How Much Does It Cost to Spend a Month in Paris?

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How Much Does It Cost to Spend a Month in Paris?

Posted on March 19, 2013 in travel tips

Montmartre, Paris

Well, it’s that time again. I’ve tallied up my spending from Paris and I’m here to share my monthly budget. This “monthly” budget actually represents just under a month’s worth of expenses (as I was away on business for the first few days of the month), but it should still give you a good jumping off point for budgeting your own City of Light adventures. As usual, if you want some more details and notes, just hop down below the numbers.

	Euros	Dollars
Tiny top-floor studio apartment with shared toilet in the hall via Airbnb	837.23	$1093.00
Taxis + metro tickets	73.10	$95.76
Wine	33.36	$43.70
Train to Calais to catch the ferry to the UK	45.00	$58.95
Groceries	213.13	$279.20
Eating out	127.11	$166.51
Haircut	35	$45.85
Entertainment and museums	100	$131
Misc.	137	$179.47
ATM & exchange fees		$25

Total Euros: 1,562.93 / Total Dollars: $2,118.44

NOTES:

I keep track of expenses by keeping receipts (and, occasionally jotting things down if I am somewhere that doesn’t give receipts – like a farmer’s market). Some of my Parisian receipts were a little confusing when I sat down to write out my expenses, so I’ve included those items under the Miscellaneous category. At least one of those receipts was for Luna’s food and several were for coffees.

My accommodations were about as cheap as you can find if you want a private space. But if you are willing to share space, there were lots of furnished rooms available at a much lower price point (I saw nice offerings for as low as 600 euro).

I have chosen not to include ATM and exchange fees in the Euro portion of the breakdown above since presumably Europeans would either travel with euros and/or have an account with a bank that could be found in Paris.

Finally, keep in mind that: A) I am running my business while traveling, so your budget is likely to be higher if you are exploring Paris 24-7; B) my favorite things to do are eating (which is why my monthly food budgets tend to run a little high, particularly in a wonderful foodie paradise like Paris) and walking/hiking (which is why my entertainment and transportation costs often run low).

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8 comments:

Rebeca says:

March 19, 2013 at 11:25 am

Wow did not know you could catch a ferry to the UK from Paris that is awesome and here I thought you would have to catch a flight. Thanks for the info. on that.
Rebeca recently posted…Epiphany

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- gigigriffis says:
  
  March 19, 2013 at 11:53 am
  
  Actually the ferry is from Calais, but it’s not far from Paris by train (about 1.5 hours).
  
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Lauren says:

March 19, 2013 at 3:39 pm

YOU ONLY SPENT $44 ON WINE? Is it because it’s like 50 cents there?
Lauren recently posted…Spring Clean Your Life

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- gigigriffis says:
  
  March 19, 2013 at 4:24 pm
  
  Ha! Yes, wine is incredibly cheap in France (which I love). But keep in mind that the miscellaneous category might house a wine receipt that I couldn’t decipher.
  
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Sarah Li Cain says:

March 20, 2013 at 2:05 pm

Thanks for the breakdown! I have a feeling I’d be spending a lot more money on food, being the *ahem* glutton that I am lol.

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- gigigriffis says:
  
  March 20, 2013 at 2:14 pm
  
  I hear that! My first time in Paris, food was a larger portion of my budget, as I only had five days and wanted to experience everything. This time I was a bit more relaxed, only really having one major dinner out – in part because it was winter and I get sluggish in winter and in part because I fully expect to be back in Paris soon eating wonderful cuisine again. Love it there.
  
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Traveling is Not as Expensive as You Think | the ramble says:

March 21, 2013 at 7:27 am

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April 19, 2013 at 3:04 am

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