For one person, living is cheaper in Cergy: $1,666 a month against $2,025 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cergy and in Lyon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,666 per month in Cergy vs $2,025 in Lyon, rent included.
Cergy $1,666
Lyon $2,025
A couple spends around $2,536 per month in Cergy vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.
Cergy $2,536
Lyon $3,130
A family of three spends $3,405 per month in Cergy vs $4,236 in Lyon, rent included.
Cergy $3,405
Lyon $4,236
🙂
Cergy is about 18% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both Cergy and Lyon sit above the global median – Cergy by 23%, Lyon by 50%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.87€7.89
$16.87€15.00
-47.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.28€43.83
$67.0€59.6
-26.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.05€8.05
$13.32€11.85
-32.06%
Cappuccino
$2.81€2.50
$4.11€3.66
-31.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30€1.16
$2.87€2.55
-54.70%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.55
$1.73€1.54
0.58%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.16€4.59
$8.00€7.12
-35.50%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.49€4.88
$6.31€5.61
-13.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.24€1.11
$1.51€1.34
-17.88%
White Bread(500g)
$1.88€1.67
$1.72€1.53
9.30%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.83€2.51
$2.49€2.21
13.65%
Eggs
$4.04€3.60
$4.63€4.12
-12.74%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$21.87€19.45
$22.54€20.05
-2.97%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.42€9.27
$12.38€11.01
-15.83%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$23.27€20.70
$23.55€20.95
-1.19%
Apples(1kg)
$3.43€3.05
$2.40€2.13
42.92%
Banana(1kg)
$2.09€1.86
$2.41€2.14
-13.28%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.21€1.96
$3.54€3.15
-37.57%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.16€1.92
$3.07€2.73
-29.64%
Potato(1kg)
$1.91€1.70
$2.54€2.26
-24.80%
Onion(1kg)
$2.03€1.80
$3.08€2.74
-34.09%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.78€1.58
$1.35€1.20
31.85%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68€0.61
$1.06€0.94
-35.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.07€11.63
$13.90€12.36
-5.97%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.45€7.51
$8.04€7.15
5.10%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40€2.14
$2.75€2.45
-12.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.31€3.84
$3.32€2.95
29.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.87€1.66
$2.29€2.03
-18.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$48.29€42.95
$83.6€74.4
-42.26%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.24€1.99
$7.92€7.04
-71.72%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.14€1.90
$2.17€1.93
-1.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.55€21.84
$41.68€37.08
-41.10%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.95€1.73
$2.23€1.99
-12.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K€30.1K
$34.8K€31.0K
-2.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.2K€31.3K
$34.9K€31.0K
1.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$206€183
$270€240
-23.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.07€13.41
$14.35€12.76
5.02%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.38€19.91
$28.64€25.48
-21.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$35.13€31.25
$39.31€34.96
-10.63%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.36€24.34
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.22€12.65
$14.64€13.02
-2.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$625€556
$619€550
0.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,211€7,304
$11.3K€10.0K
-27.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.2€78.4
$109€96.8
-18.96%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.58€36.09
$43.48€38.67
-6.67%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.8€88.8
$123€109
-18.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104€92.1
$124€111
-16.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$742€660
$886€788
-16.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$602€535
$672€598
-10.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,384€1,231
$1,804€1,604
-23.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,104€982
$1,285€1,143
-14.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,853€3,427
$6,364€5,661
-39.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,001€2,669
$3,953€3,516
-24.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cergy
Lyon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,624€2,334
$3,062€2,723
-14.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.5
3.68
-4.89%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cergy: October 12, 2026
Last update for Lyon: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cergy
$602 36.1%
Lyon
$672 33.2% ↑ 11.7%$70
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cergy
$358 21.5%
Lyon
$385 19% ↑ 7.5%$27
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cergy
$243 14.6%
Lyon
$313 15.5% ↑ 28.8%$70
🍽Eating Out
Cergy
$181 10.9%
Lyon
$295 14.6% ↑ 63.3%$114
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cergy
$149 9%
Lyon
$180 8.9% ↑ 20.3%$30
🚌Getting Around
Cergy
$69 4.1%
Lyon
$112 5.5% ↑ 62.4%$43
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cergy
$64 3.8%
Lyon
$69 3.4% ↑ 7.9%$5
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cergy
$1.1K 32.4%
Lyon
$1.3K 30.3% ↑ 16.4%$181
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cergy
$843 24.8%
Lyon
$911 21.5% ↑ 8%$68
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cergy
$258 7.6%
Lyon
$327 7.7% ↑ 26.8%$69
🍽Eating Out
Cergy
$600 17.6%
Lyon
$921 21.7% ↑ 53.4%$320
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cergy
$332 9.8%
Lyon
$400 9.4% ↑ 20.3%$67
🚌Getting Around
Cergy
$141 4.1%
Lyon
$228 5.4% ↑ 61.3%$87
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cergy
$127 * 3.7%
Lyon
$165 3.9% ↑ 29.4%$37
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Cergy 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 17% higher in Lyon, 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 $49.00 in Cergy versus $67.0 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $385 – making Cergy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
Cergy vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lyon cheaper than Cergy?
Yes – Lyon is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,498 per month in Cergy and $3,038 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cergy, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Cergy or in Lyon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Cergy and $67.0 in Lyon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Cergy and in Lyon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,666 in Cergy and $2,025 in Lyon. That's a gap of about 22%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Cergy or in Lyon?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cergy, where all-in costs run around $1,666, than in Lyon at $2,025. In Cergy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cergy or Lyon more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cergy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Cergy or Lyon?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cergy. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.