Paris has a reputation for being expensive — but it's absolutely possible to visit on a reasonable budget. The city has more free world-class museums than anywhere in Europe, excellent cheap eating if you know where to go, and a public transport system that costs €1.73 a ride. Here's exactly what things cost in 2026.
✔ Budget daily cost: €80–110 (hostel/budget hotel, bakery meals, free museums, metro)
✔ Mid-range daily cost: €160–230 (good hotel, café meals, 1–2 paid attractions)
✔ Currency: Euro (€) — France is in the Eurozone
✔ Tipping: not expected — service is included by law
✔ Cards: accepted almost everywhere — contactless is standard
🏨 Accommodation Costs
Paris is genuinely expensive for accommodation — this is where the budget pressure comes from.
Hostels: €30–50/night for a dorm bed in a central hostel (Marais, Montmartre, Bastille).
Budget hotels: €80–130/night for a basic but clean double room — these exist but book fast.
Mid-range hotels: €150–250/night in good Haussmann-era hotels near major arrondissements.
Best value areas: 11th arrondissement (Bastille/Oberkampf), 18th (Montmartre), 13th (Butte-aux-Cailles). Avoid the 1st and 8th for accommodation — you're paying for the postcode.
🥐 Food Costs
Paris food is expensive if you eat at restaurants — much cheaper if you eat like a Parisian.
Baguette: €1.20–1.50 (legally price-capped)
Croissant at a boulangerie: €1.20–1.80
Café crème (coffee with milk): €2–3 at a bar counter, €4–6 at a table
Jambon-beurre sandwich: €3–5 from a boulangerie — the best cheap lunch in Paris
Kebab: €6–8 — the budget traveller's dinner, and genuinely good in Paris
Plat du jour (lunch special at a bistro): €12–16 including a glass of wine — the way to eat well cheaply
Restaurant dinner (2 courses): €25–40/person at a neighbourhood bistro
Supermarket (Monoprix/Carrefour): sandwiches and prepared meals €4–8 — picnic in the Tuileries like a local
🚇 Transport Costs
Metro/bus single ticket (t+ ticket): €2.15 in 2026 (was €1.73 — new pricing post-Olympics)
Carnet of 10 trips (Navigo Easy): €17.35 — the standard approach for short visits
Navigo weekly pass: €30 — unlimited metro, bus, RER within zones 1–5. Best value for a full week.
CDG Airport to centre (RER B): €11.80 — 35 minutes direct to Châtelet
Vélib' bike hire: €3/day for e-bikes — Paris has excellent cycling infrastructure
Taxi CDG to centre: fixed rate €56 (left bank) or €65 (right bank)
🎟️ Sightseeing Costs — Free vs Paid
FREE always: Musée d'Orsay (under 26 for EU residents), Louvre (under 26 EU), Musée National d'Art Moderne at Centre Pompidou (under 26 EU), all permanent collections at Musée Carnavalet, Petit Palais, Musée de la Vie Romantique. Notre-Dame cathedral re-opened 2024 — free entry.
FREE first Sunday of each month: Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Château de Versailles (Oct–March only) — queue early.
Louvre: €22 (book online, skip queues — walk-up queues can be 2+ hours)
Musée d'Orsay: €16
Eiffel Tower (summit): €35.30 — book months ahead in summer
Eiffel Tower (2nd floor): €18.80 — still excellent views, much easier to book
Versailles (palace + gardens): €21.50 palace, gardens free most days
Sainte-Chapelle: €13 — the most underrated sight in Paris, extraordinary Gothic stained glass
📅 Sample Daily Budgets
Backpacker (€80–100/day): Hostel dorm €35, boulangerie breakfast €3, jambon-beurre lunch €5, free museum afternoon (Petit Palais or Carnavalet), kebab dinner €8, metro day pass €17. Includes one world-class free museum per day.
Mid-range (€160–200/day): Budget hotel €110, café breakfast €8, bistro plat du jour lunch €15, paid attraction €22, nice bistro dinner €40. Everything included, nothing sacrificed.
Comfortable (€250–350/day): Boutique hotel in the Marais €180, proper café meals throughout €60, Louvre + Eiffel Tower €55. The Paris of films and postcards.
💡 Top Budget Tips for Paris
Every neighbourhood has one. Breakfast, lunch and snacks for €3–6 total. Better quality than tourist cafés at a fraction of the price.
First Sunday of each month: Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and others are free. Go early — queues build fast after 10am.
Wine from a cave à vins (€6–10), cheese from a fromagerie, bread and charcuterie — eat at the Tuileries, Champ de Mars or Canal Saint-Martin.
The tower is free to look at from the Trocadéro. The light show at 9pm (and hourly after dark) is one of the great free spectacles in Europe.
€30 for unlimited travel all week on metro, bus and RER including CDG airport. If you're staying 4+ days it's cheaper than buying individual tickets.
Bastille and Oberkampf — local neighbourhood feel, great restaurants, excellent metro connections, 20–30% cheaper accommodation than central arrondissements.
FAQs
Is Paris really as expensive as people say?
For accommodation yes — Paris hotel prices are high. Food and transport are manageable if you avoid tourist traps. The museums are among the most expensive in Europe but many are free on the first Sunday of the month.
Can you do Paris on €100/day?
Yes, comfortably — hostel dorm + bakery meals + free museums + metro pass fits within €80–100/day. A private room pushes it to €130–150.
What's the cheapest way to get from CDG to Paris?
RER B train: €11.80, 35 minutes, runs directly to Châtelet-Les-Halles, Saint-Michel and Gare du Nord. Much cheaper than taxis (€56–65 fixed rate) or shuttles.
When is Paris cheapest to visit?
November, January and February (excluding Christmas and New Year). Hotel prices drop 30–40%, main sights are manageable and the city is genuinely beautiful in winter light.