Daily Life
Making the most of your college experience also means making the most of your daily life. Housing, transportation, and dining are all practical aspects that extend beyond the university campus and directly influence your daily life, playing a vital role in your success and well-being.
The University of Montpellier is here to help you through the process by providing useful resources and advice tailored to your situation.
Finding a place to live
Accommodation Options
CROUs Student Housing
The CROUS is the primary resource for student housing. It offers a wide range of university residence halls and other housing options suited to various budgets and needs, located near colleges, schools, and institutes.
- Housing – Crous Montpellier-Occitanie.
- Lokaviz: a CROUS platform that connects students with private landlords.
Private housing and shared apartments
In addition to university housing, students can look for private rentals—furnished or unfurnished—through private landlords or real estate agencies.
Shared housing is also a more affordable option that emphasizes sharing common spaces and daily life.
There are several platforms that make it easier to find apartments or roommates: leboncoin, se loger, la carte des colocs, colocation 40+, Proby, etc.
Public housing
In Montpellier, the social housing provider ACM Habitat offers student housing in several neighborhoods throughout the city, located near universities, schools, and colleges, as well as all necessary amenities. You do not need to be a scholarship recipient; only the student’s income is taken into account (not their parents’ income).
Intergenerational housing
Intergenerational housing is one of the more affordable options for those looking for affordable rent. Sharing a home and helping out with small daily tasks offers the chance to live in a supportive community while reducing housing costs.
If you have a disability and have questions or concerns about accessible housing, please contact us by email.
Housing assistance
CAF
The Family Allowance Fund ( CAF) is a public agency responsible for providing social benefits and financial assistance, subject to certain conditions.
The CAF's online calculator allows you to estimate the amount of assistance you may be eligible for.
Visale Device
The Visale program is completely free and acts as a guarantor for students under the age of 30. It simplifies the rental process by strengthening your application and, if necessary, covering rent payments in the event of payment difficulties. In fact, if a payment is late, Visale pays the amount owed directly to the landlord, and the tenant then repays the amount advanced.
Easy case
This service allows you to create a streamlined, comprehensive, and secure digital rental application to maximize your chances of finding a place to live.
Useful Resources
Here is a selection of practical information to help you with your procedures:
Eat
The various campuses of the University of Montpellier feature several dining facilities managed by the CROUS. In total, there are 6 university restaurants, 22 cafeterias, and 7 brasseries available to students at UM locations, including Montpellier, Perpignan, Béziers, and Nîmes.
In Sète, in cooperation with the CROUS, a special service for IUT students is available at Lycée Charles de Gaulle (38 rue Robespierre, 34200 Sète).
The Carcassonne Inter-Administrative Restaurant (RIAC), located at 37 Rue de la République in downtown Carcassonne, welcomes you to its dining area. Thanks to the CROUS’s subsidized meal program, you can enjoy meals there for €1 if you receive a grant, or €3.30 if you do not.
The campus in Mende features a student lounge equipped with a vending machine offering hot and cold beverages and sweet snacks, as well as a refrigerator and microwaves. In addition, students can dine at the inter-departmental cafeteria on Boulevard Lucien Arnault.
By creating an Izly account, you can take advantage of discounted rates at university dining halls: €1 for students receiving financial aid and those in financial need, and €3.30 for other students. You must complete this process through the Crous.
Once a week, the UM’s Student Services Office (BVE) offers free food distributions at the Student Centers, in partnership with the Linkee association, for students facing financial hardship.
Getting around
Montpellier
All residents of the Montpellier metropolitan area are eligible for free public transportation on the TaM network, provided they hold a valid Free Pass.
Whether by tram, bus, bustram, or bike, you have plenty of options for getting around the city in an eco-friendly way.
Béziers
The Béziers University Institute of Technology is a 20-minute walk from the SNCF train station. By bus, it can be reached via Bus Line B. A parking pass is also available.
Carcassonne
The RTCA urban transit network makes it easy to get around the city of Carcassonne.
Bus lines 2 and 3 serve the Faculty of Education.
Nîmes
The Tango bus network makes getting around town easier, especially with routes 2 and 5, which serve all three campuses.
Mende
Urban transportation is provided by TUM (Transports Urbains Mendois).
Line 1 drops you off near the Faculty of Education.
Perpignan
The Sankéo network serves Perpignan and the surrounding area. Lines A and C, as well as Line 24, run near the School of Education.
Sète
Buses 1, 2, 3, and 7 stop near the IUT and provide service to the train station and downtown Sète.
Social and financial support
If you are facing financial, administrative, or social difficulties—whether related to housing, meals, or other needs—the University of Montpellier and the CROUS offer additional support services.
The Social and Family Economics Advisor, the Student Life Office, and the social workers at the CROUS are here to listen to you, guide you, and support you throughout your academic journey.
In addition to the services offered by the University, other external programs are available to support students in their daily lives. For example, the activity allowance paid by the CAF helps supplement the income of workers—whether they are employees, self-employed, or working students—after three months of employment.
Services for International Students
International students can find all the information they need about housing and student life in Montpellier on this page: Studying at the University of Montpellier – University of Montpellier.
The SAIEC (International Student and Researcher Services) assists international students and researchers with administrative procedures (residence permits, housing, health insurance, etc.) to help them integrate into university life.
