Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cork and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lyon: $2,050 a month against $3,214 in Cork, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Cork
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Cork Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,214

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cork 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 Cork and in Lyon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,214 in Cork versus $2,050 in Lyon.

Cork $3,214
Lyon $2,050

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,510 in Cork versus $3,182 in Lyon.

Cork $4,510
Lyon $3,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,807 in Cork versus $4,315 in Lyon.

Cork $5,807
Lyon $4,315

Living in Cork is roughly 57% more expensive than in Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cork 136% above, Lyon 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.95 €19.66

$16.86 €15.10

30.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 €79.2

$67.5 €60.5

31.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 €11.51

$13.67 €12.25

-6.00%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.98

$4.12 €3.69

8.01%

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

$2.86 €2.56

$2.76 €2.47

3.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €2.01

$1.65 €1.48

35.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 €6.58

$7.60 €6.80

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 €6.49

$6.08 €5.44

19.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.57 €1.41

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.72 €1.54

35.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.45 €2.20

-24.08%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.96

$4.74 €4.25

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.15 €12.67

$22.95 €20.55

-38.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €11.40

$12.21 €10.93

4.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 €14.66

$22.99 €20.59

-28.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.94

$2.41 €2.16

36.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.51 €2.24

15.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €3.02

$3.43 €3.07

-1.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 €4.30

$3.19 €2.85

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$2.50 €2.24

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.57

$2.94 €2.64

-40.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.41 €1.27

-2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.07 €0.96

100.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.31 €18.19

$13.89 €12.44

46.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 €12.13

$7.77 €6.96

74.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 €3.70

$2.66 €2.38

55.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.17

$3.25 €2.91

8.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.42 €2.16

-29.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 €69.4

$82.3 €73.7

-5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.68

$8.39 €7.52

-37.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.34

$2.20 €1.97

-32.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.62 €29.22

$41.20 €36.89

-20.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.21 €1.98

-3.62%

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

$38.6K €34.6K

$34.4K €30.8K

12.31%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$37.6K €33.6K

0.07%

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

$235 €211

$268 €240

-12.11%

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

$21.68 €19.41

$14.01 €12.55

54.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €49.94

$29.09 €26.06

91.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.97

$36.88 €33.03

48.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.40 €13.79

$28.38 €25.41

-45.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 €11.86

$15.33 €13.73

-13.63%

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

$1,071 €959

$628 €563

70.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,278 €4,727

$11.2K €10.0K

-52.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €85.3

$108 €96.5

-11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 €37.46

$43.36 €38.84

-3.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.6

$122 €109

-13.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €106

$127 €114

-6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 €1,976

$891 €798

147.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 €1,642

$702 €629

161.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 €2,874

$1,879 €1,683

70.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,723 €2,439

$1,369 €1,226

98.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,257 €4,708

$6,425 €5,755

-18.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 €3,052

$4,317 €3,866

-21.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 €3,391

$3,069 €2,748

23.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

3.68

12.50%

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

Last update for Cork: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cork

$1.8K 57%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 61.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cork

$388 12.1%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 0.9% $3.6

Eating Out

Cork

$339 10.6%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 13.6% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cork

$313 9.7%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 0.6% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Cork

$162 5.1%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 10.9% $18

Getting Around

Cork

$97 3%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 14.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cork

$81 2.5%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 16.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,207 in Cork and $891 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 23% 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: $88 in Cork vs $68 in Lyon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $385 per month, with Lyon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇪 Cork

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

21:17 9:17 PM

1 h ahead of Cork

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cork Lyon 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cork
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

Cork vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,214 in Cork and $2,050 in Lyon, so Lyon is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Cork, 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: $2,207 in Cork versus $891 in Lyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cork runs roughly 6% less than in Lyon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,214 per month in Cork versus $2,050 in Lyon – Lyon is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Lyon is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lyon wins on affordability, Cork on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.