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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,308 per month in Cambridge vs $2,128 in Lyon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,557 per month in Cambridge vs $3,264 in Lyon, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,805 per month in Cambridge vs $4,400 in Lyon, rent included.

Cambridge costs about 55% more than Lyon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cambridge and Lyon sit above the global median – Cambridge by 141%, Lyon by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 £16.50

$17.57 €15.11

27.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 £67.4

$70.3 €60.4

29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 £8.02

$14.08 €12.10

-22.94%

Cappuccino

$4.66 £3.44

$4.25 €3.65

9.65%

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

$2.87 £2.12

$2.98 €2.56

-3.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.84 €1.58

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 £5.86

$8.09 €6.96

-1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 £5.59

$6.32 €5.44

19.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.62 €1.39

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.09 €1.80

-13.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.78 €2.39

-4.32%

Eggs

$4.71 £3.48

$4.72 €4.06

-0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 £7.57

$23.38 €20.10

-56.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 £7.13

$13.72 €11.79

-29.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 £11.76

$27.43 €23.58

-42.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.30

$2.44 €2.10

27.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$2.40 €2.06

-28.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 £2.70

$3.40 €2.93

7.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 £2.59

$3.28 €2.82

7.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.91 €2.51

-37.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 £1.35

$3.07 €2.64

-40.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.50 €1.29

-14.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.22 €1.05

61.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.07 £17.05

$14.55 €12.51

58.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 £8.43

$8.93 €7.68

27.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.49

$2.92 €2.51

15.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 £2.97

$3.57 €3.07

12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.68 £2.72

$2.50 €2.15

47.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.2

$87.2 €75.0

10.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 £5.91

$8.63 €7.42

-7.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 £1.98

$2.26 €1.95

18.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.0 £38.43

$43.74 €37.61

18.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$2.31 €1.98

-10.39%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$35.2K €30.3K

12.07%

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

$42.0K £31.1K

$36.3K €31.2K

15.81%

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

$344 £254

$275 €236

25.17%

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

$19.34 £14.29

$15.34 €13.19

26.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.48 £32.88

$33.34 €28.66

33.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 £50.1

$43.40 €37.31

56.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 £15.80

$29.48 €25.34

-27.48%

Cinema Ticket

$17.77 £13.14

$15.35 €13.20

15.77%

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

$2,574 £1,903

$652 €561

294.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K £22.3K

$11.9K €10.2K

154.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 £67.4

$121 €104

-24.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.47 £35.83

$48.93 €42.06

-0.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 £69.8

$130 €112

-27.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 £97.3

$129 €111

1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 £1,577

$886 €762

140.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 £1,325

$703 €604

155.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,280 £2,424

$1,841 €1,582

78.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,691 £1,990

$1,302 €1,119

106.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,088 £6,718

$6,580 €5,657

38.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,091 £4,502

$4,128 €3,549

47.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,436 £3,279

$3,196 €2,748

38.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

3.68

36.96%

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

Last update for Cambridge: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lyon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,134 in Cambridge versus $886 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 39% 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 $91.0 in Cambridge versus $70.0 in Lyon. Groceries tell a different story – $334 in Cambridge vs $420 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 55%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,962 per month in Cambridge and $3,192 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 $91.0 in Cambridge and $70.0 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 $3,308 in Cambridge and $2,128 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 $2,128, than in Cambridge at $3,308. 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.