How It cost approximately $1.12 million. to light up Eiffel Tower yearly !

© Brian Kinney

The Paris skyline is famous for its, well, lack of skyline. Up until 2010, the city of lights had a ban on how tall a new building could be, limiting most new structures to below 37 meters, or about 11 stories. The rules have recently been relaxed, but the progress has been far from Dubai-like.

As a result, Parisians and tourists alike get the chance to enjoy an unobstructed, almost-archaic view of the city, with the Eiffel Tower standing as the primary dominating point, piercing into the sky. Gleaming during the day, erupting into light in the evening. (Do you know these 19 mind-blowing facts about the Eiffel Tower?) 

But at what cost? The monument certainly keeps the meter whirring; each year it costs £963,600, or approximately $1.12 million. Each day, that’s a bill of £2,640, or $3,074. All told, the tower has a total of 20,000 light bulbs lining the frame, and it takes about 22 megawatts of electricity per day to run.

Lighting specialists Festive Lights can be thanked for the detailed breakdown—but they didn’t stop there. If you’re curious about the costs to power the Las Vegas Strip of Times Square for instance, they have all the numbers ever needed on those major monuments, and more.

Inspired to head to Paris, France? Make sure to brush up on these 10 French phrases everyone should know.