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Cost of living in Paris for international students
It's no surprise to anyone: Paris is the most expensive city in France, and that spares no one, including students. Coming to study at the Sorbonne or in the great schools of the capital has a price. It represents a significant budget, mainly because of the rents, which are the highest in France, but also because of the cost of daily life in Paris in general: food, clothing, and leisure activities in the capital cost Dear.
What is the budget for a student in Paris?
According to the UNEF student union, studying in the capital would cost more than 1,200 euros per month. A trend that is not going down. In 2020, while the increase nationally was measured at 3.69%, that of Paris reached 12%. A (very slight) drop will however be observed in 2021, probably due to the health situation which is paralyzing part of the economy.
The rent represents the most important item of expenditure: the student finds it difficult to find accommodation below 800 euros per month. In Paris, it is the small apartments that are experiencing the most significant increases. However, it is these not very spacious accommodations that students are looking for in priority.
In terms of public transport (metro, tram, bus, etc.), Paris and its region represent an annual budget of around 350 euros. The students deplore to the authorities and the RATP an insufficient policy in this area. In comparison, they take the example of Toulouse, where the cost of transport barely exceeds 100 euros per year despite it being one of the major university towns in France.
How to calculate a student budget?
To calculate a student budget, we often plan on rent alone, while we must also take into account day-to-day expenses, which are not negligible. It is therefore necessary to combine the expenses related to transport, food, health, leisure, and of course, those which are inherent to studies and student life: the cost of registrations, the payment of the CVEC, purchase of equipment and supplies, etc.
The largest part of the budget is student accommodation. In addition to the rent, you have to count the home insurance, which is compulsory for all accommodation and rarely exceeds a hundred euros for a year. If you use a real estate agency to search for a rental, you will also have to take into account costs which can amount to up to 300 euros. Electricity, gas and internet subscriptions should also be included.
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Other elements that must be taken into account in the student budget are transport costs, whether it is public transport subscriptions or the car, its gasoline and its maintenance. It is also necessary to include the costs of food, clothing, hygiene (raised these days by the health situation), and of course those of leisure, the latter often serving as an adjustment variable.
On the academic level, registration fees, the CVEC and supplies constitute the back-to-school budget. It must be associated with the costs of installation in the accommodation (security deposit, home insurance, subscription costs, etc.), the annual transport subscription, etc. We therefore realize that September is a painful month for student finances.
To sweeten the note, it is necessary to find out about student grants and the various financial aid offered by the State and local authorities (the APL, in particular). Do not hesitate to consult the CAF website and the government student services website, which provides more information on aid. Do not hesitate either to brandish the student card, a sesame for some reductions which are always welcome.
Where to live in Paris when you are a student?
Studapart offers a very large number of apartments and student accommodation in Paris and its region. The choice depends on the budget you wish to devote to accommodation, but it is good to know the Parisian districts popular with students.
The Latin quarter
The Latin Quarter is the student district par excellence. Located on the Left Bank of the Seine (the quietest), straddling the fifth and sixth arrondissements, it is the district of the Sorbonne, the Grandes Ecoles and the universities. We therefore inevitably come across many students, teachers and researchers.
Life in the Latin Quarter is very rich and lively. We go to bars, cafes, cinemas, bookshops. We walk the typical streets like rue Mouffetard, one of the oldest in the capital. Take advantage of the sunny days in the Jardin du Luxembourg or the Jardin des Plantes.
Too bad that accommodation in this area is so expensive. In addition, student residences are taken over. This is often the other side of the coin of these nice neighborhoods.
The Bastille / République district
The Place de la République and Bastille district also vibrates to the rhythm of student life. Located on the Right Bank (the most dynamic), extending from the third arrondissement to the tenth and eleventh, there are bars, restaurants and life drags on very late at night.
The place is located between the Canal Saint-Martin and the Marais, two dynamic and trendy neighborhoods that inevitably attract young people. The accommodations have the merit of being close to schools and universities and of being cheaper than around the Sorbonne. The area is also well served by public transport.
Cost of student living: Paris, the most expensive city
Every year, the UNEF, Union Nationale des Etudiants de France, publishes a ranking of cities according to the cost of student living. And every year, it is Paris that is well ahead with the same regularity as its football team in the Ligue 1 championship.
According to the report published in August 2021, continuing your studies in the capital costs an average of 1276.69 euros per month, roughly the equivalent of a net minimum wage. This remains a very high total, even if the cost of living in Paris would have fallen by 1.54% between 2020 and 2021. Paris would also be the only city in France to observe this drop.
The average monthly rent in the capital is 850 euros. Despite some government measures put in place to regulate rent increases, this remains a very high rent for a student's budget.
The cities that follow Paris in the ranking of municipalities that cost students the most are Nanterre, Créteil, Champs-de-Marne, Saint-Denis… that is to say the outer suburbs. The Île-de-France region is therefore the most expensive in France. If the rents are slightly lower, the cost of transport becomes an important part of the budget.
It is interesting to read in this ranking that the cheapest student rents in France are in Le Mans (352 euros) and that Limoges is the cheapest city (793.24 euros) for a student in terms of daily life. (housing but also transport, food, health, leisure, etc.).
Studapart offers a large number of apartments for rent in Paris and the Paris region: empty or furnished accommodation, rental or shared accommodation, in the hyper-centre or in the inner suburbs. You will probably find the student accommodation that fits your budget there.