I Lived in Paris for Just $1,500 a Month — Including Rent, Transportation, and Food

Emily in Paris, I was not. My American-in-Paris experience lacked both the wardrobe and the French boyfriend. And my living quarters were a far cry from Emily’s apartment. My 120-square-foot studio had one window. The closet-turned-kitchen was outfitted with a portable stovetop, two cupboards, and a sink. The half fridge was in the living room, which tripled as a dining room (with a foldable table and chairs) and a bedroom (with a queen-size bunk bed). The bathroom, which didn’t have a proper door, a full wall, or a sink, was less than two feet from the couch. And I shared it all with my husband.

It was the sort of place you might book in your early twenties to save a buck, but it ended up being our home for 10 months. And as much as I struggled to feel comfortable there, it allowed me to live in Paris, an experience most people — Emily aside — can only dream of. 

I obtained a carte de sejour (residence permit) to study French at the Alliance Française. I went to school in the morning, worked in the afternoon and evening, and enjoyed life in Paris in between. I had recently started working as a freelance writer and editor, so I had plenty of flexibility, but not a lot of money. My husband, a longtime Francophile who already spoke French, was in a similar situation. 

Our budget was tight, but our small apartment helped us make it work. Here’s how I got by in Paris with just about $1,500 a month.

Accommodations

Cost: $595/month (total for two people: $1,190/month)

We knew if we were going to make it work, we’d need a super-affordable rental. Renting an apartment as a foreigner in France is complicated. Because tenants have so many rights, landlords almost always require a French guarantor. We didn’t have one, nor did we have the finances to work with an agency that specializes in getting rentals for foreigners. In the end, we booked a three-month Airbnb, then asked our landlord if they’d be willing to sign a short-term rental agreement that allowed us to rent the apartment on a month-to-month basis for the duration of our stay. They agreed.

The monthly rent for our 120-square-foot studio was $1,190, but my husband and I split everything, so my portion was $595 a month. It sounds cheap, but our French friends informed us we were paying more than the place was worth. At the time (in 2019), our friend was renting a spacious one-bedroom apartment for less than $1,000.

Transportation

Cost: $85/month

Apart from an occasional bike or scooter rental, I relied on public transportation. In 2019, an unlimited, one-month travel pass was $85 (now, it’s $94 a month). I took the train multiple times a day and occasionally rode the bus.

Food

Cost: $455/month, on average

As you can imagine, cooking at home in a foodie city like Paris takes some serious willpower. We started out strong, eating every meal at home, but by the end of our stay, we were having dinner out three to four times a week. Because of that, our food costs varied, but our average landed around $455 a month. 

Our favorite affordable Paris restaurants include pizza at Justine, breakfast at Holybelly, falafel sandwiches from L’As du Fallafel, and Bocamexa for Mexican food.

Sightseeing

Cost: $375/month, on average

I had already seen Paris’s pricier attractions, like the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, so I was able to save a lot by skipping them and doing things like picnicking at the park and visiting lesser-known, free museums. That said, when friends or family came into town, we inevitably did trips to Versailles and bought tickets to museums like Centre Pompidou. But most of the time, we lived like real Parisians — spending the weekends lounging in Buttes-Chaumont park, enjoying a drink on the Canal Saint-Martin or Seine, checking out street art, or window shopping in the city’s hidden passages.

In total, it cost me $1,510 a month, on average, to live in Paris. I should note that I didn’t factor in the cost of attending an intensive language school or traveling around Europe (I visited Prague, Stockholm, Lisbon, Barcelona, and several French cities.)

If you’re willing to stick around the city, eat (mostly) at home, and stay in compact lodging, you can have your own Emily in Paris-esque experience.