Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chateauroux and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Chateauroux: $1,800 a month against $2,022 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chateauroux, France
Lyon, France
Chateauroux
🇫🇷 France
$1,800
/mo nomad
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,022
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chateauroux and in Lyon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chateauroux and in Lyon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,800 in Chateauroux versus $2,022 in Lyon.

  • Chateauroux $1,800
  • Lyon $2,022

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,772 in Chateauroux versus $3,156 in Lyon.

  • Chateauroux $2,772
  • Lyon $3,156

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Chateauroux versus $4,290 in Lyon.

  • Chateauroux $3,743
  • Lyon $4,290

Living in Chateauroux costs roughly 11% less than in Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chateauroux 33% above, Lyon 50% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.46 €14.72
$17.07 €15.27
-3.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.5 €49.64
$68.0 €60.8
-18.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.30 €10.10
$13.52 €12.09
-16.42%
Cappuccino
$3.76 €3.37
$4.00 €3.58
-6.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 €2.76
$2.74 €2.45
12.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.73 €1.55
-9.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.75 €6.93
$7.76 €6.94
-0.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.77 €4.27
$6.18 €5.53
-22.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.51 €1.35
-20.53%
White Bread (500g)
$4.09 €3.65
$1.71 €1.53
139.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 €2.87
$2.60 €2.32
23.46%
Eggs
$3.64 €3.26
$4.60 €4.11
-20.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$25.13 €22.47
$22.55 €20.16
11.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.38 €11.07
$12.44 €11.12
-0.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.83 €16.84
$23.01 €20.58
-18.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 €2.70
$2.40 €2.15
25.83%
Banana (1kg)
$2.60 €2.32
$2.49 €2.23
4.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.94 €2.63
$3.52 €3.15
-16.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.00 €2.68
$3.03 €2.71
-0.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$2.46 €2.20
-23.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.95 €2.64
-36.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.30 €1.16
8.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.64
$1.12 €1.00
-36.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.26 €12.75
$13.81 €12.35
3.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.86 €6.14
$7.84 €7.01
-12.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.50 €3.13
$2.73 €2.44
28.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 €2.55
$3.34 €2.99
-14.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.03 €1.82
$2.30 €2.05
-11.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.76 €42.71
$81.7 €73.1
-41.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.55 €4.96
$3.37 €3.01
64.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.70 €2.42
$2.26 €2.02
19.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.41 €32.56
$46.12 €41.24
-21.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.17 €1.94
$2.28 €2.04
-4.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K €30.9K
$34.9K €31.2K
-1.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €34.9K
$37.5K €33.5K
3.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$263 €235
-36.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.38 €12.86
$14.04 €12.55
2.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.22 €27.91
$29.06 €25.98
7.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.14 €31.42
$37.96 €33.94
-7.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.03 €25.06
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.25 €11.85
$14.92 €13.34
-11.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,068 €955
$629 €563
69.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.3K €17.2K
$12.3K €11.0K
56.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.2 €84.2
$108 €96.8
-13.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.63 €30.96
$43.76 €39.13
-20.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.3 €81.6
$121 €108
-24.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 €121
$128 €114
6.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$770 €688
$922 €824
-16.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 €556
$684 €612
-9.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 €1,289
$1,910 €1,708
-24.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 €1,021
$1,358 €1,214
-15.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,111 €3,676
$6,450 €5,767
-36.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,105 €2,776
$4,230 €3,782
-26.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chateauroux
Lyon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,436 €3,073
$3,268 €2,923
5.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.89
3.68
5.71%

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

Last update for Chateauroux: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lyon: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chateauroux
$622
Lyon
$684 10% $62
Groceries & Markets
Chateauroux
$392
Lyon
$384 2% $7.9
Eating Out
Chateauroux
$278
Lyon
$294 6% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chateauroux
$212
Lyon
$306 44.3% $94
Clothing & Footwear
Chateauroux
$160
Lyon
$180 12.6% $20
Getting Around
Chateauroux
$75
Lyon
$106 40.8% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Chateauroux
$62
Lyon
$68 10% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $770 in Chateauroux and $922 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chateauroux pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56 in Chateauroux vs $68 in Lyon. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $384, with Lyon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Chateauroux
🇫🇷 Lyon
🕒 Local time
23:42 11:42 PM
23:42 11:42 PM
Same time as Chateauroux
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
42,968
522,250
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chateauroux Lyon 270 km
From you
  • Chateauroux
  • Lyon

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
Chateauroux vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Chateauroux and in Lyon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,800 in Chateauroux and $2,022 in Lyon, so Chateauroux is about 11% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Chateauroux or Lyon?
Average pay runs 5% higher in Chateauroux, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Chateauroux and in Lyon?
Rent for a central apartment: $770 in Chateauroux versus $922 in Lyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Chateauroux and Lyon?
Childcare runs $1,068 in Chateauroux versus $629 in Lyon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chateauroux – a meal for two runs $56 versus $68 in Lyon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $3,000 go in Chateauroux compared to Lyon?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Chateauroux gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Chateauroux and Lyon?
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.
Is Chateauroux or Lyon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Chateauroux and Lyon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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