Cost of living

A sample monthly budget

Student room: 417 €
Food and meals: 200 €
Health insurance: 42 €
Amusements and recreation: 100 €
Miscellaneous: 100 €
Total: 859 €

You'll note that half of your monthly expenses go for your housing (the figure here is for a private apartment). The figures below should give you a good idea of what it costs to live in France from day to day.

Meals and food items

a meal at a university restaurant: €2.90
at a fast-food restaurant: €7
at a neighborhood café or restaurant: €10–20
a sandwich: €3–5
coffee: €1–2
bread: €0.80
croissant: €1
cheese: €2
6 eggs: €1.50
1 liter of milk: €1.20
1 kg of potatoes: €1.20
1 kg of rice: €1.90

Recreation and amusements

movie ticket (student rate): €6.80
museum admission: €5–10
theater ticket: €10–30
newspaper: €1.20
night in a mid-range hotel: €60
admission to public swimming pool: €2.50
DVD player: €50–150
MP3 player: €30–150

Transportation

monthly Paris transport pass: from approx. €65 (Paris proper) to approx. €115 (Paris plus suburbs)
round-trip ticket between Paris and Nice by high-speed train: approx. €150
1 liter of gasoline: approx. €1.60

Taking into account the many discounts for which students are eligible, the average monthly student budget is €1,000 in Paris and €800 elsewhere in the country.

Note: Indicative prices for various items are shown above. Prices for many items are lower outside Paris.

Source: Campus France