So it would just be me, I intend to use it as more of sightseeing and immersion of culture than a vacation. I plan to stay in a cheap hostel, and the plane is $1 200 round trip. The hostel has free breakfast and other small amenities. Would I be able to pass by with this and enjoy myself, even if I was living light?
Here is the financial breakdown, based off data but only approximate numbers:
Flight - $1 200
Hostel - $590
Eating Out - $270
Transport (Public) - $108
Transport (Airport to City) - $30
Recreational Money - $200
Leftover - $102
*Total*: $2 500
You can probably get away with it. The above budget should allow you to do stay and get around Paris, not starve to death, and visit the city's various high points. If possibly I'd suggest getting more than $2,500-- on that amount you'll be able to visit the big museums, but I doubt you'll be able to splurge much, and it's amazing how often trips cost more than you intend (especially if you drink at all...)
You might check out hostelworld.com and/or hostelbookers.com--you might be able to find cheaper accommodation if you're willing to stay in a dorm room with other people. This is actually a good way to meet fellow travelers if you're going alone.
If it is ten days including your day of arrival and that of your departure, you would just about make it. There are ways of saving such as buying a Navigo card to travel about. If you are a student and can present a bona fide student card you will get reductions on entry to State owned sites and museums. If you have had a substantial breakfast at the hostel where you are staying you may only need a snack at lunch time and can carry about a bottle of water with you that you can replenish from the tap as the water is safe to drink. Some hostels provide a decent evening meal at very reasonable rates, enabling you to spend more in a restaurant now and again.
