The price of student housing in 2022: what budget to plan for?

To properly prepare for the transition to university or college, many young French people are searching for student accommodation. The price map of residences highlights significant disparities between major cities across the country, especially between the Île-de-France region and the rest of the country.

While the average price of student accommodation is around 500 euros according to the latest available studies, the cost of a room, studio, or university residence varies depending on the price of real estate per square meter in different regions of the country. Colonies provides an overview of student rents throughout France and helps you quickly understand the essentials of the topic.

Student housing in Île-de-France: what budget to plan for?

According to the special student section of Le Parisien newspaper, the capital logically occupies the top spot for cities where student accommodation is most expensive in 2021. Indeed, according to the data cited by this newspaper, an empty studio costs 826 euros in rent, while an empty room amounts to almost 1000 euros per month (exactly 989). Paris is a true exception in this regard, as generally, empty rooms are cheaper than studios of the same category. The typical size of a studio in Paris is only 14 square meters, compared to a national average closer to 25, revealing some of the highest standard real estate prices in the country. These very high prices are also explained by high demand that the supply does not always meet.

Major Provincial Cities: More Affordable, Really?

While Paris is by far the most expensive city for student accommodation, other major regional cities also have very high average rents. This is the case, for example, in Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Lyon, and Bordeaux, where a studio costs between 500 and 600 euros per month.

But fortunately, not all major cities and medium-sized towns are financially difficult for students. Among the least expensive student cities, it is worth mentioning Toulouse, Brest, Rennes, Nancy, or Poitiers, which are below the 400 euros rent mark for an empty room. An empty studio costs even less than 400 euros maximum in Tours, Clermont-Ferrand, and Dijon, placing these three cities among the best in France in this sector.

What Type of Student Housing to Choose?

While studios and rooms are generally mentioned when discussing student housing, other categories exist. Some offer interesting advantages for young people with very modest incomes.

Firstly, there are university rooms provided by CROUS (Regional Center for University and School Works), which offer inexpensive accommodation for young people, from 200 to 400 euros per month, depending on the cities. You also have the option of turning to studios and apartments in private residences, more expensive than those of CROUS, but generally more spacious and better equipped with services (laundry, study rooms, or parking).

Another option is homestay accommodation, which can be interesting, especially for foreigners who want to immerse themselves in French culture and have more opportunities to practice the national language on a daily basis. In this situation, rents range from 250 to 300 euros per month in the provinces and 400 euros in Paris, far from the prices of typical empty studios.

Finally, shared accommodation generally allows students to invest in a larger apartment by splitting costs between several young people, who then pool their resources. However, as a co-tenant, you have a solidarity clause by which you undertake to pay if one of your associates fails to pay the rent. This same clause requires a co-tenant wishing to leave the residence to continue paying the rent for a limited period.

How to Finance Your Move to Student Accommodation?

The amount required to live in some residences or empty rooms may seem excessive for many young students. However, there are state housing allowances to help pay the rent. The main ones are APL (personalized housing assistance) and ALS (social housing allowance). The first applies to conventional housing (HLM, size T1 to T3), while the second applies if the person does not already receive APL or family housing allowance. All these requests for financial assistance can be made on the Service-Public.fr website. You can also get more information at this address and find out if you fully meet the conditions to be eligible.