Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lyon Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Lyon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $2,086 in Lyon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $3,232 in Lyon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,379 in Lyon.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 19% more expensive than in Lyon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Lyon 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$17.03 €14.84

10.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$70.2 €61.2

-1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$13.83 €12.05

-0.43%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.36 €3.80

-28.90%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.86 €2.50

-1.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.80 €1.57

4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$8.32 €7.25

-52.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$6.42 €5.59

-29.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.60 €1.40

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.08 €1.81

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.71 €2.36

-35.06%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$4.64 €4.05

10.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$23.52 €20.50

-23.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$13.85 €12.08

-30.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$27.45 €23.92

-26.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.45 €2.14

32.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.41 €2.10

-7.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.36 €2.93

-22.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.42 €2.98

-19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.76 €2.41

-19.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.00 €2.62

-29.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.43 €1.25

8.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.21 €1.06

-21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$14.16 €12.34

-48.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$9.02 €7.86

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.80 €2.44

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$3.60 €3.14

-22.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.48 €2.16

25.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$84.6 €73.8

-69.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$8.27 €7.21

-60.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.31 €2.01

-35.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$42.74 €37.26

-19.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.20 €1.92

-21.36%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.4K €31.7K

$36.0K €31.4K

1.10%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.5K €26.6K

$36.6K €31.9K

-16.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$187 €163

$277 €242

-32.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.14 €13.20

$15.06 €13.13

0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$32.15 €28.02

17.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$44.00 €38.35

27.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$28.61 €24.94

-40.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$14.80 €12.90

-22.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$997 €869

$640 €558

55.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$11.8K €10.2K

40.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$120 €104

-22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$48.79 €42.53

-15.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$126 €110

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$131 €114

-4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$901 €785

89.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$682 €594

88.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,862 €1,624

37.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,276 €1,112

52.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$6,541 €5,702

16.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$4,166 €3,631

24.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$3,170 €2,763

-25.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

3.68

-14.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lyon: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $901 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Lyon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $419 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Lyon differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $2,086 including rent). Lyon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Lyon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $901 in Lyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $640 in Lyon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,086 in Lyon versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lyon but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lyon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Lyon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lyon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.