Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunkirk and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Dunkirk: $1,255 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dunkirk, France
Lyon, France
Dunkirk
🇫🇷 France
$1,255
/mo nomad
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,050
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,255 per month in Dunkirk vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Dunkirk $1,255
  • Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,033 per month in Dunkirk vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Dunkirk $2,033
  • Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $2,811 per month in Dunkirk vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Dunkirk $2,811
  • Lyon $4,315

Dunkirk is about 39% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Dunkirk sits 8% below the global median, while Lyon is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.65 €16.76
$16.86 €15.15
10.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.6 €69.7
$67.5 €60.7
14.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.95 €8.04
$13.67 €12.29
-34.53%
Cappuccino
$4.49 €4.03
$4.12 €3.70
8.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 €3.99
$2.76 €2.48
60.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.42
$1.65 €1.49
63.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.51 €4.05
$7.60 €6.83
-40.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.71 €5.13
$6.08 €5.46
-6.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.57 €1.41
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.54 €2.28
$1.72 €1.55
47.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.69 €2.42
$2.45 €2.21
9.80%
Eggs
$4.29 €3.85
$4.74 €4.26
-9.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.23 €19.97
$22.95 €20.62
-3.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.79 €12.39
$12.21 €10.97
12.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.63 €19.43
$22.99 €20.65
-5.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.19 €2.87
$2.41 €2.17
32.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 €2.03
$2.51 €2.25
-10.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 €2.59
$3.43 €3.08
-15.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.30 €3.86
$3.19 €2.86
34.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 €1.63
$2.50 €2.25
-27.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$2.94 €2.64
-16.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.89 €1.70
$1.41 €1.27
34.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 €0.80
$1.07 €0.96
-16.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.44 €12.98
$13.89 €12.48
3.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.69 €7.81
$7.77 €6.98
11.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 €2.50
$2.66 €2.39
4.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.60 €3.23
$3.25 €2.92
10.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.42 €2.17
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$82.3 €73.9
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.89 €7.99
$8.39 €7.54
5.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 €1.27
$2.20 €1.98
-35.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.63 €41.90
$41.20 €37.01
13.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 €1.58
$2.21 €1.98
-20.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K €30.5K
$34.4K €30.9K
-1.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €33.0K
$37.6K €33.8K
-2.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$244 €220
$268 €241
-8.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.80 €14.20
$14.01 €12.59
12.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.92 €26.88
$29.09 €26.14
2.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.11 €25.26
$36.88 €33.13
-23.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.38 €25.50
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.63 €14.04
$15.33 €13.78
1.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,792 €1,610
$628 €564
185.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.8K €23.2K
$11.2K €10.1K
130.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 €99.1
$108 €96.8
2.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 €46.03
$43.36 €38.96
18.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 €106
$122 €110
-3.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 €144
$127 €114
26.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$891 €800
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$702 €631
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,879 €1,689
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,369 €1,230
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,425 €5,773
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,317 €3,879
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dunkirk
Lyon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,391 €3,047
$3,069 €2,757
10.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.45
3.68
-6.25%

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

Last update for Dunkirk: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Dunkirk
$399
Lyon
$385 3.7% $15
Eating Out
Dunkirk
$292
Lyon
$293 0.3% $0.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dunkirk
$290
Lyon
$311 7.2% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Dunkirk
$198
Lyon
$180 8.9% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Dunkirk
$59
Lyon
$68 13.8% $8.2
Getting Around
Dunkirk
$16 *
Lyon
$111 598% $95
Accommodation & Living
Dunkirk
- *
Lyon
$702

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 10% higher in Dunkirk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Dunkirk versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $385 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Dunkirk
🇫🇷 Lyon
🕒 Local time
09:55 9:55 AM
09:55 9:55 AM
Same time as Dunkirk
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
86,788
522,250
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dunkirk Lyon 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dunkirk
  • 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
Dunkirk vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dunkirk cheaper than Lyon?
Yes – Lyon is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,882 per month in Dunkirk and $3,075 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Dunkirk and in Lyon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,255 in Dunkirk and $2,050 in Lyon. That’s a gap of about 63%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,792 per month in Dunkirk and $628 in Lyon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Dunkirk or in Lyon?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dunkirk, where all-in costs run around $1,255, than in Lyon at $2,050. In Dunkirk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Dunkirk or in Lyon?
It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,255 in Dunkirk to $2,050 in Lyon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Dunkirk 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.

Dunkirk vs other spots: cost of living compared

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