compare them neutrally. See electricity and internet in France.

Fares in Île-de-France from 1 January 2026:

• Navigo Mois (monthly pass, all zones): €90.80; Navigo Semaine (weekly): €32.40; Navigo Annuel: €998.80.
• Single metro-train-RER ticket: €2.55; bus-tram ticket: €2.05; with the pay-as-you-go Navigo Liberté+, €2.04 and €1.64.
• Imagine R for students: €393.30 a year.

If you are employed, your employer must refund at least 50% of your pass, so a monthly Navigo effectively costs you about €45.40. Cycling is another low-cost option; see public transport in Paris and cycling in Paris.

Once you are registered with Assurance Maladie, much of your care is reimbursed, but not all of it:

• A GP visit in the main sector costs €30. If you have declared a regular doctor (médecin traitant), Assurance Maladie reimburses €19; without one, only €8.40 (2026). A fixed €2 contribution per consultation is never reimbursed.
• The rest is usually covered by complementary health insurance (mutuelle). Private employers must offer a collective plan and pay at least half of its cost. If you are not employed, you buy a plan yourself; prices vary by age and level of cover. See complementary health insurance in France.

• Tuition at public universities for 2026-2027: €178 a year for a bachelor's degree and €255 for a master's for EU students; non-EU students starting a programme usually pay €2,902 (bachelor's) and €3,950 (master's), unless exempted.
• The student and campus life contribution (CVEC) is €105 for 2026-2027, with exemptions for scholarship holders and refugees, among others.
• For a student visa, France requires proof of at least €877.50 a month in resources for applications from 1 August 2026, a useful lower bound for a student budget.

See studying in France.

A simple way to estimate your monthly budget in Paris:

1. Housing: rent plus charges, using the OLAP figures for recent movers and the size you need, plus home insurance and energy.
2. Transport: half of a Navigo Mois if your employer refunds it, otherwise the full price.
3. Health: your share of a complementary health plan.
4. Food, phone, internet and leisure: check current prices yourself in supermarkets, markets and operators' sites; they vary widely.
5. One-off costs: deposit, agency fees, furniture, residence permit fees (for example €300 or €100 to validate a long-stay visa in 2026) and a buffer for the first months, when your bank account and refunds are not yet in place.