Cost of Living Comparison Between Fontainebleau and Lyon Cost of Living Comparison Between Fontainebleau and Lyon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,168 in Fontainebleau versus $2,128 in Lyon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,667 in Fontainebleau versus $3,264 in Lyon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,165 in Fontainebleau versus $4,400 in Lyon.

Living in Fontainebleau costs roughly 45% less than in Lyon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fontainebleau is 15% below, Lyon is 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 €15.75

$17.57 €15.16

3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €59.3

$70.3 €60.6

-2.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.17 €12.23

$14.08 €12.15

0.64%

Cappuccino

$3.83 €3.30

$4.25 €3.67

-9.88%

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

$3.29 €2.84

$2.98 €2.57

10.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.84 €1.59

-2.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.29 €7.15

$8.09 €6.98

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 €5.10

$6.32 €5.46

-6.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.62 €1.40

-19.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.09 €1.80

-5.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 €2.64

$2.78 €2.40

10.43%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.78

$4.72 €4.07

-7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.53 €19.44

$23.38 €20.18

-3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.70 €10.96

$13.72 €11.84

-7.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.55 €20.32

$27.43 €23.67

-14.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 €3.11

$2.44 €2.10

47.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.40 €2.07

-5.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 €2.06

$3.40 €2.94

-29.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 €2.71

$3.28 €2.83

-4.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.91 €2.52

-31.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$3.07 €2.65

-31.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.50 €1.30

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.59

$1.22 €1.06

-43.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 €12.65

$14.55 €12.56

0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.16

$8.93 €7.71

-7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.12

$2.92 €2.52

-16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 €3.84

$3.57 €3.08

24.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 €2.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.2 €75.2

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 €1.95

$8.63 €7.45

-73.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.26 €1.95

-3.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.23 €21.77

$43.74 €37.75

-42.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.31 €1.99

-5.63%

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

$35.4K €30.5K

$35.2K €30.4K

0.48%

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

$35.9K €31.0K

$36.3K €31.3K

-1.18%

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

$219 €189

$275 €237

-20.39%

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

$16.00 €13.81

$15.34 €13.24

4.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.78 €27.42

$33.34 €28.77

-4.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.41 €20.20

$43.40 €37.45

-46.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.87 €11.97

$29.48 €25.43

-52.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.54

$15.35 €13.25

-28.01%

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

$658 €568

$652 €563

0.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,402 €7,250

$11.9K €10.2K

-29.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.7 €77.4

$121 €105

-26.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.46 €35.77

$48.93 €42.22

-15.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.9

$130 €112

-20.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €90.1

$129 €112

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 €835

$886 €764

9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 €606

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 €1,483

$1,841 €1,588

-6.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,260

$1,302 €1,123

12.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,580 €5,678

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,128 €3,562

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,132 €2,702

$3,196 €2,758

-2.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.68

-4.89%

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

Last update for Fontainebleau: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lyon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $968 in Fontainebleau and $886 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 2% 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: $69.0 in Fontainebleau vs $70.0 in Lyon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $420 per month, with Fontainebleau cheaper across the board.

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

Fontainebleau vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fontainebleau wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Lyon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fontainebleau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Lyon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $968 in Fontainebleau versus $886 in Lyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lyon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,168 per month in Fontainebleau versus $2,128 in Lyon – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,168 in Fontainebleau versus $2,128 in Lyon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fontainebleau but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Fontainebleau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fontainebleau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,168 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fontainebleau hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fontainebleau 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 Fontainebleau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.