Paris, How much do you cost Me?

Compared to many other destinations, Paris is expensive.

As the capital of France and one of the most iconic and renowned cities in Europe, world’s heart of high fashion and coveted destination for romantic getaways and cultural trips alike, it’s no wonder for Paris to be pricier than many other places.

Can you still travel relatively low-cost to Paris though? Good news: yes, you can!  

In the following guide I’ll show you how. First, I will go through the different categories of expenses you’re likely to face (travel, accomodation, moving around, dining and attractions) and put numbers on the alternatives you face for each of them.

Secondly, I will share with you what I paid for my 5-nights trip to Paris, for you to have an idea.

Enjoy:)

Let’s Go Budgeting!

1. Travel Cost to Paris

Paris, with its three airports, is one of the main air crossroads in Europe. From here depart and leave daily flights directed to all major routes around the world.

The largest airport used for international flights is Charles de Gaulle, which is the home-base of the French airline flag-ship Airfrance. In addition to that, we have Paris Orly which is the home base of the low-cost Transavia France and Paris-Beauvais, which is the airport used mainly by Ryanair.

Depending on where you live, coming to Paris might dent your budget in different ways. Still, due to the massive air traffic the city’s airports handle every day, you should find flying to Paris cheaper than most destinations located within comparable distances.

Personally, I paid 55 Euro for a trip go-and-back from Milan (going with Airfrance, back with Ryanair), luggage included; plus 23,70 Euro to move from airports to Paris Zone 1.

Moving from the airports to the city center costs:

• Paris Charles de Gaulle – City Center – 10,70 Euro (RER + Metro – 45 min)
• Paris Orly – City Center – 10,70 (RER + Metro – 30 min)
• Paris Beauvais – City Center – 13 Euro (Shuttle Bus – 80 minutes)

If you want to have a good estimation about how much your flight will cost you, be sure to have a look on Skyscanner, the best website/app for flights comparison (imho) and hunting good deals in real time.

Also, don’t forget to check my article Top 15 Essential Apps for Smart Travelling to find out all my favourite travel apps for planning faster, smoother and cheaper.

2. Accommodation cost in Paris

Accommodation will likely be the most expensive dent in your Parisienne Trip Budget.

As a tourist, you want to stay within the Paris Round Road (the circular road that delimitates Zone 1 of the Metro) or in its nearest proximities. This will save you a lot of time, the money of crossing from one zone to the other every day and of course, it’ll make your whole Paris experience more authentic and stress-free.

The thing is, as most people seek that convenience, prices within the city center are quite high. Following, I briefly analyze the three accommodation alternatives Paris has to offer (hotel, hostel, and Airbnb), the price ranges, and tell you which one I’ve chosen and why.

If you would like to get a real-time estimation for your dates, I suggest you check Airbnb, Booking, or read the article  Top 15 Essential Apps for Smart Travelling which will help you find the best deals!

Resorts / Hotels / Hostels

The standard quality of hotels in Paris is high, and of course, it comes with a price. If you plan to eat out every day, hotels offer comfort and can be convenient (often breakfast is an included tasty addition which will save you the cost of a meal per day).

Following are example price ranges for a double room (2 persons) in different hotel categories in Paris. Consider that prices of accommodation in the city don’t fluctuate much through the year (due to constant demand year-round).

• 1 STAR  Hotels: 60 – 120 Euro/night

• 2 STARS Hotels: 80 – 160 Euro/night

• 3 STARS Hotels: 100 – 190 Euro/night

• 4 STARS Hotels: 200 – 400 Euro/night

• 5 STARS Hotels: 400+ Euro/night

Of course, you can be lucky and find better deals, but those are the prices…not exactly low cost as you can see.

If you’re planning to stay in a hotel, I would suggest you to have a look at Booking (the cheapest and most popular reservation platform for Hotels) on the or Hotel Tonight (for last minutes, same days offers).

Hostels

If you’re travelling alone, the cost of a room in a hotel and not sharing it with anyone might be even more expensive for you. So why don’t try an hostel and perhaps meet up some people to share your Paris holiday with? 

Hostels in Paris are not many and not cheap as in many other European cities; but there are some and they are ok-priced, offering fair quality. I would suggest you to refer to Hostelworld for checking availability and prices on your dates. 

