🇮🇹
Rome
Italy
Ancient ruins, dolce vita and Italy's biggest capital.
🇫🇷
Toulouse
France
The pink city — French southwest with a major student population.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇮🇹 Rome
€1,050–1,350 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇫🇷 Toulouse
€900–1,200 / month
Best for
🇮🇹 Rome
- Students who want a major European capital
- Those passionate about history and classical culture
- People looking for top-tier universities
Best for
🇫🇷 Toulouse
- Students who want to improve their French
- Those looking for a warm southern French city
- People interested in aerospace or engineering
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
🇮🇹 Rome
🇫🇷 Toulouse
Expensive
Cost of Living
Moderate
High
Nightlife
High
Very Good
Weather
Very Good
Excellent
Travel Opportunities
High
Very Active
Student Life
Outstanding
Tight
Housing
Manageable
Top-Tier
University Reputation
Strong
Student insights
🇮🇹 Rome
- Extraordinary historical and cultural heritage
- Prestigious universities with many international programmes
- Excellent rail and flight connections
Student insights
🇫🇷 Toulouse
- Warm southern French climate
- Huge student population
- Strong universities, especially in engineering
Student voice — 🇮🇹 Rome
“Rome is overwhelming at first, then you fall in love.”
Student voice — 🇫🇷 Toulouse
“Toulouse made me actually use my French.”
🇮🇹 Rome
Pros
- Extraordinary historical and cultural heritage
- Prestigious universities with many international programmes
- Excellent rail and flight connections
- Vibrant food and aperitivo culture
- Pleasant Mediterranean climate most of the year
Cons
- Very competitive and expensive housing
- Public transport can be slow and crowded
- Notoriously slow administrative processes
- Massive tourist crowds in central areas
- Erasmus community feels fragmented across the city
🇫🇷 Toulouse
Pros
- Warm southern French climate
- Huge student population
- Strong universities, especially in engineering
- Lively bar and music scene
- Beautiful pink-brick architecture
Cons
- French language barrier in daily life
- Housing tightens at the start of the year
- Hot summers
- Smaller international community than Paris
- Public transport less extensive than larger metros
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.