Paris
Paris on a budget: cheap food, stays and free sights
Budget €75–150 per person per day in Paris: hostel dorm or outer-arrondissement room, bakery breakfast, a €15–25 lunch formule, picnic or market dinner and metro tickets. That drops if you eat standing at the bar and skip paid sights. Mid-range runs €165–320. Costs are a 2026 estimate — check before you book.
- Source checked
- A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
- Field checked
- Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify
GuideParis
Key facts
- Budget day, per person
- €75–150 (dorm or cheap room, bakery food, metro)
- Mid-range day, per person
- €165–320 (3★ double shared, café lunch, bistro dinner)
- Cheapest meal pattern
- Bakery breakfast, lunch formule €15–25, picnic or market dinner
- Metro single ticketcheck
- €2.50 — check
- Cheapest monthscheck
- November–March outside school holidays and Christmas–New Year
- Free sightscheck
- City walks, markets, churches, parks, most permanent museum collections for EU under-26s (check)
- Louvre ticket, non-EU visitorscheck
- €32 from 2026 — check
Top picks
Paris rewards a fixed daily routine more than a list of cheap tricks. Sleep slightly outside the centre, eat your main meal at lunch, buy bread and cheese for the evening, and walk or take the metro instead of taxis. That combination keeps a comfortable day inside the budget band without cutting the trip short.
The three choices that move the number most: where you sleep, when you eat your big meal, and how many paid sights you buy. Everything else is small change.
| Pick | Typical cost | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm or budget hotel in the outer arrondissements | €30–60 per night | Metro reaches the centre in 15–25 minutes |
| Lunch formule (set menu) | €15–25 | Same kitchen as dinner, lower price at midday |
| Bakery breakfast plus picnic dinner | €8–15 for both | Baguette €1.10–1.50, cheese and fruit from a market |
| Metro single or a carnet-style bundle | €2.50 per ride — check | Cheaper than taxis for almost every trip |
| Free sights and walks | €0 | Markets, churches, parks, riverbanks, covered passages |
| Paid sight, one per day maximum | €15–32 — check | Louvre non-EU ticket €32 from 2026 — check |
2026 estimate. Paris costs 30–50% more than the rest of France.
Prices and hours
Prices below are per person and come from the site's France cost data, adjusted for Paris. Treat every figure as a 2026 estimate and check the current price at the counter or on the official site before you commit.
Bakeries open early and close one or two days a week, often Sunday or Monday — check the sign on the door. Lunch formules usually run from about 12:00 to 14:00 on weekdays. Markets are morning affairs, roughly 07:00–13:30, and most close one day a week. Museums typically shut one day a week, often Monday or Tuesday — check the official site.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Baguette | €1.10–1.50 | Bakery price, unchanged by arrondissement |
| Espresso at the bar | €1.50–2.50 | At a table it is €2.50–4.50 |
| Lunch set menu (formule) | €15–25 | Weekday lunch, one or two courses |
| Glass of house wine | €5–9 | Bar price; restaurant price is higher |
| Metro or RER single ticket | €2.50 — check | Buy in bundles to cut the per-ride cost |
| Louvre ticket, non-EU visitors | €32 from 2026 — check | Book a timed slot online |
| Hostel dorm bed | €30–60 | Outer arrondissements are cheaper |
| Budget hotel room (double) | €70–130 | Shared between two, so €35–65 each |
2026 estimate. Service is included in restaurant prices by law; a small tip is optional.
How to get around
Paris is walkable in the centre and fast by metro. A single metro or RER ride is about €2.50 — check — and buying a bundle of tickets lowers the per-ride cost. If you are staying several days, compare a bundle against a day or multi-day pass for the zones you actually use; the pass only pays off if you ride often.
From the airports, the RER and the regional bus are the cheap options and taxis or ride-hailing the expensive ones. From Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon and Montparnasse, walking or one metro ride usually beats a taxi for central addresses. Keep a contactless card for ticket machines, and carry a little cash for machines that reject cards without a chip and PIN.
Bikes and e-scooters are cheap per ride but add up over a day; walking is free and often faster over short hops.
- Walk anything under about 25 minutes; Paris blocks are short.
- Buy metro tickets in a bundle rather than one at a time.
- Use the RER or regional bus from the airports, not a taxi.
- Keep one backup card or some cash for older ticket machines.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How much do I need per day in Paris?
Budget €75–150 per person per day: dorm or cheap room, bakery breakfast, a €15–25 lunch formule, picnic or market dinner and metro rides. Mid-range runs €165–320 with a 3★ double shared, café lunch and a bistro dinner. Both are 2026 estimates — check before booking.
Where can I eat cheaply in Paris?
Bakeries for breakfast (baguette €1.10–1.50), weekday lunch formules at €15–25, market stalls and picnic food for dinner. Standing at the bar keeps coffee and drinks cheaper than table service. Supermarket and market meals cost the least.
What are the cheapest months for Paris?
November to March outside the Christmas–New Year period and school holidays is the cheapest stretch — check. Fares and rooms rise in July and August and around major trade fairs. Late autumn and late winter give the lowest room rates.
Are there free things to do in Paris?
Yes. Markets, churches, parks, riverbank walks and covered passages cost nothing. Many permanent museum collections are free for EU residents under 26 — check. First Sundays of the month are free at some museums — check.
Is the Paris metro pass worth it?
Only if you ride four or more times a day. A single ride is about €2.50 — check — and a bundle of tickets lowers that. For a walking-heavy trip, single tickets or a bundle beat a multi-day pass.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialParis Convention and Visitors Bureau
- officialÎle-de-France Mobilités
- officialMusée du Louvre
- secondaryWikivoyage – Paris