Prices for a bed in a dorm range between 20 – 40 Euro, making hostels the cheapest accomodation alternative in Paris when travelling solo (without considering Coachsurfing which is free).

Airbnb

Airbnb in Paris is a huge deal! If you open the webite and check the map of available flats within the city center and close suburbs, you’ll probably see one of the most dense Airbnb Maps you’ve ever seen.

Prices within Zone 1 range between 80-120 Euro for fully-equipped spacious flats, but can go as low as 40-50 for a two-people flat.

Given the comfort of having a full apartment all for yourself and the convenience of having a kitchen which comes in handy you’d decide you want to eat at home (and which may also save you quiet some money), Airbnb are definitely an alternative to take into consideration when visiting Paris.

The drawback though, is that to find good Airbnb deals you’ll have to book more in advance compared to hotel/hostels as the best deals normally run out quickly.

Personally, as I was travelling with my girlfriend and we both LOVE cooking, I decided to go for an Airbnb (this one); I booked a month in advance and payed 472 Euro for 5 Nights (which is 236 Euro per person, or 47 Euro/Night per person; definitely a good price given all the comforts).

Also if you’re travelling with friends or in a small group, I believe Airbnb to be the go-to option (always when you have time to plan in advance!).

3. Transportation Costs in Paris

If you already read my previous article Paris: Hotspots Map and Guide to Public Transport you know already everything about how to move around Paris (travel times, costs, options, etc.). If not, I suggest you do it and refer to that article as a comprehensive and detailed guide about transportations in Paris.

In this section, I will only tell you about my experience.

As explained in detail in the previous article, walking combined with the metro is all you need to visit Paris. It is fast, cheap, healthy, sustainable and it lets you discover the magic of the city at a slow pace.

The price for the metro go as follow:

• Ticket t+ -1,90 Euro (for metro, bus, Noctilien, and RER within Zone 1 – probably the only tickets you’ll need)
• Carnet of 10 Tickets t+ – 16,90 Euro (suggested to buy on your first day in Paris)

As for my experience, I found myself normally taking an average of 3-4 Metro a day (walking between 8-15km a day). In total for 5 days in Paris, 34 Euro (18,80 Euro in t+ tickets + 15,20 for an RER Regional Train Ticket to Disneyland and back).

Overall, public transportation in Paris is reliable, fast, accessible, and can bring you easily anywhere. As also said in my previous article, I would definitely recommend planning your visit just considering walking, metro, bus, and eventually the Velib (bike sharing).

4. Cost of Food and Drinks in Paris

French cuisine is regarded worldwide as one most varied and tasty in the world (after the Italian one of course 😉 ) and Paris, being the capital of France, is a city where food culture can’t more developed. But what about the dining prices?

Food

In Paris there are numerous high-end restaurants, really more than you can count. Here the prices are quiet high and can easily reach the 100 Euro for a 3-course meal. 

Truth is though, that food is incredibly damn tasty also in common, less-touristic restaurants, where you can have super dining experiences paying a fraction of that price. For a GREAT two-people meal in an inexpensive restaurant (away from tourist traps) you can expect to pay 25-30 Euro. Note: it is hard to find a bad restaurant in Paris center 😉

Big city street food is available everywhere (pizza, kebabs, baguettes etc.) and, if you’re looking for a fast meal on the run between an hotspot and the other, expect to pay between 4 – 8 Euro.

If you (like us) love cooking and plan to rent an Airbnb, cooking by yourself can further decrease your food price up to 4-5 Euro/meal (supermarkets are cheap). In the night normally we opted to eat home (as we were coming home destroyed after hours of visiting/walking).

NOTE: Water is safe to drink and tastes good. Personally, I would suggest you to avoid buying plastic bottles and just bring a water bottle that you can refill over and over.

DRINKS

Bye beer, hello wine! 

As surprising (or unsurprising) as it may sound, in Paris prices for alcoholic drinks tend to be dramatically conditioned by the local tradition and taste; wine is much, MUCH cheaper than beer (so cheap that I – a 100% beer lover – also switched to wine!). 

