Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Lyon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Lyon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,952 in Cork versus $2,163 in Lyon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,344 in Cork versus $3,334 in Lyon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,735 in Cork versus $4,505 in Lyon.

Living in Cork is roughly 37% more expensive than Lyon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 120% above, Lyon 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.14 €18.18

$17.46 €15.02

21.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 €83.8

$75.9 €65.3

28.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €9.98

$12.52 €10.77

-7.35%

Cappuccino

$4.64 €3.99

$4.02 €3.46

15.42%

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

$2.89 €2.49

$2.84 €2.44

1.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.85

$1.83 €1.57

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.04 €6.06

$7.97 €6.85

-11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 €6.06

$7.11 €6.11

-0.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.48 €1.27

6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.64 €2.27

-19.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.66 €2.28

-18.05%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.61

$4.34 €3.73

-3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 €10.11

$25.03 €21.53

-53.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.64 €10.88

$15.90 €13.68

-20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 €12.86

$26.06 €22.41

-42.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 €2.94

$2.69 €2.31

27.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.60 €2.23

21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 €3.18

$3.44 €2.96

7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.71 €4.91

$3.90 €3.36

46.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.85 €2.46

-1.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.80 €2.41

-24.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.43 €1.23

18.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.91 €0.79

123.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.44 €17.59

$14.10 €12.13

44.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 €11.96

$8.53 €7.34

62.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.20

$3.20 €2.75

16.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 €3.24

$3.10 €2.66

21.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.36 €2.03

0.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 €86.9

$84.3 €72.5

19.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 €4.47

$5.68 €4.89

-8.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 €2.31

$1.90 €1.63

41.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.71 €30.72

$58.5 €50.3

-38.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.10 €1.81

-5.24%

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

$43.2K €37.2K

$37.2K €32.0K

16.23%

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

$39.5K €34.0K

$37.8K €32.5K

4.49%

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

$248 €213

$283 €243

-12.24%

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

$21.89 €18.83

$22.15 €19.06

-1.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.84 €42.87

$37.37 €32.14

33.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 €55.9

$44.01 €37.86

47.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.23 €29.44

$23.14 €19.90

47.93%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 €11.78

$13.87 €11.93

-1.23%

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

$1,363 €1,172

$730 €628

86.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,303 €6,282

$11.8K €10.2K

-38.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.1

$110 €94.5

-5.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.42 €42.51

$50.5 €43.47

-2.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.6

$123 €106

-18.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €100

$168 €144

-30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 €1,580

$984 €846

86.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 €1,291

$713 €613

110.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,203 €2,755

$1,909 €1,642

67.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 €2,215

$1,242 €1,068

107.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,879 €4,197

$6,714 €5,775

-27.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,253 €2,798

$4,089 €3,517

-20.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,354 €3,745

$3,282 €2,824

32.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

3.76

22.34%

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

Last update for Cork: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lyon: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Cork and $984 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 33% 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: $97.0 in Cork vs $76.0 in Lyon. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $434, with Cork cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cork vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cork and Lyon differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,952 vs $2,163 including rent). Lyon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cork pays 33% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,837 in Cork versus $984 in Lyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cork pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lyon – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $97.0 in Cork. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,163 in Lyon versus $2,952 in Cork, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lyon but tight or insufficient in Cork. The gap between the two cities makes Lyon 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, Cork 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 Lyon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.