Living in Monaco, Monaco
Monaco is a smaller coastal city in Monaco (under 250,000 people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 17°C over the year with about 814 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €4,088 a month to live centrally, and Monaco sits in our zero or very low tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Monaco is comparatively open.
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- Est. cost
- €4,088
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Zero or very low
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 17°C
- 814 mm rain a year
- Size
- Smaller
- under 250,000 people
- Safety
- 90/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~200 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Monaco
- No or very low personal income tax
- Stronger healthcare than 100% of the cities we compare
- Safer than 100% of the cities we compare
- Pricier than 95% of the cities we compare
- On or near the sea
Taxes
Monaco sits in our zero or very low tax tier: little to no personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Healthcare
Monaco scores 85 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 100% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Monaco.
Safety and stability
Monaco scores 90 out of 100 on safety, safer than 100% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 7.0 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Monaco. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €4,088 a month to live centrally in Monaco, 50% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 5% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Residency and visas
Comparatively open. Long-term residency comes through demonstrating self-sufficiency (a Monaco bank deposit, or local employment/business income, or support from a resident family member) plus securing local accommodation; there is no quota, lottery, or skilled-worker track, so a wealthy applicant who can fund the bar is reliably admitted.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Monaco:
- Investment: about $581k (Monaco residence via the savings route, AMAF common threshold of EUR 500,000 held in a Monaco bank since 2017 (the funds stay in your account); converted at EUR/USD 1.1629 on 2026-06-02; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: French. English proficiency: good. Social openness scores 80 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Climate
Monaco averages 17°C across the year with about 814 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 36% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Monaco runs at about 200 Mbps, faster than 62% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Monaco
Is Monaco a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Monaco scores well on safety, healthcare, English and social openness. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a mild, moderately wet climate (17°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Monaco and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Monaco?
We estimate about €4,088 a month for a couple living centrally, 50% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Monaco?
Monaco is in our zero or very low tax tier (little to no personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high.
Can foreigners live in Monaco long term?
Our assessment: comparatively open. Long-term residency comes through demonstrating self-sufficiency (a Monaco bank deposit, or local employment/business income, or support from a resident family member) plus securing local accommodation; there is no quota, lottery, or skilled-worker track, so a wealthy applicant who can fund the bar is reliably admitted. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $581k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Monaco?
Monaco averages 17°C across the year with about 814 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 36% of the cities we track.
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