Budget · Paris · France
Paris on a budget
What a trip to Paris really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Homonihilis, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Paris is expensive for most international visitors. Budget roughly $90–$140 per person per day on a tight budget, $200–$350 mid-range and $500–$1,200 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–February and November.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $90–$140 a day
- Mid-range
- $200–$350 a day
- Luxury
- $500–$1,200 a day
- Local currency
- EUR
- Free sights
- 8
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $90–$140 | $270–$420 | $450–$700 | $630–$980 |
| Mid-range | $200–$350 | $600–$1,050 | $1,000–$1,750 | $1,400–$2,450 |
| Luxury | $500–$1,200 | $1,500–$3,600 | $2,500–$6,000 | $3,500–$8,400 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Paris, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Métro single ticket | about €2.50 |
| Espresso at a café counter | about €1.50–€2.50 |
| Croissant at a bakery | about €1.20–€1.80 |
| Weekday bistro lunch formule | about €16–€25 |
| Major museum ticket | about €15–€32 |
| Bistro dinner, three courses | about €35–€60 per person |
| Glass of house wine | about €5–€9 |
Money-saving tips
- Many national museums are free on the first Sunday of certain months and free for EU residents under 26; check each museum's policy.
- Eat your main meal at lunchtime, when bistro set menus cost far less than dinner.
- Standing at the café counter is cheaper than sitting on the terrace.
- Picnics from markets and bakeries in the Luxembourg Gardens or along the Seine are a classic, cheap Paris meal.
- The Paris Museum Pass saves money only if you visit at least three or four paid sites a day.
- Visit between November and February, excluding the Christmas holidays, for the lowest hotel rates.
Free things to do
- Notre-Dame Cathedral — Paris's Gothic cathedral reopened in December 2024 after the restoration that followed the 2019 fire, with its cleaned stone and rebuilt spire.
- Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre — The white basilica crowns the highest hill in the city, and the steps below it are one of the best free viewpoints in Paris.
- Luxembourg Gardens — The Senate's formal gardens are where Parisians read on the famous green chairs, children sail wooden boats on the octagonal pond and older locals play pétanque.
- Le Marais and Place des Vosges — Paris's oldest planned square, Place des Vosges, is the start of a walk through the Marais's aristocratic mansions, Jewish quarter around Rue des Rosiers and dense streets of boutiques.
- Musée Carnavalet — The city's own history museum fills two Marais mansions with shop signs, recreated interiors, Revolution relics and Proust's bedroom.
- Tuileries Garden — The formal garden between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde is the natural walking route between the big museums.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for budget, first-timers, solo travellers and families
Latin Quarter
Student energy, the Sorbonne and cheap eats in the 5th
$$ · Best for couples, budget and culture
Montmartre
Hilltop village, artists' square and the white dome of Sacré-Cœur in the 18th
$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, solo travellers and budget
Canal Saint-Martin
Iron footbridges, natural-wine bars and a young local crowd in the 10th
Eating well for less
- Croissant and pain au chocolat — Any neighbourhood boulangerie with a queue of locals; bakeries that have won the city's annual baguette contest are a reliable sign.
- Baguette tradition — Ask for 'une tradition' rather than 'une baguette' at any boulangerie; it costs a little more and is worth it.
- Croque-monsieur — Almost every café menu; better versions come from places that bake their own bread.
- Crêpes and galettes — Rue du Montparnasse has a cluster of Breton crêperies near Gare Montparnasse; street stands are everywhere for sweet crêpes.
- Falafel in the Marais — Rue des Rosiers in Le Marais; expect queues at lunchtime and on Sundays.
Getting around for less
Navigo Easy
A rechargeable contactless card onto which you load single tickets or day passes; it replaces paper tickets.
Navigo Semaine
A weekly pass valid Monday to Sunday across the whole region, including airports and Versailles; good value if you arrive early in the week.
Paris Museum Pass
Covers entry to more than 50 museums and monuments for two, four or six consecutive days; it still requires timed reservations at some sites.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Paris cost?
About $1,000–$1,750 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $450–$700 on a tight budget.
+Is Paris expensive?
It is expensive for international visitors. Many national museums are free on the first Sunday of certain months and free for EU residents under 26; check each museum's policy.
+How much money do I need per day in Paris?
Roughly $90–$140 on a budget and $200–$350 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Paris?
Usually in January–February and November.