Cost of Living · US vs FR
🇺🇸 New York vs 🇫🇷 Paris: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,410 in United States vs $1,761 in France — 26.93% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in France
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -29.89%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -29.89%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -29.89%
Closest to United States prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -9.47%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -9.62%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -9.64%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United States | France | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,750 | $1,227 (1,134 EUR) | -29.89% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,400 | $982 (907 EUR) | -29.89% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $3,200 | $2,244 (2,073 EUR) | -29.89% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.00 | $13.62 (13 EUR) | -24.33% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $75.00 | $56.74 (52 EUR) | -24.35% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $11.00 | $8.54 (8 EUR) | -22.36% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.10 | $0.90 (1 EUR) | -18.18% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.20 | $2.61 (2 EUR) | -18.44% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.40 | $2.78 (3 EUR) | -18.24% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $10.00 | $8.16 (8 EUR) | -18.4% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $4.00 | $3.27 (3 EUR) | -18.25% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.80 | $3.92 (4 EUR) | -18.33% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $12.00 | $9.80 (9 EUR) | -18.33% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $2.00 | $1.63 (2 EUR) | -18.5% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $6.00 | $4.54 (4 EUR) | -24.33% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $8.00 | $7.23 (7 EUR) | -9.62% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $5.00 | $3.78 (3 EUR) | -24.4% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.30 | $1.88 (2 EUR) | -18.26% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $65.00 | $50.44 (47 EUR) | -22.4% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.75 | $2.13 (2 EUR) | -22.55% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $4.00 | $3.03 (3 EUR) | -24.25% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.80 | $1.36 (1 EUR) | -24.44% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.95 | $0.86 (1 EUR) | -9.47% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $200 | $155 (143 EUR) | -22.4% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $70.00 | $54.32 (50 EUR) | -22.4% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $45.00 | $34.92 (32 EUR) | -22.4% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $50.00 | $37.83 (35 EUR) | -24.34% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $14.00 | $10.59 (10 EUR) | -24.36% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $30.00 | $22.70 (21 EUR) | -24.33% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $55.00 | $49.69 (46 EUR) | -9.65% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $90.00 | $81.32 (75 EUR) | -9.64% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $250 | $189 (175 EUR) | -24.34% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is France than United States?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,761 in France versus $2,410 in United States — 26.93% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in France?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $4.54 in France (≈ 4.19 EUR), versus about $6.00 in United States.
- How much is rent in France compared to United States?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,227/month in France versus $1,750/month in United States (-29.89%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.