Cost of Living Comparison Between Caen and Lyon Cost of Living Comparison Between Caen and Lyon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,610 in Caen versus $2,163 in Lyon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,575 in Caen versus $3,334 in Lyon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,539 in Caen versus $4,505 in Lyon.

Living in Caen costs roughly 26% less than in Lyon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Caen 20% above, Lyon 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 €12.96

$17.46 €15.02

-13.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 €49.75

$75.9 €65.3

-23.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 €9.78

$12.52 €10.77

-9.19%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.30

$4.02 €3.46

-33.33%

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

$3.65 €3.14

$2.84 €2.44

28.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.83 €1.57

-21.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 €7.01

$7.97 €6.85

2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.63

$7.11 €6.11

-7.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.48 €1.27

-16.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.64 €2.27

-48.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.66 €2.28

-14.29%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.92

$4.34 €3.73

-21.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 €8.97

$25.03 €21.53

-58.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 €9.75

$15.90 €13.68

-28.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.01 €17.21

$26.06 €22.41

-23.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.69 €2.31

-15.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.60 €2.23

-20.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$3.44 €2.96

-31.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$3.90 €3.36

-37.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.85 €2.46

-34.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.80 €2.41

-19.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.43 €1.23

-5.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.91 €0.79

-39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 €10.96

$14.10 €12.13

-9.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.66

$8.53 €7.34

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$3.20 €2.75

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$3.10 €2.66

-49.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.36 €2.03

-22.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 €43.10

$84.3 €72.5

-40.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 €2.54

$5.68 €4.89

-47.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.90 €1.63

-4.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.44 €31.34

$58.5 €50.3

-37.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.10 €1.81

-1.43%

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

$26.4K €22.7K

$37.2K €32.0K

-28.96%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$37.8K €32.5K

-8.44%

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

$172 €148

$283 €243

-39.07%

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

$23.41 €20.14

$22.15 €19.06

5.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.48 €23.63

$37.37 €32.14

-26.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.20 €26.84

$44.01 €37.86

-29.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 €17.58

$23.14 €19.90

-11.71%

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 €13.39

$13.87 €11.93

12.26%

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

$171 €147

$730 €628

-76.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,661 €7,450

$11.8K €10.2K

-26.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.3

$110 €94.5

0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.42 €31.33

$50.5 €43.47

-27.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 €77.5

$123 €106

-27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €125

$168 €144

-13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 €560

$984 €846

-33.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 €478

$713 €613

-22.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 €1,183

$1,909 €1,642

-27.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 €908

$1,242 €1,068

-15.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,640 €3,991

$6,714 €5,775

-30.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,601 €2,237

$4,089 €3,517

-36.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,582 €2,221

$3,282 €2,824

-21.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.76

-3.72%

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

Last update for Caen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lyon: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $651 in Caen and $984 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Caen vs $76.0 in Lyon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $434 per month, with Caen 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

Caen vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caen and Lyon differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,610 vs $2,163 including rent). Caen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lyon earns 27% less. 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: $651 in Caen versus $984 in Lyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Caen runs roughly 68% less than in Lyon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $171 in Caen versus $730 in Lyon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,610 in Caen versus $2,163 in Lyon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Caen but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Caen 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, Caen 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 Caen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.