France · Occitanie
Toulouse: pink brick, aerospace jobs, and a young crowd
A southwestern French city of about 515,000 built around Airbus and its universities, with a driverless metro, a major university hospital, and rents well below Paris.
- 514,819
- Population (2023)
- $2,100/mo
- Monthly budget · single
- 58°F / 14°C
- Avg temperature
Budget about $2,100 a month in U.S. dollars for one person in Toulouse, $3,300 for a couple, and $5,200 for a family of four. A one-bedroom in the center rents for around $900, or about $650 farther out. That's roughly $900 a month less than we estimate for one person in Paris.
Toulouse suits people who want a working French city, rather than a resort. Aerospace anchors the economy, the universities keep the center lively into the night, and the hospital system is deep enough for retirees who plan to stay. You get big-city services at a budget a lot of Americans can manage on a pension or remote salary.
Here's the catch: summers are hot, with July and August highs averaging around 83F. The safety score is 63 out of 100, a little below Nice's 68, so bring the same street sense you'd use in any large French city.
Reviewed and updated September 26, 2026 · 4 min read
At a glance
$2,100
Monthly budget · single person
$900/mo 1-bed rent, center
63/100
Safety index
$35
Internet / month
58°Fannual average
Jan 43° · Aug 73°
Climate
514,819
Population (2023)
Expatsi estimates, updated Aug 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Cost of living
What it costs to live in Toulouse
Single person
$1,800–$2,300/mo
about 30% below Austin, TX
Couple
$2,900–$3,700/mo
about 30% below Austin, TX
Family of four
$4,600–$5,800/mo
about 35% below Austin, TX
Compared with Austin, TX (Expatsi estimate, 2026).
- $16 −20%
- Inexpensive meal
- $800–$1,000/mo −54%
- 1-bed rent, center
- $600–$750/mo −52%
- 1-bed rent, outside
- $35/mo −46%
- Internet
- $60/mo +45%
- Transit pass
- $492/sq ft −24%
- Buy price, center
Expatsi estimates, updated Aug 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Daily life
How Toulouse lives
- A- grade, 84th percentile among the cities we track
- Dining & cafésstrong
- A grade, 89th percentile among the cities we track
- Arts & culturestandout
- A+ grade, 97th percentile among the cities we track
- Parks & outdoorsstandout
- A grade, 93rd percentile among the cities we track
- Schools & educationstandout
- A grade, 86th percentile among the cities we track
- Healthcare accessstandout
- A- grade, 85th percentile among the cities we track
- Bike infrastructurestrong
- A- grade, 79th percentile among the cities we track
- Public transitstrong
- A+ grade, good physical accessibility
- Accessibilitygood
Graded on OpenStreetMap amenity density relative to the 152 cities we track. Accessibility is the exception: it's graded against a fixed standard (terrain steepness and sidewalk surfaces), not a curve.
Climate
Weather through the year
Annual average 58°F (14°C) · 25 in of rain a year · Source: Meteostat station normals (07630, 1991-2020)
On the ground
Scenes from Toulouse
Getting around
Transport in Toulouse
Most people in the center get by on transit, their feet, and a bike, and a monthly transit pass runs about $60. The metro is driverless. Line A runs until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Line C, under construction since December 2022, is expected in 2028 and will run from Colomiers, out by the airport, to Labège in the southeast.
The Téléo cable car opened in May 2022 and links Paul Sabatier University, Rangueil hospital, and the Oncopole campus in about 10 minutes.
The airport connection is in flux. The old tram branch to the terminal closed in 2023. Its replacement, a short airport line from Jean-Maga station of about seven minutes, is now targeted for early 2027. Until then, the airport shuttle bus leaves every 15 minutes from Matabiau train station and the center, taking 25 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
The center is flat and compact; VélôToulouse bikeshare covers short hops. If you live near the metro, skip the car. You'll want one for weekends in the Pyrenees, the hill villages of the Gers and Tarn, or a suburb off the transit lines.
- 53/sq mi
- Transit stops
- 80/sq mi
- Bike infrastructure
- 238/sq mi
- Wheelchair-accessible places
Mapped features per square mile from OpenStreetMap.
