Your budget in Paris
It is important to work out how much you will need to live in Paris before you get to France. As soon as you get here, you will have to settle your schooling fees (about €500 a year minimum, possibly much more for certain programmes), Social Security (about €200), accommodation (two months’ rent in advance*, i.e. about €610 €), and extracurricular-activity enrolment fees (€80). That, plus your shopping, travel and other living expenses will add up to about €1,500.
* You will need to pay a deposit to rent your accommodation (which you will get back when you leave, provided you leave your accommodation in the same condition as you took it).
Living will cost you approximately €800 a month (rent, public transport, telephone, outings, shopping, eating, etc.).
Eating
You can use your student card in all university restaurants. The meals there are very reasonable for students enrolled in any school in Paris (less than €3).
Banks
Banks are generally open Monday to Friday or Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00 am to 12.00 noon and from 2.00 to 5.00 pm.
It is a good idea to open a bank account in France as soon as you get here (the banking fees for using an account abroad can soon empty it).
A little bank-speak…
- A bank card (debit or credit card) is also called a Carte Bleue (“blue card”) in France
- A compte bancaire (bank account) is where the bank keeps your money
- A relevé de compte (bank account statement) is the paper listing all the amounts of money that you deposited and withdrew over the previous month
- A virement is a money transfer from one bank account to another
- A RIB (Relevé d’ Identité Bancaire) is a slip of paper providing details about you (your first name, last name, address, bank account number, etc.) and about your bank (address, branch number, etc.). You will find a couple of RIBs in your chequebook. You will need RIBs to rent accommodation, take out a travel card, get a phone line, etc.
- A chequebook is self-explanatorily a book of cheques. Cheques are used a lot in France
