Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grenoble and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Grenoble: $1,938 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Grenoble
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Grenoble Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Grenoble

🇫🇷 France

$1,938

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,938 per month in Grenoble vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Grenoble $1,938
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,860 per month in Grenoble vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Grenoble $2,860
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $3,781 per month in Grenoble vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Grenoble $3,781
Lyon $4,315

Grenoble is about 5% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Grenoble and Lyon sit above the global median – Grenoble by 42%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 €15.00

$16.86 €15.10

-0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 €50.9

$67.5 €60.5

-15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.33 €11.94

$13.67 €12.25

-2.49%

Cappuccino

$3.28 €2.93

$4.12 €3.69

-20.39%

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

$2.33 €2.09

$2.76 €2.47

-15.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.43

$1.65 €1.48

-3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 €5.88

$7.60 €6.80

-13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 €6.11

$6.08 €5.44

12.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.57 €1.41

-17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.72 €1.54

-3.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.45 €2.20

-1.63%

Eggs

$4.46 €4.00

$4.74 €4.25

-5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.76 €18.60

$22.95 €20.55

-9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 €9.86

$12.21 €10.93

-9.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.21 €16.31

$22.99 €20.59

-20.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$2.41 €2.16

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.93

$2.51 €2.24

-14.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 €2.73

$3.43 €3.07

-11.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.19

$3.19 €2.85

-23.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.50 €2.24

1.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.94 €2.64

-20.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.41 €1.27

0.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.07 €0.96

37.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 €12.45

$13.89 €12.44

0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 €8.71

$7.77 €6.96

25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 €3.62

$2.66 €2.38

51.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.99

$3.25 €2.91

37.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.42 €2.16

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 €69.2

$82.3 €73.7

-6.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 €2.73

$8.39 €7.52

-63.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.20 €1.97

-4.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.09 €26.95

$41.20 €36.89

-26.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.21 €1.98

-1.81%

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

$34.9K €31.2K

$34.4K €30.8K

1.36%

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

$37.8K €33.8K

$37.6K €33.6K

0.59%

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

$273 €245

$268 €240

2.03%

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

$14.77 €13.23

$14.01 €12.55

5.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.42 €30.83

$29.09 €26.06

18.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.71 €34.67

$36.88 €33.03

4.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.17 €25.23

$28.38 €25.41

-0.74%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 €14.08

$15.33 €13.73

2.54%

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

$601 €539

$628 €563

-4.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,258 €6,500

$11.2K €10.0K

-35.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €79.0

$108 €96.5

-18.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.28 €38.76

$43.36 €38.84

-0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 €80.7

$122 €109

-26.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$127 €114

4.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 €767

$891 €798

-3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €579

$702 €629

-7.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 €1,317

$1,879 €1,683

-21.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 €935

$1,369 €1,226

-23.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,803 €3,406

$6,425 €5,755

-40.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 €2,267

$4,317 €3,866

-41.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,824 €2,529

$3,069 €2,748

-7.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

3.68

6.25%

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

Last update for Grenoble: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grenoble

$647 33.4%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 8.6% $55

Groceries & Markets

Grenoble

$364 18.8%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 5.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grenoble

$322 16.6%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 3.6% $12

Eating Out

Grenoble

$275 14.2%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 6.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Grenoble

$159 8.2%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 12.9% $21

Getting Around

Grenoble

$100 5.1%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 11.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Grenoble

$70 3.6%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 3.7% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $857 in Grenoble versus $891 in Lyon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Grenoble versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $385 – making Grenoble the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Grenoble

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Grenoble

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,477

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Grenoble vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 6% more than Grenoble, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,907 per month in Grenoble and $3,075 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $857 in Grenoble and $891 in Lyon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Grenoble. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $601 per month in Grenoble and $628 in Lyon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Grenoble costs $1,938 versus $2,050 in Lyon. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Grenoble. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.