The cost of living on the French Riviera (Cote d'Azur)
Our team has prepared an article-excursion into the basic costs to be faced everyone who is planning a holiday or a life on the French Riviera. We reviewed the main items of expenditure:
- Housing
- Food
- Transport
- Communal payments
- Total
How much does life on the Cote d'Azur cost: rental of property
Apartment rent on the Cote d'Azur costs from 450 euros per month for a studio of 15 sq.m. This is the base price for optimum comfort. Living space of 40 sq.m. costs 800-1500 euros, depending on the location, the presence of balconies, terraces, views and prestige of the area. Increased comfort and additional privileges as the sea view, proximity to downtown and the waterfront promenade, terrace, etc. will affect the final price of the rent greatly.
Total: rental housing will cost from 500 € per month.
How much is spent on food
You can get away with 100 euros per month per person while enjoying gastronomic delights of France. You can make your own estimate,how much food on the French Riviera is per month, based on your habits.
Basic food prices are follows:
- meat / fish - 30-40 € per kg;
- French baguette - € 1-1,5;
- Cheese - from 20 € per kg;
- Milk - 1 € per liter;
- Eggs - 2.5 € per dozen;
- Apples - 2 € per kg;
- Vegetables - 2 € per kg;
- Coffee - 2 € per cup;
- Beer - € 4 per liter;
- French wine - from 4 € per bottle.
Average food prices are not much higher than in Europe. Locals and experienced ones practice of buying products on the farms. On Sundays in major cities such as Nice fairs are held, where you can restock with fresh food.
All the necessary products you will find in the supermarkets. By the way, they are open until 8 pm and rare shops stay open until 10.
As for the restaurants, everything is ambiguously. Here you can find cheap places for locals and obscenely expensive - for tourists. The average cost of a dinner in a decent and inexpensive restaurant for two persons is 60 €. If we take the popular elite establishments, the price tag can be easily multiplied three times.
Pizza or fast food will cost € 12-20.
A cup of coffee costs on average € 2.5. If also with a croissant, all will be 4 €.
On the Cote d'Azur, you can find a restaurant that satisfies all gastronomic desires: vegan restaurants, salad bars, smoothie bars, restaurants of national cuisines (Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, etc.), not to mention the rife coffee shops and bakeries. You should try the dishes in various establishments - it all depends on your budget.
Total food should be allocated € 400 per person, taking into account a visit to a restaurant once a week and daily coffee with dessert.
Transportation prices on the French Riviera
The most popular kind of transportation on the French Riviera among tourist is rent a car. Let's discuss right away that the main difficulty is parking. The old historic towns and regions are not adapted to personal motor transport: many schools and homes do not have parking lots, and streets are narrow and do not provide parking.
Parking spaces are often paid, and are not cheap.
For the rest - a car rental gives mobility, does not tie you to the schedules (in the case of public transport) and leaves flexibility in choosing routes to visit.
The rental price depends on the model of the vehicle and the lease term.
For example, mini cooper (one of the rental cars requested) costs 70 € per day on average. When renting for 10-30 days you will have to pay 55 € per day. Convertibles and SUVs start at € 100 per day. It would be cheaper to rent a car at the airport or railway station.
Public transport
will cost cheaper per month than renting a car. On the Cote d'Azur there is well-developed infrastructure and these types of public transport are here:
- buses
- trains;
- trams;
- taxi;
- ships.
To move inside the city, you can buy tickets, which are suitable for bus, tram (if available):
- Solo - 1 trip and worth € 1.5;
- Pass 1 jour - pass for the day costs € 5;
- Multi - for 10 trips for 10 €;
- Pass 7 jour week for 15 €.
This is the average cost of travel tickets, and it can vary, depending on the city.
Also pay your attention that the French Riviera has a monthly and yearly travel tickets that operate in the region of the French Riviera:
- La Carte Azur - it costs 41 € and is valid for one month on bus tripsl;
- annual subscription costs 327 €, and it is unlikely you will come in handy.
Train journey
Fast and cheap - it's a train. Bus routes between the cities of Côte d'Azur are longer than traveling by train. Price at the same time differs slightly.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the checkout. There are monthly subscriptions that include a trip on a particular route - Nice-Beaulieu-sur-mer, for example. It also provides travel tickets, which are valid from June to September - Pass Isabelle, a ticket for the whole day trips for 35 €.
On the whole, train is a quick and inexpensive way to travel between the cities of Côte d'Azur.
Taxi
In France, there are conventionally 3 rates:
Rate A is valid Monday to Saturday from 10.00 till 17.00, landing - 4 €, kilometer - 1,07 €.
Tariff B is valid from Monday to Saturday from 17.00 till 10.00, plus Sunday from 7.00 till 24.00, landing - 4 €, a kilometer - 1,29 €.
Tariff C is valid only on Sunday from 24.00 till 7.00, landing - 4 €, a kilometer - 1,56 €.
There are additional rates such as fast feed of machines, order for a certain time, the 4 passengers, etc. - all this points are extra paid. The average taxi ride around the city costs € 12-15.
Total cost of transport we take an average of 100 € per month.
Communal payments
It depends entirely on the apartment in which you reside. As well as the lifestyle and value-added services. For example, the rent of the apartment in a luxury complex with concierge, security and the swimming pool will be significantly more expensive than living in a house without data services.
Conventionally communal payments are divided into general and individual ones. General payments are the services that are available to all residents of the complex - elevator, security, concierge, etc. For an individual - heating, water, electricity, internet, etc.
Average monthly living on the French Riviera in a rented apartment will be released in € 80-200 per month - a payment for utilities.
Summarize
Accommodation on the Cote d'Azur on the person will cost at least:
Food - 400 €.
Accommodation - 500 €.
Transport - 100 €.
Utility bills - 80 €.
Total 1080 €.
Please,pay attention that the calculation does not take a hobby, visiting sections, medical care, entertainment.
