How expensive is a trip to Paris?
Are you planning a trip to Paris for a week or two but don’t know exactly how much a trip to Paris costs?
Of course, your daily budget depends on the way you travel and the limit you set. To help you plan your trip to Paris, I have covered some average prices and set different types of budgets with different expenses so you can get an idea of the cost of a trip to Paris.
Here’s how much a trip to Paris costs for any budget (prices updated for 2024).
Are You Planning a Trip to Paris Last Minute?
If you are booking a last-minute trip to Paris, I’ve got you covered! Below are our must-guides, top tours, hotels, and more:
» Plan: Paris Travel Planner; Paris Arrondissements Guide; Check out the best Paris Metro tickets for tourists
» Book your flight tickets with Omio; book your train tickets with Omio
Book your transfer from the airport to the city with Welcome Pickups.
» Where to Stay: Best Districts to Stay in Paris
- Le Pavillon de la Reine (historical 5-star hotel in Le Marais)
- Hotel La Comtesse (mid-range hotel with Eiffel Tower view from all the rooms!)
- Hotel Ducs de Bourgogne (super central 4-star hotel near the Louvre)
» Top-Rated Paris Tours & Tickets:
- Louvre Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket
- Eiffel Tower Summit Access Ticket
- Seine River Night Cruise
- Catacombs Skip-the-line tour with VIP access to restricted areas
Want skip-the-line access at museums & attractions in Paris? Get your hands on a Paris Museum Pass!
» Don’t leave without travel insurance! Safety Wing works well for long and short trips (starting with a minimum of 5 days). SafetyWing covers COVID-19 for new policies purchased, and unplanned quarantine is covered, too.
How Much Does it Cost to Visit Paris?
On average, the cost of life in Paris is 24% higher than in the rest of France.
In Paris, trip expenses depend on the people and how they travel. We often hear that Paris is an expensive city, but this is not necessarily true.
It is possible to cut down costs if you sleep in the lesser central districts of Paris and avoid tourist areas to have your meals (here’s how to save money in Paris). Also, there are many free things to do in Paris, so you can spend wonderful days in the French capital and pay nothing to keep you busy.
On the other side, many people visiting Paris want to enjoy the main attractions, get spoiled, and have fun: after all, they are on holiday! And Paris knows how to treat these people well, so if you opt for sleeping in one of the historic hotels in Paris, having a delicious dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant, and shopping in the Golden Triangle, you can easily triple or quadruple your daily budget in Paris.
Below, I have collected some average daily prices (in USD) to help you define your budget for Paris.
1. Cost of Transportation to Paris
Here, it really depends on your country of origin. Also, flight and train prices fluctuate throughout the year. The most expensive time to visit Paris is during the summer holidays, Christmas events, and important worldwide events (e.g., the past Rugby World Cup or the Paris Olympics).
If you are flexible with your travel dates, click on the links below and play with different dates.
2. Cost of Accommodation in Paris per Day
On average, the cost of hotels in Paris is 34% higher than in the rest of France.
From a bunk bed in a Paris hostel to a hotel with an Eiffel Tower view, the price range is so large that it is difficult to set an average price for accommodation in Paris.
Also, it depends on the district of Paris where you decide to set your base camp – check out the best districts to stay in Paris for different types of vacations.
To get an idea, I have grouped accommodation into three categories. Please take these prices with a grain of salt, as room prices can change depending on the season, holidays, room type, and availability.
- Bunk bed in a hostel for one person: around 50 USD (less if you are far from the center)
- Double room in regular hotels: 80 to 550 USD
- Double room in a top-end hotel: well past 10,000 USD for their most prestigious suites
3. Cost of Travel Insurance for Paris
Most people don’t think that getting travel insurance is important, but it is highly recommended to mitigate travel risks. A travel insurance policy for Paris is not expensive, and you will be happy to have one if you are in trouble.
SafetyWing, for example, has flexible plans from 5 days to 364 days. It also has great customer service and competitive prices, and I really think it is the best option. Below are the prices of travel insurance with SafetyWing for one week in Paris:
- 10-39 years old: 14.07 USD
- 40-49 years old: 23.10 USD
- 50-59 years old: 36.26 USD
- 60-69 years old: 49.21 USD
4. Cost of Food in Paris per Day
Expect to pay around 75 USD a day for quality food and drinks in Paris. Depending on what you eat or where you eat it, the cost of food in Paris per day can be lower or higher.
Breakfast
The price of some hotel rooms includes breakfast, while other hotels have breakfast as an option. A breakfast in a hotel in Paris costs around 30 USD, but it also depends on the hotel’s category.
But you can kick off your day with a takeaway coffee and a croissant from the bakery around the corner for only 5 USD.