If you’re interested in saving on alcohol, just stick with wine. In most restaurants you can get a big glass of wine or 2-3 Euro; in supermarkets for that price you can get a bottle and wait… that’s still going to be awesome French wine!

Indeed, as in Italy, also in France it’s true that buying a bottle of wine there, will get you the same quality that you may pay 3x times (or more) outside of the country! A low-cost wine in France, is generally an excellently fine wine anywhere else!

In restaurant just ask for the house wine and normally it’ll be a great bargain (less than 8-10 Euro for a good bottle). A pint of beer instead, will likely cost you 5-8 Euro (the cheapest I found in universitary bar was 4,50!) and couple of Euros in supermarkets.

5. Attractions Costs in Paris

Culture, culture and culture! No mountains, no beaches, no sports; the reason why the vast majority of people is visiting Paris is because of its HUGE cultural heritage: art, architecture, history.

Following, I thought of leaving you a price table for all the entrance prices to museums/attractions you might be interested in visiting. Note that the prices are for adults on a normal day; under 18, EU under 26, disables and elders normally enjoy between 50-100% of discount. Once a month, museums are also free for everyone.

For more info about prices, ticket discounts, opening times and tips on when to visit the main attractions/museums of Paris, be sure to check out Paris: the Best 12 Places you Need to See.

Entrance Fees to Museums/Attractions (Adult)

• Louvre Museum – 15 Euro
• Louvre Museum Online Ticket – 17 Euro
• Musee D’Orsay – 14 Euro 
• Musee de l’Orangerie – 6,50 Euro
• Centre Pompidou – 14 Euro
• Tour Eiffel Top Floor (lift) – 25,90 Euro
• Tour Eiffel Top Floor (Stairs) – 19,70 Euro
• Tour Eiffel 2nd Floor (lift) – 16,60 Euro
• Tour Eiffel 2nd Floor (stairs) – 10,40 Euro
• Getting a Portrait in Montmartre – 30-60 Euro
• Basilica of the Sacred Heart – Free
• Mouling Rouge Show – 89 – 410 Euro
• Disneyland Paris Entrance – 50 – 100 Euro
• Atelier des Lumieres – 15 Euro
• Pantheon – 11,50
• Arc de Triomphe (Top) – 13 Euro
• Museum of the Art Forains – 16 Euro
• Conciergerie – 9 Euro Catacombs – 14 Euro
• Versailles Passport – 20 – 27 Euro
• Versailles Only Palace – 18 Euro

Overall – My Experience

Accommodation and attractions in Paris are quite expensive, transportation is relatively cheap. Reaching Paris by plane is more convenient than many other cities while the amount you’re going to spend on food, of course, depends on where and what you’re going to eat (but it’s possible to save a lot of money by cooking yourself or enjoying street food!).

For a 5-days getaway with my girlfriend, these were the expenses I met.

• 78,70 Euro –  Flight (from Milan, includes Trolley and Airport Transfers)
• 236,00 Euro – Accommodation  (Airbnb Flat at Place d’Italie)
• 34,00 Euro – Transportation (Metro + RER to Disneyland)
• 107,50 – Dining (most nights we chilled cooking home and watching Netflix)
• 130,00 Euro – Attractions (Louvre, Orsay, Catacombs, Disneyland, Portrait etc.)

Total of 586,20 Euro/person for 5 Days. Not bad at all!

Although not brutally cheap, Paris is a city that offers alternatives for everybody (also for relatively low-budget travels). The art, the beauty, the emotion and feeling of the city are something incredibly valuable that deserves to be lived at least once in a lifetime. The culture and magic you find in Paris are surely worth more than any money you’ll pay for it.

Conclusion

If you found this article useful, let me know in the comments below (and also if you have suggestions to improve it!).

I am trying to create this guides to help others plan their trip easily and straightforwardly without having to jump 300 web-pages looking for all the detailed information (like I normally have to do sigh!), so any suggestion/help to make them clearer is always more than welcome! 🙂

Also, if you’re onto planning an upcoming journey, I would suggest you check out my article Top 15 Essential Apps for Smart Travelling, where I share my favourite money-saving apps that can help you find the best deals for accommodation, food, transportation and attractions (and overall make your life much easier!).

Thanks for reading 🙂