Studying and living costs in France

High tuition fees and living costs are usually the number one reason why students don’t study abroad. However, there are tons of misconceptions about the real cost of living and how to realistically pay for your study in France. You need to know first that French universities are among the cheapest universities to study abroad.

After we went into details of universities, accommodation, types of scholarships as well as master’s studies in France, our article today will be about living in general for international students in France.

Obviously, the French government supports university education. And they consider it everyone’s right, regardless of whether the student is French or not. Therefore, the cost of study per hour is somewhat low, along with some annual university fees which are minimal compared to the rest of Europe. However, they vary according to the specialty, the type of university, as well as the academic degrees the student intend to earn.

Tuition fees in France for international students

Basically, bachelor’s degree fees reach 200 euros in public universities. On the other hand, in the same universities, they range from 400 to 600 euros for medicine and engineering degrees. While it ranges between 300 and 400 euros for master’s and doctoral degrees, depending on the chosen major.

Moreover, universities that offer business management programs for all degrees are mostly private. Basically, the annual fees range between 4,500 and over 6,000 euros annually. Lastly, Grandes écoles in France set their own fees which can cost about 500 to 600 euros but in some case can go up to 10,000 euro a year.

Other study costs in France

To study in France, health insurance is compulsory for international students. Basically, the cost of health insurance reaches 50 euros, depending on the type of insurance chosen by the student, and that is monthly. Moreover, apart from tuition fees, students also need to pay a contribution of 91 euros to student and campus life.

In addition to another 50 euros a month for books and other office materials. Furthermore, this value can increase depending on the specialty of the student studies. As an illustration, for medical and engineering students, the cost of their educational materials may reach 100 euros per month.

Cost of living: How much money does a student need in France?

As a matter of fact, the cost of living for any person anywhere depends on the nature of the lifestyle they have or are accustomed to. For international students, the cost of living in France depends, in addition to the above, on the city or region in which they settle in.

For instance, including the cost of accommodation in Paris, the student needs about 1,800 euros per month. And this can increase or decreases according to the lifestyle and place of residence. As an illustration, if the student chooses to live in the university’s student dormitories, it may go down to 1,200 euros per month.

Moreover, student cost of living in Nice reaches a maximum of 1,400 euros per month. In fairly affordable cities such as Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon or Toulouse, this may decrease to up to 1,000 euros per month. In the remaining cities, on a monthly basis, students can manage to keep up with as little as 650 euros.

Living cost details in France for students

The cost of living in France for students consists of accommodation rent, transportation, and food cost. For the student housing, you can read our article on the subject. 

Food cost in France

Basically, a student needs about 300 euros for food and other groceries every month in Paris. On the other hand, he requires 250 euros for the same goods in Nice, Toulouse and Lyon, and 200 euros in other cities, every month.

French restaurants in Paris and major French cities raise the monthly rate of student expenses to double if they are visited on a daily basis. While self-service restaurants increase them by an average of 50 euros per month.

On the other hand, in the French cities, there areinternational restaurants that provide meals at reasonable prices. Hence, luxuryrestaurants should be avoided because they are very expensive.

Transportation cost

If the student chooses to live outside the university residences, the cost of transportation depends on the mean of transportation used.

Calculating the average daily use, the student needs between 30 and 50 euros per month for buses or subway, depending on the distance. While he needs 200 euros per month for taxis.

As for the trains, the cost of the trip ranges between 20 and 30 euros, depending on the distance.

Furthermore, there are weekly, monthly, and yearly subscriptions for buses and subways. Their cost ranges between 15 and 35 euros a month. Besides, a student can get a discount for such means of transportation for those under the age of 25 years.

At last, we hope that we manage to highlight all the studying and living costs of international students in France.

We are very keen to meet you soon in the following article “Customs and traditions of French society”.