What I Actually Spent Last Month in a French Coliving
Is coliving cheaper than Airbnb or short-term rentals? A transparent, real-life cost breakdown from a midlife remote professional living with others in France.
COLIVING CONFIDENTIAL
When remote-curious folks ask me about coliving, the first question is usually about community (often, it’s “Will I be the oldest one out there?” The answer is no). Their second question is almost always about how much coliving costs.
Is it actually cheaper than Airbnb? Less expensive than renting a short-term apartment? Or is coliving just a prettier version of having roommates, with better branding?
The good news is that there are a ton of options, and you can really make of it what you will.
Last month, I lived and worked a second time around at Château Coliving in Normandy, France — a grand castle surrounded by fields and white marshes, with deer and storks gracing its grounds.
I booked a deluxe room with a private bath. I’ve been working full-time, cooking most meals at home, going out occasionally, and tracking expenses like the good little journalist I am.
Here’s a transparent snapshot of this past month, rounded to the nearest dollar or ten, and converted between CAD, EU, and USD.
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Rent
Rent: €1,990 (approx. CAD $2,925 / USD $2,150)
This includes:
Private deluxe room with ensuite
Coworking space, shared kitchen and ample communal rooms
High-speed Wi-Fi
Coffee and tea
Writers Haven program
Regular coliving programming (eg. movie nights, market days, weekly group dinners, crepes on Sundays)
France, like much of Western Europe, sits on the higher end for coliving pricing. But this is a full-service environment.
ICYMI, our latest:
Insurance & Stuff
My travel credit card covers the first three weeks in any destination. I purchased one extra week of full coverage including medical, travel interruption/cancellation, device coverage, etc.
Insurance: CAD $48 (approx. €33 / USD $35)
Airalo eSIM: CAD $23 (approx. €16 / USD $17)
Laundry (machine wash, hang dry): €12 (approx. CAD $18 / USD $13)
Car Rental & Fuel
A hybrid car rented through Avis at CDG airport, which I used to get to and from Paris, and to get out exploring free beaches and trails around Normandy:
€700 total (approx. CAD $1,030 / USD $760)
I offset about €250 by providing rides to other co-livers.
Net transport cost: €450 (approx CAD $660 / USD $490)
Normandy is rural. If you want to explore beaches, markets, and nearby towns like Bayeux, a car makes sense.
Groceries
Weekly shop at Super U nearby, plus produce picked up at the outdoor market: €280 (approx. CAD $412 / USD $302)
Most days, we cook ourselves in the shared kitchen.
Food & Entertainment Out
€120 (approx. CAD $175 / USD $130)
That covered one karaoke night, one pub afternoon, a lunch at a tea house in Bayeux, a few café mornings, visits to a museum and a chapel, and the occasional pastry.
I regret nothing.
So… Is Coliving Worth It?
My total on-the-ground cost for the month (excluding flights and home base expenses):
€2,901 (approx. CAD $4,265 / USD $3,130)
A few caveats before you start running your own numbers.
Without the car rental, my total for the month would have been: €2,451 (approx. CAD $3,600 / USD $2,650)
Flights are not included here, as those vary widely depending on origin and points usage. If you’re into slow travel and taking buses or trains from place to place, you can average those bigger expenses over the months you spend in any given area.
If your credit card charges foreign transaction fees, factor that in.
If you’re maintaining a home base (mortgage, rent, storage, phone plan, subscriptions), those fixed costs still exist — and they can change the equation entirely. This snapshot reflects on-the-ground living costs only.
Coliving pricing varies dramatically by region and type. France and Western Europe tend to sit on the higher end. Similar setups in Southeast Asia or Latin America may cost significantly less — but flights and transport can offset some of that difference.
Finally, this month reflects my personal travel style: private room, some independence, moderate exploration. If you don’t rent a car, eat out more frequently, or choose a shared room instead of an ensuite, your numbers will shift.
The bigger question isn’t just “Is it cheaper?”
It’s: what are you comparing it to?
If you’re weighing coliving against total isolation in a solo Airbnb, the cost difference may be modest. If you’re comparing it to maintaining a full household alone — furniture, appliances, utilities, coworking, cleaning, social life — the shared infrastructure starts to make more sense.
And don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from trying it. Give it a real month. Not a week, not a long weekend. A month. Even at a month, you’re just getting started. It takes time to settle into rhythms, to understand the social dynamics, to see whether the environment supports your work and your energy.
Coliving isn’t for everyone. But it’s also not just for twenty-somethings, hippies (love you guys), or influencers chasing sunsets.
For many of us in midlife, it’s simply a different way to live a little lighter, without owning one of everything… and without doing it all alone.
✌🏻 Miranda
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