France
How much does a trip to Nice cost?
Plan €1839 for 7 nights in Nice, return flight from London included, or €749 travelling cheap. On the ground that works out at €258 per person per day.
- From
- €103/day
- vs. London
- 118%
- Best month
- Jun
Your trip to Nice
Set the length, the number of travellers and the comfort level: the figures recompute here.
€1,839
per person, flight included
- on the ground
- €1,806
- flight from London
- €33
- per person per day, on the ground
- €258
InstantTripCost estimate
Full 7-night budget breakdown
Per-person estimate including flights from London, split across the six expense categories.
per person · Comfort
| Category | Budget | Comfort | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | €28 | €33 | €50 |
| Hotel | €329 | €798 | €1029 |
| Food | €273 | €609 | €1365 |
| Transport | €56 | €126 | €315 |
| Activities | €28 | €140 | €434 |
| Misc | €35 | €133 | €378 |
| 7-night total | €749 | €1839 | €3571 |
Flight from London (annual median).
Unit prices
comfort
Enough to check the total yourself, line by line, at the comfort level you picked.
- €13
- Breakfast
- €25
- Lunch
- €49
- Dinner
- €6
- City ride
- €20
- Site admission
- €258
- A full day
Orders of magnitude derived from our measured ranges, not surveyed venue by venue. Prices vary by neighbourhood and season.
The three tiers
What a budget traveller, a comfort traveller and a premium traveller typically spend.
Budget
€94
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €47
- Meal
- €13
- Transit / day
- €8
Comfort
€219
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €114
- Meal
- €29
- Transit / day
- €18
Luxury
€387
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €147
- Meal
- €65
- Transit / day
- €45
Why visit Nice
Nice has a fare quirk that exists nowhere else on the Mediterranean: a bus or tram ticket costs about €1.70 regardless of distance, and it stays valid on the interurban network covering the whole Riviera. In practice, the same sum takes you three stops down Jean Médecin or all the way to Èze, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Menton or the edge of Monaco, with a transfer allowed within 74 minutes. The budget consequence is large: day trips sold for €40 to €60 elsewhere on the coast cost the price of a city ticket here.
Second thing to know before booking: Nice's beaches are pebble, not sand. That is not a footnote, it is what keeps the city affordable. The public beaches are free, showers included, while much of the neighbouring coastline runs on paid loungers. You need sandals and a mat, and if sand is non-negotiable, bus 100 reaches Villefranche-sur-Mer in about twenty minutes on the same ticket.
On lodging, the October 2026 survey gives €47 for the budget tier, €114 for a decent three-star and €147 for the upper tier. The Nice specificity is that the low end is almost entirely hostels: the city holds a density of them rare for a seaside resort, the cheapest well-rated one around €24 a night. Conversely, a good four-star in the Grand Arénas district near the airport sits around €89, less than a central three-star, because tram line 2 made those 7 kilometres painless.
For two people at mid-range comfort, plan roughly €160 to €210 a day excluding flights. Nice falls in the most expensive quarter of our comparison set, exactly level with Bordeaux, the other French city listed. But the budget shape is unusual: very affordable to move around and to visit, tighter to sleep in July and August.
Weather & best time to visit
Average temperatures and conditions by month in Nice.
Best month to visitJune
Where to sleep in Nice
Choosing a district
In Nice, price tracks distance to the sea far more than distance to the centre. The city stretches in a strip along the Baie des Anges: one block back from the seafront often cuts the bill by 30%, and the two tram lines make the inland districts as practical as the Promenade. The spread runs from €24 in a hostel to over €140 for a seafront hotel.
Vieux Nice
The maze of lanes below the Colline du Château, with the Cours Saleya flower market and Sainte-Réparate cathedral. Few hotels, many apartments, and noise late into summer evenings.
Promenade des Anglais - Carré d'Or
The seafront and the smart streets just behind it. This is the postcard view over five kilometres, and the one sector where the upper tier regularly passes €140 a night.
Gare - Jean Médecin
The shopping axis and tram line 1 hub, a ten-minute walk from the sea. This is where the city's hostels and small family hotels cluster, between €24 and €110 a night.
Grand Arénas - Aéroport
The business cluster 7 kilometres from the centre, linked to Jean Médecin by tram line 2. Recent chains here list €89 to €107 for standards that would cost far more near the sea.
The hotels we measured
Accommodation picks by price range.
Antares hostel
Hostel, well rated (8.1/10) from 1,704 reviews.
Villa Saint Exupery Beach Hostel
Hostel, decent (7.8/10) from 2,936 reviews.
Résidence Appartement Adonis
Hotel, decent (7/10) from 1,005 reviews.
Hotel Saint Gothard
Hotel, decent (7.6/10) from 2,656 reviews.
Hôtel Esprit d'Azur
Hotel, very well rated (8.9/10) from 3,046 reviews.
