The cool thing about studying abroad in Paris is, well, as a student, you do not have a lot of money, and the great thing about Paris is that you do not need a lot of money. Sure, Paris is one of the iconic spots for people on their second honeymoons, trying to spend as much cash as possible. But for young people in Paris, loitering is not only a tolerated activity, it’s practically a national pastime. Here are some of the coolest spots to hang out in Paris if you do not have a lot of cash on hand.
Pont des Arts
Around Spring and Summer, hang out on the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge and you’ll see street artists, musicians and various other assorted Parisian bohemians coming here to paint, take photographs and perform.
Palais de Tokyo
Check out the terrace at this contemporary art museum and you will see a great spot to sit around with some coffee, wine or just a bottle of water.
Canal St. Martin
This canal stretches from Place de la Republique up to the northern borders of Paris. Check this place out and you will see all sorts of people.
Of course, the real fun thing to do in Paris when you are broke is to just walk around and see what you can discover. Everyone who has been to the city has their own favorite spot. Some are more secret than others. See if you can stumble upon your own private loitering spot in Paris.
If you are wondering why we are putting so much emphasis on loitering, well, it comes down to how pricy it is to live in Paris. It is not France that is expensive so much as just living in the city. If you were able to study out on a farm in Paris, it would be about as pricy as doing the same in the US, but studying in Paris is the monetary equivalent of studying in New York, with the added drawback that you will have a lot of red tape between yourself and finding work. To tally the average monthly expenses incurred with living and going to school in Paris…
- Renting a room – 200 – 300 Euros a month
- Renting an apartment – 700 – 1200 Euros a month
- Food – 150 – 200 Euros a month (allowing a little money to eat out now and then)
- Transportation – 50 Euros a month for an unlimited pass
- Utilities – 100 Euros a month
- Clothing and Laundry – 100 Euros a month
Interestingly, the cost of food in Paris is actually much cheaper than in many other parts of the world. This is the one point where you may be spending much less than you might in, say, London, which tends to be cheaper than Paris in certain other areas.
All in all you should expect to pay anywhere from 650 to 1500 Euros a month just living cheap. If you hope to do some fine dining, take in a concert now and then, you are looking at closer to 2000 Euros a month. All in all, this can range an average of roughly anywhere from $900 to $3000 USD a month, so expect to pay about a thousand bucks a month to live cheaply, or three grand to live well. In other words, apply for as many scholarships as you can, because every dollar will help.