Hello all,

I'm new to the forum! In August I will be moving to Montpellier from Baltimore, MD USA. I'll be enrolled in a French as a Foreign Language program at the Universite Montpellier 3. I'm curious about what cost of living expenses are in Montpellier. I will have to do some serious budgeting to make this work, and in my planning stages it would be helpful to hear from people living there. I'm 25 years old and single. So I'll be moving there by myself (unless a friend of mine from Dijon decides to relocate with me, which she may do.).

There are a lot of things I need to work out before I make the move, a lot of which I've learned about by reading this very forum!

Like I said, I'll be a student, and will be looking for the most affordable housing possible. In terms of budgeting for food, transportation, beauracracy, and all of the unforseen expenses involved, can anyone give me advice or relate some of your experiences about budgeting a move like this? At the moment my French is basic, but rapidly improving, so I hope to be capable enough to work within some months of living in France. What's the job market like for tourism, food service, etc? I know it's difficult for non-EU folks to find work, but I will have a carte de sejour and work permit from the program that I'm enrolled in. So that should help!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much,

Stephen

it's a couple of years since i lived in Montpellier, but i have been back recently. costs are very high in france at present

a basic studio in the city centre will cost from around 450 euros per month, plus taxes and services and you will typically have to pay between 2 to 3 months as security on top of your first months rent. it is also very common to need a french resident with a suitable income to act as a guarantor if you are not french.

a small beer costs between 2.50 - 4 euros in a bar, although you can buy a bottle of wine in the shops for about 3 euros

eating a simple meal out (nothing fancy) will cost around 12 euros for a main course

a baguette costs about 1 euro

petrol costs about 1.40 euros

work is very hard to come by unless you speak fluent french, and even if you have a university degree you will only be able to find a waiting job or very mundane clerical job for minimum wage


it's a beautiful town though, if you can afford to enjoy it

check out Le Vert Anglais for a pleasant watering hole