OKKO Hotels Nice Aéroport
Hotel, very well rated (8.6/10) from 2,602 reviews.
Crowne Plaza - Nice - Grand Arenas by IHG
Hotel, well rated (8.4/10) from 1,130 reviews.
Ikonik Jean Médecin
Hotel, decent (7.9/10) from 1,965 reviews.
All observed hotels in Nice
24 properties, nightly rate for a 2-night stay arriving 15 October 2026.
| Hotel | Category | Rating | From / night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Pastoral | Budget | ★ 7.1 | €24 |
| Antares hostel | Budget | ★ 8.1 | €32 |
| Villa Saint Exupery Beach Hostel | Budget | ★ 7.8 | €36 |
| Hostel Ozz Nice | Budget | ★ 8.1 | €37 |
| Backpackers Chez Patrick | Budget | ★ 8.1 | €38 |
| Alpazur | Budget | ★ 7.6 | €41 |
| SLO Hostel Nice | Budget | ★ 8.8 | €41 |
| Open House #hostel | Budget | ★ 7.5 | €44 |
| Résidence Appartement Adonis | Mid-range | ★ 7 | €53 |
| Hotel Saint Gothard | Mid-range | ★ 7.6 | €70 |
| Hôtel Esprit d'Azur | Mid-range | ★ 8.9 | €79 |
| Hotel Du Midi | Mid-range | ★ 8.1 | €84 |
| OKKO Hotels Nice Aéroport | Luxury | ★ 8.6 | €89 |
| Hôtel Le Seize, Nice Centre | Mid-range | ★ 7.7 | €99 |
| Crowne Plaza - Nice - Grand Arenas by IHG | Luxury | ★ 8.4 | €100 |
| Hôtel Parisien | Mid-range | ★ 8.5 | €103 |
| Ikonik Jean Médecin | Luxury | ★ 7.9 | €106 |
| Holiday Inn Express - Nice - Grand Arenas by IHG | Mid-range | ★ 8.3 | €107 |
| Hotel 64 Nice | Luxury | ★ 8.9 | €110 |
| Hotel 66 Nice | Luxury | ★ 8.8 | €110 |
| Hotel Paganini | Mid-range | ★ 7.9 | €111 |
| Goldstar Resort & Suites | Luxury | ★ 8.2 | €135 |
| Hotel Nice Riviera | Luxury | ★ 7.9 | €138 |
| Le Windsor, Jungle Art Hotel | Luxury | ★ 8.3 | €142 |
Eating in Nice
Concrete benchmarks to set your meal budget, from the morning coffee to dinner.
Nice is one of the few towns on the coast where the local speciality is also the cheapest option. Socca, a chickpea-flour flatbread baked in a wood oven, sells for about €3 a portion and is eaten standing up; pan bagnat, pissaladière and barbajuan follow the same street-food logic under €6. Three of these together replace a sit-down lunch for a third of the price. The Cours Saleya market completes the move: olives, cheese, a chard tart and a baguette make a picnic for two under €15, eaten on the pebbles. The contrast with Promenade des Anglais dining is sharp: a seafront terrace starts closer to €25 a main, and value drops the nearer you get to the water.
Moving around Nice
Transit, distances and the smart moves so you don't pay the tourist tax.
A single ticket runs about €1.70, valid 74 minutes with a transfer, on buses and both tram lines alike. It costs the same whatever the distance and stays valid on the interurban network between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Cap-d'Ail, which turns Èze or Villefranche into outings under €4 return. The classic trap is the airport: the "l'Aéro" pass sold at €10 for one ride into town is avoidable by riding tram 2 free for one or two stops to the Grand Arénas hub, then buying a standard ticket from the same platform. That saves roughly €8 per person per ride, over €30 for a couple on a return trip. The city itself is walkable: five kilometres of Promenade and a flat centre make a car pointless, and parking along the bay is the fastest way to wreck a budget here.
Things to do in Nice
Recommended activities and tours.
Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret
The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nice in Nice, France at 33 av. des Baumettes was built in the former private mansion built in 1878 by the Russian Princess, Elizaveta Vasilievna Kochubey. Named for the artist Jules Chéret who lived and worked in Nice during his final years, the museum opened as the "Palais des Arts Jules Chéret" on 7 January 1928.
Art museum
musée Marc-Chagall
The Marc Chagall National Museum (Chagall Biblical Message) is a French national museum dedicated to the work of painter Marc Chagall - particularly his works inspired by religion - located in Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes.
Art museum
Musée Matisse
The Musée Matisse (French: [myze matis]) in Nice is a municipal museum devoted to the work of French painter Henri Matisse. It gathers one of the world's largest collections of his works, tracing his artistic beginnings and his evolution through his last works.
Art museum
Terra Amata
Terra Amata (Italian for "Beloved Land") is an archaeological site in open air located on the slopes of Mount Boron in Nice, France at a level 26 meters (85 ft) above the current sea level of the Mediterranean. It was discovered and excavated in 1966 by Henry de Lumley.
