Paris remains most expensive French city for university students

Paris and nine other university towns in the central Ile de France region remain the most expensive places to study in France, where the cost of living rose by 2.5 percent for students this year.

The cost of living increased by 2.5 percent for French students in 2021. © AFP/Damien Meyer

The student union Unef published its annual report on university towns in France on 18 August, ahead of the start of the new academic year in September.

The conclusions of this study published on France Info website on Wednesday show that the cost of living has increased by 2.5 percent for French students in 2021.

Many students have been unable to find part-time jobs and are unwilling to rely on financial support from parents, due to the Covid-19 crisis.

This increase is due in particular to the rise in the price of public transport (+0.97 percent on average), but also to the fall in direct public aid to students in recent years. 

Most expensive university towns in Paris region

Paris remains the most expensive place to study in France, according to the 2021 ranking drawn up by Unef. 

A student in the French capital spends an average of 1,277 euros each month, more than in Nanterre (1,171 euros), Créteil (1,134 euros) or Saint-Denis (1,098 euros). 

Nine of the ten most expensive university cities in France are in the Ile de France region surrounding Paris.

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Outside the Paris region, the most expensive city is Nice (€1,065), followed by Lyon (€1,036) and Bordeaux (€1,010). 

Saint-Étienne, Poitiers and Limoges are the most affordable cities in which to settle and pursue higher education, with an average monthly cost of living of 800 euros.

Rents down by 4 percent in Paris

Accommodation remains the main expense for students, with an average cost of 500 euros per month in the regions and 674 euros in Ile-de-France, according to Fage (Fédération des associations générales étudiantes), another French student union.

The capital is well ahead of other university towns, although it should be noted that, according to the Unef, the rent control system introduced in July 2019 in Paris has led to a fall of almost 4 percent in rents by 2021.

Overall, rents remained stable nationally in 2021, with a rise of 0.03 percent unlike public transport for which the average annual subscription has increased by one percentage point. 

Unef is now calling for a 20 percent increase in all grants, their extension to an additional 100,000 students, and the repeal of the reform of personalised housing assistance.