Paris vs Rouen
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Paris edges it, 68 to 67, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Paris is stronger on getting there & around; Rouen on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
The capital of everything, at a capital's price
Full Paris profile →Plan a trip to Paris →Normandy's capital, about 1 h 15 from Paris by train
Full Rouen profile →Plan a trip to Rouen →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Paris leads on getting there & around, 88 to 74, against Rouen. Non-stop airport destinations: 332 vs 305.
- Internet. Rouen leads on internet, 87 to 77, against Paris. Measured download: 64.2 Mbps vs 77.5 Mbps.
- Climate. Paris leads on climate, 33 to 25, against Rouen. Comfortable months: 4 vs 3.
Where they are close. Within five points on safety, healthcare, visa ease, air quality, quality of life.
Pick Paris if you want
- more flights and easier getting around
Pick Rouen if you want
- to spend about $452 less a month
- faster internet (77.5 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Paris | Rouen |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 22 | 31 ✓ |
| Safety | 68 | 68 |
| Healthcare | 87 | 87 |
| Internet | 77 | 87 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 88 ✓ | 74 |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 25 |
| Air quality | 90 | 90 |
| Quality of life | 81 | 81 |
Cost
| Metric | Paris | Rouen |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,902 | $2,450 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $2,239 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Paris | Rouen |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.33 | 1.33 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 64 | 64 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 82 |
| Life expectancy | 82.5 yrs | 82.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Paris | Rouen |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 64.2 Mbps | 77.5 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 12.2 Mbps | 83.1 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Paris | Rouen |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Paris | Rouen |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 332 ✓ | 305 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Paris | Rouen |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.3 µg/m³ | 9.3 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Paris or Rouen?
- Rouen is cheaper: about $2,450 per month versus $2,902 for one person.
- Is Paris or Rouen safer?
- Paris and Rouen score the same on safety (68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Paris or Rouen?
- Rouen: a measured median of 77.5 Mbps versus 64.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.