Lunch /Dinner
Serious sightseers usually opt for light, on-the-go meals, so they don’t spend too much time eating for lunch. A sandwich in a bakery usually costs around 6 USD – depending on the sandwich and where you buy it – and you can get a quick meal for less than 15 USD.
A proper meal in a restaurant depends on its category and the district where it is located.
Generally, mains in an average restaurant cost around 17-20 USD, while mains in an expensive, chic restaurant can cost more than 35 USD.
For a filling but budget-friendly meal break, take advantage of the “menu du jour,” which is a two or three-course set menu proposed by many restaurants at lunchtime (weekends excluded). The prices of these menus range between 15 and 20 euros (17 to 23 USD), making them a way better deal than the regular dinner menu.
5. Cost of Activities in Paris
For sure, you will want to add a couple of activities or sights to your Paris travel budget. You will pay, on average, 18€ (20 USD) per person to visit a museum or attraction in Paris – the Louvre costs 22€ (25 USD), the Catacombs costs 29€ (33 USD), and the cheapest ticket for the Eiffel Tower costs 14.20 € (16 USD), and Musée d’Orsay costs 16€ (18 USD).
The costs will increase if you buy skip-the-line tickets or you add audio guides.
If this is your first time in Paris and you want to tick the main attractions off your bucket list, you may want to consider the Paris Museum Pass. With this pass for 2, 4, or 6 days, you can visit more than 60 museums and attractions in Paris and its region (Versailles included), and it cuts down the costs considerably. Check out my Paris Museum Pass review to understand if it is convenient for you.
If you only want to visit a couple of top attractions in Paris, Tiqets always offers interesting combo tickets (2-3 attractions at a discounted price) that make you save money.
6. Cost of Transportation in Paris
The cost of transportation in Paris depends on how often you plan to use public transportation. Paris is such a walkable city that some people use the Parisian metro only for longer distances.
A single metro ticket costs 2,15€ (17,35€ if you buy ten units), but there are interesting daily /weekly and tourist passes that can help cut down the costs. Read about the best Paris Metro tickets for tourists.
- Transportation from CDG Airport to the city costs 11,80€ (13 USD) with the RER B train
- Transportation from Orly Airport to the city costs 10,30€ (12 USD) with the metro (you can’t use a single ticket for this itinerary)
- Transportation to Versailles (one way) costs 4,15€ (5 USD) with an SNCF train or RER C train.
When considering private transfers, prioritize taxis over Ubers. This is mainly because a taxi from/to the airport has fixed prices, while ride-sharing services like Uber don’t, meaning that at peak times, you can end up paying well above the odds and much more than you otherwise would have done.
- Transportation from CDG Airport to Paris Right Bank /Paris Left Bank by an official taxi: 56€ /65€
- Transportation from Orly Airport to Paris Left Bank /Paris Right Bank by an official taxi: 36€ /44€
Cost of a Trip to Paris for 2 People (1 Week)
Keeping in mind the prices above, here’s the cost of a trip to Paris for 2 for one week and different travel styles: budget, mid-range, and luxury. This estimation does not include transportation to/from Paris.
BUDGET (cheap): 1 000 – 1 200 USD for 2 people
If you visit Paris on a budget, some sacrifices will be necessary.
You will opt for a bunk bed in a hostel in Paris, and you will walk or use public transportation exclusively.
Eating in Paris on a budget will mean lots of crêpes, takeaways, and cheap eats (not necessarily the best food), and you will need to be very careful with your restaurant choices.
Visiting paid attractions may be quite limited except for perhaps one bucket list spot. You will try to combine paid attractions with city walks or free museums and activities.
MID-RANGE: 1 700 – 2 100 USD for 2 people
At this price point, you can visit most attractions you would like to see (though perhaps not every single one), splurge on a guided tour, and eat at restaurants more comfortably.
Depending on whether you’re traveling in low or high season, you may struggle to find comfortable lodging on a mid-range budget in Paris, and you may need to sacrifice a bit on location. Booking in advance, especially during the high season, will be essential!
When traveling on a mid-range budget, prioritization will be essential to balance the trip expenses. If you have your heart set on a particular bucket list experience in Paris, you’ll likely need to cut expenses elsewhere to make it work.
LUXURY: – – –
When it comes to luxury travel in Paris, the sky is the limit 🙂
If you have that kind of budget for Paris, use private transportation from the airport to the hotel, book one of the 5-star hotels in the city for your stay, eat in the Michelin-star restaurants, and book private guides for the best museums in Paris.
And if you book all these through my links, you will contribute to our stock of French wine at no extra cost to you, so cheers! 🙂