Archaeological site
Sainte Jeanne d'Arc Church
The Church of Saint Joan of Arc (French: Sainte Jeanne d'Arc) is a Roman Catholic parish church located in Nice, France. Noticeable for its original architecture, the church is dedicated to Joan of Arc.
Church
Grotte du Lazaret
The Grotte du Lazaret (English: Cave of Le Lazaret) is an archaeological cave site of prehistoric human occupation study, situated in the eastern suburbs of the French town of Nice, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Results of excavations have been interpreted as to account for the construction of shelters by humans during the Lower Paleolithic period.
Archaeological site
place Masséna
The Place Masséna (French pronunciation: [plas masena]) is a historic square in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France. It was named for André Masséna.
Square
Église Saint-François-de-Paule
church located in Alpes-Maritimes, in France
Church
Church of Gesù, Nice
Church of the Gesù, Nice also known as The Church of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur of Nice (French: Église du Gesù or French: L’église Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur) is a Roman Catholic church located on Rue Droite in the old town of Nice in the south of France. It is in the Baroque architectural tradition.
Church
Cemenelum
archaeological site in France
Archaeological site
Places referenced on Wikidata. Admission prices vary by season - check each venue's official site.
Paying less in Nice
What moves the needle
What each decision takes off the €1850 total, strongest lever first.
- − €1085
Travel cheap rather than mid-range
Hostel or entry-level hotel, local canteens, public transport. Accommodation is where the gap opens up.
- − €516
Stay five nights instead of seven
Two fewer nights also removes two days of meals, transport and sightseeing.
- − €399
Travel as a pair
The room is shared, nothing else is. Travellers themselves name this as the strongest lever.
Differences computed from our own measurements, for a 7-night mid-range stay, excluding flights.
6 tips on the ground
- The municipal museum pass costs around €15 for 4 days and covers about ten venues, including the Musée Matisse, the Musée des Beaux-Arts Jules Chéret, MAMAC, the Palais Lascaris and the Terra Amata prehistoric site. It is the city's best cultural lever.
- A transport ticket at around €1.70 covers any distance: Èze, Villefranche-sur-Mer or Menton cost the same as a three-stop hop across town.
- Skipping the €10 "l'Aéro" airport pass by stepping off tram 2 at Grand Arénas saves roughly €8 per person per ride.
- Nice's public beaches are free, showers included: only private-beach loungers are paid. Bringing sandals for the pebbles replaces a rental.
- Socca at about €3 a portion and the Cours Saleya market keep lunch for two under €15, against €50 and up on a seafront terrace.
- Sleeping one block behind the Promenade des Anglais, or on the Grand Arénas side served by tram 2, cuts the bill by about 30% at equal comfort.
FAQ
FAQ - Nice
- How much does a week in Nice cost?
- For seven nights, plan roughly €721 per person on a budget (hostel around €24 to €45 a night, socca and the market, €15 museum pass, €1.70 tickets), and around €1,806 at mid-range comfort with a three-star near €114 a night, excluding flights. July and August push the upper end higher, the seafront being the first to tighten.
- What's the best month to visit Nice?
- June and early September. June averages a 24.3°C high for 48mm of rain, September holds 23.5°C with the sea still warm. Avoid if you can: October and November, the two wettest months of the year at 110mm and 134mm, a long way from the always-dry coast image. Spring warms slowly here, April peaks at 16.8°C with ten rainy days, while July is the driest month at 26mm.
- Is Nice an expensive destination?
- It sits in the most expensive quarter of our comparison set, roughly level with Barcelona and clearly above Milan or Rome. But the weight is in seafront lodging, not daily life: €1.70 transport, free beaches and a €15 museum pass mean a day on the ground costs little once the room is paid for.
- Are Nice's beaches free?
- Yes, the public beaches are free and have showers, plus a volleyball court on imported sand. They are large flat pebbles: sandals and a mat are essential, otherwise the walk to the water hurts. Private beaches charge for loungers and towels. For real sand at no premium, bus 100 reaches Villefranche-sur-Mer in about twenty minutes for around €1.70.
At a glance
Wikidata, Wikipedia and Open-Meteo data
- Population
- 358k
- Area
- 72 km²
- Elevation
- 0 m
- Language
- French
- Currency
- €
- Avg. July temp.
- 24°
- Avg. Jan. temp.
- 8°
- Rainy days / year
- 98
inhabitants
Euro
20° - 27°
5° - 12°
About
Nice in brief
Nice is a city located in the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million over an area of approximately 744 km2 (287 sq mi) or about the size of Singapore. Located on the French Riviera, the southeastern coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the French Alps, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region after Marseille.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Keep exploring
Similar budget
Destinations at a similar price
Cost index close to Nice.
Also in France