Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Le Mans and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Le Mans: $1,603 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Le Mans
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Le Mans Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Le Mans

🇫🇷 France

$1,603

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,028

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,603 in Le Mans versus $2,028 in Lyon.

Le Mans $1,603
Lyon $2,028

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Le Mans versus $3,130 in Lyon.

Le Mans $2,549
Lyon $3,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Le Mans versus $4,232 in Lyon.

Le Mans $3,496
Lyon $4,232

Living in Le Mans costs roughly 21% less than in Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Le Mans 18% above, Lyon 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.90 €15.03

$16.52 €14.70

2.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 €50.5

$68.2 €60.7

-16.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 €9.08

$13.22 €11.76

-22.77%

Cappuccino

$3.63 €3.23

$4.02 €3.57

-9.70%

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

$2.19 €1.95

$2.66 €2.37

-17.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.01

$1.73 €1.54

-34.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.71 €6.86

$7.62 €6.78

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 €4.32

$6.33 €5.63

-23.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 €0.92

$1.56 €1.39

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.72 €1.53

-11.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 €2.79

$2.48 €2.20

26.61%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.80

$4.73 €4.21

-33.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.49 €22.67

$22.97 €20.43

10.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 €10.98

$12.54 €11.16

-1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.04 €16.94

$23.68 €21.07

-19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.76

$2.42 €2.15

28.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$2.44 €2.17

6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 €2.71

$3.49 €3.11

-12.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 €2.72

$3.17 €2.82

-3.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.51 €2.23

-26.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$3.09 €2.75

-37.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.35 €1.20

0.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.63

$1.12 €0.99

-36.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.93 €12.39

$13.89 €12.35

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.06

$8.16 €7.26

-16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.10

$2.66 €2.37

31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.46

$3.27 €2.91

-15.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.32 €2.07

-25.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.48 €35.12

$82.7 €73.6

-52.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €5.04

$8.38 €7.46

-32.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 €2.55

$2.17 €1.93

31.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.57 €32.53

$42.11 €37.46

-13.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.80

$2.32 €2.06

-12.50%

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

$34.2K €30.4K

$35.3K €31.4K

-3.20%

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

$39.2K €34.9K

$37.5K €33.4K

4.39%

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

$165 €147

$267 €238

-38.12%

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

$14.84 €13.20

$14.02 €12.47

5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.51 €28.92

$29.85 €26.55

8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.59 €31.66

$38.65 €34.38

-7.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.91 €16.82

$27.56 €24.51

-31.39%

Cinema Ticket

$13.59 €12.09

$15.29 €13.60

-11.12%

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

$1,078 €959

$637 €566

69.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K €16.9K

$11.6K €10.3K

63.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.0

$109 €97.0

-14.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.75 €30.91

$44.77 €39.83

-22.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 €83.8

$123 €110

-23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €121

$127 €113

7.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 €508

$901 €802

-36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 €413

$676 €602

-31.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 €890

$1,819 €1,618

-44.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$951 €846

$1,274 €1,133

-25.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 €2,503

$6,353 €5,651

-55.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 €1,650

$3,982 €3,542

-53.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,772 €2,466

$3,066 €2,727

-9.57%

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 Mans: 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 Mans

$464 28.9%

Lyon

$676 33.4% 45.8% $212

Groceries & Markets

Le Mans

$365 22.8%

Lyon

$389 19.2% 6.8% $25

Eating Out

Le Mans

$271 16.9%

Lyon

$288 14.2% 6.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Le Mans

$213 13.3%

Lyon

$311 15.4% 46.3% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Le Mans

$161 10.1%

Lyon

$182 9% 12.8% $21

Getting Around

Le Mans

$66 4.1%

Lyon

$111 5.5% 67.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Le Mans

$63 3.9%

Lyon

$69 3.4% 10.3% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $571 in Le Mans and $901 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 11% 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: $57.0 in Le Mans vs $68.0 in Lyon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $389 per month, with Le Mans cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Le Mans

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

Same time as Le Mans

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

145,004

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Mans vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Le Mans and Lyon differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,603 vs $2,028 including rent). Le Mans is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $571 in Le Mans versus $901 in Lyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Le Mans runs roughly 109% less than in Lyon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,078 in Le Mans versus $637 in Lyon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,603 in Le Mans versus $2,028 in Lyon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Le Mans but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Le Mans the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Le Mans 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 Le Mans gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.