How much does a week on the French Riviera cost?
We worked out seven nights on the spot in Nice, Cannes and Saint-Tropez: accommodation, food, local transport and attractions, at three budget levels and in different months. Getting to the Riviera is not included.
A week on the French Riviera for two costs from $1,020 (Cannes, January, Budget) to $5,540 (Saint-Tropez, July, Standard). The Luxury level has no upper limit.
| Place | Cheapest month | September | Most expensive month |
|---|---|---|---|
| NiceBudget | $1,050 (January) | $1,440 | $1,690 (July) |
| NiceStandard | $2,300 (January) | $2,650 | $2,810 (July) |
| NiceLuxury | from $8,180 (January) | from $10,420 | from $11,200 (July) |
| CannesBudget | $1,020 (January) | $1,330 | $1,580 (June) |
| CannesStandard | $2,380 (January) | $3,050 | $3,560 (June) |
| CannesLuxury | from $9,080 (January) | from $10,810 | from $12,180 (June) |
| Saint-TropezBudget | $1,130 (November) | $1,870 | $2,580 (July) |
| Saint-TropezStandard | $2,680 (November) | $4,170 | $5,540 (July) |
| Saint-TropezLuxury | from $11,470 (November) | from $16,760 | from $21,690 (July) |
Amounts converted at the European Central Bank rate of .
What the three levels mean
Budget means a hostel bed, supermarket food and cheap eats, and free sights. Standard means a double room in a three-star hotel, restaurants, a pass for trains and buses and the main tickets. Luxury means a five-star hotel, the best restaurants and taxis, which is why we show it as “from”.
Where the money goes
A Standard week in Nice in September for two costs $2,650. This is how it splits:
- Accommodation: $1,140 (43%)
- Food: $1,170 (44%)
- Local transport: $110 (4%)
- Attractions: $230 (9%)
Accommodation and food are usually more than four fifths of the cost. Transport is cheap, and many sights, the beaches above all, cost nothing.
One base: Nice
The cheapest and easiest plan is to stay in Nice and see the rest of the coast from there. A room in Nice is clearly cheaper than in Cannes or Saint-Tropez, and trains and buses reach most places in well under an hour.
The 7-day Pass Sud Azur Explore costs €50 and gives unlimited trains, trams and buses from Cannes to Menton, Monaco included. It is already part of the Standard level for Nice.
A family of four
For two adults and two children up to 12 we count one apartment instead of hotel rooms. Children count as 60% of an adult for food and 50% for attractions.
| Place | Budget, September | Standard, September | Standard, July |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nice | $1,550 | $3,630 | $3,860 |
| Cannes | $2,140 | $4,390 | $4,900 |
| Saint-Tropez | $2,840 | $5,870 | $7,600 |
Weeks to watch out for
The amounts in the tables are averages for the whole month. During big events accommodation prices usually rise sharply:
- Nice Carnival (Nice, February): One of the world's biggest carnivals: parades, flower battles and night processions for almost three weeks.
- Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix (Nice, June): The street race in Monaco, 12 miles from Nice; fans stay all along the coast.
- MIPIM (Cannes, March): The world's largest real estate trade show, with more than 20,000 participants.
- Cannes Film Festival (Cannes, May): The world's most famous film festival; the town fills with filmmakers, press and onlookers.
- Cannes Lions (Cannes, June): The international festival of the advertising and creative industry.
- Cannes Yachting Festival (Cannes, September): Europe's largest in-water boat show, at the Old Port and Port Canto.
- MIPCOM (Cannes, October): The international trade show of the television and entertainment industry.
- Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez (Saint-Tropez, September and October): A regatta of classic and modern yachts that brings hundreds of crews to the harbor.
How to spend less
- From Nice airport you can get into town for €5.40 round trip instead of €10: the tram between the terminals and the Grand Arénas stop is free, and from there a regular €1.70 ticket is enough (plus a one-off €2 for the card).
- The cheapest way from the airport to Cannes is bus 620 for €2.20. The train costs €9.70 and the direct bus 81 costs €21.40.
- Eat your main meal at midday: a set lunch costs €15–25, while a three-course dinner is about €40 per person.
- Public beaches are free. A beach-club sunbed costs from about €20 in Cannes to €75–85 on Pampelonne beach near Saint-Tropez.
Work out your own trip
Click a place name in the table to estimate the cost for your own party, nights and month. Accommodation prices month by month are in this guide: When is the French Riviera cheapest?
The amounts are our estimates based on publicly available prices. Each place's page lists the sources. In Saint-Tropez many hotels and restaurants are closed from November to March, so a low price there does not mean a full choice.