Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Le Havre and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Le Havre: $1,404 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Le Havre
🇫🇷 France
$1,404
/mo nomad
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,028
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,404 per month in Le Havre vs $2,028 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Le Havre $1,404
  • Lyon $2,028

A couple spends around $2,147 per month in Le Havre vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Le Havre $2,147
  • Lyon $3,130

A family of three spends $2,889 per month in Le Havre vs $4,232 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Le Havre $2,889
  • Lyon $4,232

Le Havre is about 31% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Le Havre and Lyon sit above the global median – Le Havre by 4%, Lyon by 50%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.40 €12.81
$16.52 €14.70
-12.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.8 €49.62
$68.2 €60.7
-18.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.04
$13.22 €11.76
2.34%
Cappuccino
$2.66 €2.36
$4.02 €3.57
-33.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 €2.14
$2.66 €2.37
-9.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.73 €1.54
-15.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.88 €6.12
$7.62 €6.78
-9.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.49 €4.88
$6.33 €5.63
-13.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.56 €1.39
-30.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.72 €1.53
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 €1.53
$2.48 €2.20
-30.65%
Eggs
$3.68 €3.27
$4.73 €4.21
-22.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.97 €15.10
$22.97 €20.43
-26.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.18 €10.84
$12.54 €11.16
-2.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.29 €21.61
$23.68 €21.07
2.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.36 €2.10
$2.42 €2.15
-2.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 €1.71
$2.44 €2.17
-20.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 €4.04
$3.49 €3.11
30.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.28 €2.92
$3.17 €2.82
3.47%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 €0.67
$2.51 €2.23
-69.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$3.09 €2.75
-38.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.35 €1.20
-15.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.18 €0.16
$1.12 €0.99
-83.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.08 €9.86
$13.89 €12.35
-20.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.59 €5.86
$8.16 €7.26
-19.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.07 €2.73
$2.66 €2.37
15.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 €3.14
$3.27 €2.91
7.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.32 €2.07
-18.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.20 €29.53
$82.7 €73.6
-59.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.61 €5.88
$8.38 €7.46
-21.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.17 €1.93
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.57 €40.54
$42.11 €37.46
8.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.32 €2.06
-11.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K €21.9K
$35.3K €31.4K
-30.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €33.7K
$37.5K €33.4K
0.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$155 €138
$267 €238
-41.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.19 €11.74
$14.02 €12.47
-5.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.27 €26.93
$29.85 €26.55
1.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.96 €25.76
$38.65 €34.38
-25.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.77 €7.80
$27.56 €24.51
-68.18%
Cinema Ticket
$12.20 €10.86
$15.29 €13.60
-20.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$506 €450
$637 €566
-20.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.6K €10.3K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 €49.70
$109 €97.0
-48.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.12 €25.02
$44.77 €39.83
-37.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.2 €80.2
$123 €110
-26.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.79 €44.29
$127 €113
-60.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$497 €442
$901 €802
-44.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$415 €369
$676 €602
-38.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$958 €852
$1,819 €1,618
-47.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$660 €587
$1,274 €1,133
-48.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,824 €2,512
$6,353 €5,651
-55.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,740 €1,547
$3,982 €3,542
-56.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Le Havre
Lyon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,339 €2,080
$3,066 €2,727
-23.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.77
3.68
2.45%

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

Last update for Le Havre: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Le Havre
$415
Lyon
$676 62.9% $261
Groceries & Markets
Le Havre
$341
Lyon
$389 14.3% $49
Eating Out
Le Havre
$249
Lyon
$288 16% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Le Havre
$199
Lyon
$311 56.7% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Le Havre
$101
Lyon
$182 80.6% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Le Havre
$53
Lyon
$69 29.7% $16
Getting Around
Le Havre
$47 *
Lyon
$111 135% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $497 in Le Havre 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.

Salaries run about 31% higher in Lyon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Le Havre versus $68.0 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $389 – making Le Havre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Le Havre
🇫🇷 Lyon
🕒 Local time
13:37 1:37 PM
13:37 1:37 PM
Same time as Le Havre
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
166,058
522,250
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Le Havre Lyon 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Le Havre
  • 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
Le Havre vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Le Havre or Lyon?
Lyon costs about 44% more than Le Havre, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Le Havre and in Lyon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,107 per month in Le Havre and $3,042 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Le Havre or Lyon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Le Havre, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Le Havre compared to Lyon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,404 in Le Havre and $2,028 in Lyon. That's a gap of about 44%.
How expensive is transport in Le Havre compared to Lyon?
Public transport costs about 149% less in Le Havre. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Le Havre or in Lyon?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Le Havre, where all-in costs run around $1,404, than in Lyon at $2,028. In Le Havre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Le Havre or Lyon?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Le Havre costs $1,404 versus $2,028 in Lyon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Le Havre compared to 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.
Should I move to Le Havre or to Lyon?
If budget matters most, go with Le Havre. 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.

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