Most Indian students focus heavily on tuition fees when planning to pursue an MSc International Business Management in France, but underestimate their monthly living costs.
Living expenses do not appear suddenly. They build slowly through rent, food, travel, and small lifestyle habits. Many students realise this only after their first rent cycle ends. This is where planning becomes necessary rather than optional.
Before finalising your decision to pursue an MSc International Business Management in France, understanding real living expenses is equally important as tuition planning.
What do you actually spend each month and why does it matters?
The cost of living in France for Indian students depends on city choice, housing type, and personal routines. Paris feels different from Toulouse. Lyon feels different from Marseille. Each city changes your monthly budget in measurable ways.
Students often focus on rent alone. That approach fails because rent is only one part of the full picture. Food, transport, insurance, and daily spending shape the real number. Your lifestyle also influences how fast money leaves your account.
If you track your monthly expenses in France for students, patterns become visible within weeks. Without tracking, spending feels random and difficult to control. This is why understanding categories matters before arrival.
Common expense buckets:
Rent: This includes housing cost plus deposits and shared utility charges.
Food: This includes groceries, occasional dining, and basic cooking supplies.
Transport: This includes metro passes, buses, and occasional intercity travel.
Health insurance: This includes private coverage before student social security activation.
Lifestyle habits: This includes coffee, subscriptions, mobile plans, and social activities.
Students who understand these categories early make fewer mistakes later. Students who ignore them spend more time reacting than planning.
A real monthly breakdown across expense categories
Living costs do not change without warning. They change based on where you live and how you spend. Categories remain fixed. Totals move.
The cost of living in France for Indian students depends on the city, the lease, and your daily expenses. Budget shifts are caused by habits more than locations.
Instead of focusing on one fixed number, most students build their budget across core categories.
Rent usually takes the largest share of monthly spending. Depending on whether you live in CROUS student accommodation (French public student housing system), shared apartments, or private studios, accommodation costs can range widely.
Food expenses stay manageable when you cook at home and limit dining out. Groceries remain predictable, but eating out frequently increases your monthly burn.
Transportation costs depend on city and student discounts. Most students rely on metro or bus passes, which are cheaper than daily tickets.
Health insurance is mandatory. Students typically start with private coverage before transitioning into the French student social security system.
Phone plans, internet, and small lifestyle expenses such as laundry, subscriptions, and personal spending complete the monthly picture.
If you track monthly expenses in France for students, patterns become visible quickly. Without tracking, spending feels scattered and harder to control.
TBS and similar schools publish reference budgets based on these same categories, helping students plan realistically before arrival.
Real Student Perspective: Living Costs in France
Numbers help you plan. Real stories help you prepare.
If you want to see how these costs actually play out in real student life, you can learn directly from Indian students studying in France.
Ramya, an MSc alumni of TBS Education, shares her personal journey of managing living expenses, accommodation, CAF housing support, groceries, and budgeting as an Indian student in France.
Her channel documents practical, on-ground insights that go beyond estimated budgets and show how students actually manage money month to month.
You can explore her videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/@IndiaToFrance
The monthly living cost in France depends on the city, accommodation type, and lifestyle. Students living in Paris usually spend more than those in cities like Toulouse or Lille. Expenses typically include rent, food, transport, insurance, and personal spending.
France is considered affordable compared to countries like the UK or USA. Government housing support, student discounts, and subsidised transport make living costs manageable for Indian students who plan their budget wisely.
Budget-friendly student cities include Toulouse, Montpellier, Lille, Nantes, and Grenoble. These cities offer lower accommodation costs and student-friendly transport systems compared to Paris.
Students can lower costs by sharing accommodation, cooking meals, using student travel cards, applying for CAF housing assistance, and taking advantage of university subsidies and discounts.
Yes. International students in France are allowed to work part-time during their studies. Earnings typically help cover daily expenses like food, transport, and personal spending while reducing financial pressure.