Keep exploring
Places like Toulouse
Community
Community & practical notes
Finding your people: The AIT International Club started in 1987 as the Americans-in-Toulouse Club and is now a nonprofit for English speakers of any nationality. Members get a monthly newsletter and guidebook covering 27 topics, from housing to healthcare. Aerospace also brings a steady stream of international engineers and their families, so you won't be the only foreigner at the school gate or rugby match.
Healthcare: CHU de Toulouse, the university hospital, works mainly from its Purpan and Rangueil sites, and cancer care makes up about a quarter of its activity. Once you're a legal resident, you join the French public health system and name a médecin traitant, the family doctor who refers you to specialists.
Schools: The International School of Toulouse in Colomiers, just west of the city, was founded in 1999 at Airbus's request for its internationally mobile staff. It teaches ages 2½ to 18 in English, with French at every level, and runs the IB Primary Years Programme, IGCSEs, and the IB Diploma. It's accredited by the Council of International Schools and by NEASC, a U.S. accreditor.
Remote work: Home internet runs about $35 a month. The adjustment is the clock: a 10 a.m. call in New York is 4 p.m. here for most of the year, and West Coast colleagues start their day as you're finishing yours.
Limited mobility: Flat streets help a lot here. On the transit network, metro floors sit level with the platform, buses have ramps and wheelchair spaces, and Tisséo Mobibus runs door-to-door trips on demand for people who can't use the bus, tram, or metro. The medieval center is harder going with its narrow lanes and uneven paving in places, so walk the route from your door to the nearest stop before you sign a lease.
Retirement: Toulouse fits retirees who'd rather live in a real city than a resort town. January afternoons average around 50F, the hospital covers serious care, and nothing about daily life requires a car. The trade-offs are summer heat and a center that stays loud on weekend nights, so a quieter neighborhood a few metro stops out may suit you better. Our France retirement visa page explains the visa, the move to France guide covers taxes and healthcare, and the retirement visa hub compares other countries.
Housing
Renting and buying
- 1-bed rent (center)
- $800–$1,000/mo
- 1-bed rent (outside center)
- $600–$750/mo
- Buy price (center)
- $492/sq ft
- Buy price (outside center)
- $302/sq ft
Expatsi estimates, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a car to live in Toulouse?
Not if you live near the metro or tram. A monthly transit pass costs about $60, the center is flat enough to walk or bike, and VélôToulouse bike share covers short trips. A car helps for weekends in the Pyrenees or if you live in an outer suburb.
Is Toulouse a good place to retire?
It's a good fit for retirees who want city life without a car. Toulouse has a large university hospital, a driverless metro, and January afternoons that average around 50F. The downsides are summer highs around 83F in July and August and a lively center that can be noisy on weekend nights.
Is Toulouse safe for Americans?
Toulouse scores 63 out of 100 on our safety index, a little below Nice at 68. Ordinary big-city caution is enough: keep an eye on your bag on transit and in crowded squares, and ask locals about a neighborhood before you rent there.
How hot does Toulouse get in summer?
July and August average highs are around 83F, with nights near 63F. Winters are mild: January averages a high near 50F and a low near 37F. Toulouse gets about 25 inches of rain a year.
How do you get from Toulouse airport to the city center?
As of September 2026, take the airport shuttle bus, which runs every 15 minutes to the center and Matabiau train station and takes 25 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. A new airport tram line from Jean-Maga station is targeted for early 2027.
Is Toulouse less expensive than Paris?
Yes, by a wide margin. We estimate about $2,100 a month for one person in Toulouse against about $3,000 in Paris, and a central one-bedroom rents for around $900 in Toulouse versus about $1,600 in Paris (2026 figures in U.S. dollars).
How much does it cost to live in Toulouse, France?
One person spends about $2,100 a month in Toulouse, and a couple about $3,300, in U.S. dollars as of 2026. A one-bedroom apartment in the center rents for around $900 a month, and about $650 outside the center.
Are there English-speaking schools in Toulouse?
Yes. The International School of Toulouse in Colomiers, west of the city, teaches ages 2½ to 18 in English and offers the IB Diploma. Airbus asked for it to be founded in 1999 for the children of its international staff.
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