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Accommodation, food, travel, access to care ... Living with dignity means covering one’s basic needs while having a financial margin for leisure, savings and contingencies. But what income is really needed to achieve this balance in France? Between rising the cost of living, regional disparities and inflation, the issue becomes more complex than it seems. Let us plunge into the figures and realities of everyday life to understand how much to earn in order to live without financial constraints.
The essential expenditure to be covered
Before defining a minimum income, let us look at the main items of expenditure that affect the household budget in France.
Housing: the biggest burden
The cost of housing varies greatly from region to region:
- In Paris and Ile-de-France, rent can amount to 40 to 50% of the monthly budget of a single person. A studio easily costs between 800 and 1,500 dollars per month.
- In the provinces, especially in medium-sized cities, rents are more affordable, at around 400 to 700 dollars for similar housing.
Food: between necessity and pleasure
Balanced eating costs:
- A single person spends an average of between 250 and 400 dollars a month on food, depending on his or her habits and lifestyle.
- For a family with two children, this budget may be increased to a maximum of EUR 800 per month.
Transport: a regional variable
- In the city, a subscription to public transport costs between 50 and 100 euros per month.
- In rural or peri-urban areas, owning a car becomes indispensable, with expenditure on fuel, maintenance and insurance of up to 200 to 300 euros per month.
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