Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douai and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Douai: $1,622 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Douai
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Douai Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Douai

🇫🇷 France

$1,622

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,028

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,622 per month in Douai vs $2,028 in Lyon, rent included.

Douai $1,622
Lyon $2,028

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Douai vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.

Douai $2,284
Lyon $3,130

A family of three spends $2,947 per month in Douai vs $4,232 in Lyon, rent included.

Douai $2,947
Lyon $4,232

Douai is about 20% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Douai and Lyon sit above the global median – Douai by 20%, Lyon by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.68

$16.52 €14.70

-0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.18 €40.19

$68.2 €60.7

-33.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 €7.06

$13.22 €11.76

-39.94%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €2.01

$4.02 €3.57

-43.78%

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

$1.71 €1.52

$2.66 €2.37

-35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.73 €1.54

-33.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 €4.94

$7.62 €6.78

-27.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 €4.98

$6.33 €5.63

-11.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 €0.77

$1.56 €1.39

-44.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.72

$1.72 €1.53

12.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.48 €2.20

-7.26%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.47

$4.73 €4.21

-17.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.06 €18.73

$22.97 €20.43

-8.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.68 €11.28

$12.54 €11.16

1.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.22 €20.66

$23.68 €21.07

-1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 €3.09

$2.42 €2.15

43.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.44 €2.17

-13.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$3.49 €3.11

-34.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 €2.84

$3.17 €2.82

0.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$2.51 €2.23

-26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$3.09 €2.75

-36.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.35 €1.20

30.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.59

$1.12 €0.99

-40.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.70 €12.18

$13.89 €12.35

-1.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €3.01

$8.16 €7.26

-58.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.66 €2.37

-11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 €3.76

$3.27 €2.91

29.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.32 €2.07

-19.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.05 €42.74

$82.7 €73.6

-41.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €2.03

$8.38 €7.46

-72.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.17 €1.93

-4.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.87 €21.23

$42.11 €37.46

-43.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.32 €2.06

-20.69%

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

$27.9K €24.8K

$35.3K €31.4K

-21.07%

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

$34.2K €30.4K

$37.5K €33.4K

-9.03%

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

$204 €181

$267 €238

-23.89%

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

$15.42 €13.72

$14.02 €12.47

9.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.25 €26.90

$29.85 €26.55

1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 €31.06

$38.65 €34.38

-9.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.63 €5.01

$27.56 €24.51

-79.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 €6.88

$15.29 €13.60

-49.44%

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

$628 €559

$637 €566

-1.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,316 €7,397

$11.6K €10.3K

-28.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.52 €28.04

$109 €97.0

-71.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.76 €30.03

$44.77 €39.83

-24.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.60 €29.89

$123 €110

-72.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.1 €45.43

$127 €113

-59.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 €573

$901 €802

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 €532

$676 €602

-11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 €1,224

$1,819 €1,618

-24.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 €655

$1,274 €1,133

-42.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,855 €3,429

$6,353 €5,651

-39.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,978 €2,649

$3,982 €3,542

-25.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 €2,727

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

3.68

6.52%

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

Last update for Douai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Douai

$598 36.8%

Lyon

$676 33.4% 13.2% $79

Groceries & Markets

Douai

$356 21.9%

Lyon

$389 19.2% 9.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Douai

$249 15.4%

Lyon

$311 15.4% 24.9% $62

Eating Out

Douai

$233 14.4%

Lyon

$288 14.2% 23.6% $55

Getting Around

Douai

$68 4.2%

Lyon

$111 5.5% 63.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Douai

$67 4.2%

Lyon

$182 9% 170% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Douai

$50 3.1%

Lyon

$69 3.4% 37.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $644 in Douai versus $901 in Lyon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Douai versus $68.0 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $389 – making Douai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Douai

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

Same time as Douai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,648

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Douai Lyon 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Douai
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

Douai vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,622 in Douai, $2,028 in Lyon – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,433 per month in Douai and $3,042 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,622 in Douai and $2,028 in Lyon. That's a gap of about 25%.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Douai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Douai, where all-in costs run around $1,622, than in Lyon at $2,028. In Douai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,622 in Douai to $2,028 in Lyon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Douai. 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.