Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Lyon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Lyon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Cambridge vs $2,163 in Lyon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,455 per month in Cambridge vs $3,334 in Lyon, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,757 per month in Cambridge vs $4,505 in Lyon, rent included.

Cambridge costs about 46% more than Lyon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cambridge and Lyon sit above the global median – Cambridge by 135%, Lyon by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.65 £19.81

$17.46 €15.02

52.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 £70.5

$75.9 €65.3

25.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.09

$12.52 €10.77

-13.02%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.65

$4.02 €3.46

22.14%

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

$2.87 £2.13

$2.84 €2.44

1.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.83 €1.57

9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 £5.90

$7.97 €6.85

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 £6.05

$7.11 €6.11

14.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.48 €1.27

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 £1.66

$2.64 €2.27

-15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 £2.16

$2.66 €2.28

9.40%

Eggs

$4.62 £3.43

$4.34 €3.73

6.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 £9.39

$25.03 €21.53

-49.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 £7.60

$15.90 €13.68

-35.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.20 £13.53

$26.06 €22.41

-30.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.35

$2.69 €2.31

17.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$2.60 €2.23

-22.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 £2.80

$3.44 €2.96

9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 £2.64

$3.90 €3.36

-8.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.85 €2.46

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$2.80 €2.41

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.43 €1.23

-3.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$0.91 €0.79

60.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.53 £15.26

$14.10 €12.13

45.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 £8.37

$8.53 €7.34

32.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 £2.58

$3.20 €2.75

8.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 £3.10

$3.10 €2.66

34.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$2.36 €2.03

13.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 £60.3

$84.3 €72.5

-3.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.71 £4.99

$5.68 €4.89

18.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 £1.86

$1.90 €1.63

31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.3 £39.62

$58.5 €50.3

-8.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.10 €1.81

-10.48%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$37.2K €32.0K

1.70%

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

$44.6K £33.1K

$37.8K €32.5K

17.89%

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

$341 £253

$283 €243

20.64%

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

$15.52 £11.54

$22.15 €19.06

-29.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.75 £28.80

$37.37 €32.14

3.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 £54.8

$44.01 €37.86

67.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.71 £10.93

$23.14 €19.90

-36.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.27 £12.09

$13.87 €11.93

17.30%

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

$2,297 £1,707

$730 €628

214.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K £17.3K

$11.8K €10.2K

96.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 £63.9

$110 €94.5

-21.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 £42.07

$50.5 €43.47

11.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 £64.0

$123 €106

-30.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £89.5

$168 €144

-28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 £1,421

$984 €846

94.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 £1,169

$713 €613

120.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,540 £2,632

$1,909 €1,642

85.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,484 £1,847

$1,242 €1,068

100.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,341 £6,943

$6,714 €5,775

39.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,064 £4,507

$4,089 €3,517

48.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,417 £3,283

$3,282 €2,824

34.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.76

47.34%

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

Last update for Cambridge: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lyon: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,912 in Cambridge versus $984 in Lyon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 35% higher in Cambridge, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Cambridge versus $76.0 in Lyon. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Cambridge vs $434 in Lyon – so Cambridge wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cambridge vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 46%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,730 per month in Cambridge and $3,244 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lyon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Cambridge and $76.0 in Lyon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,153 in Cambridge and $2,163 in Lyon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lyon, where all-in costs run around $2,163, than in Cambridge at $3,153. In Lyon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cambridge it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lyon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lyon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cambridge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.