Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Ajaccio

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajaccio: $1,876 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lyon, France
Ajaccio, France
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,050
/mo nomad
Ajaccio
🇫🇷 France
$1,876
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Ajaccio

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lyon and in Ajaccio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,876 in Ajaccio, rent included.

  • Lyon $2,050
  • Ajaccio $1,876

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,900 in Ajaccio, rent included.

  • Lyon $3,182
  • Ajaccio $2,900

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,925 in Ajaccio, rent included.

  • Lyon $4,315
  • Ajaccio $3,925

Lyon costs about 9% more than Ajaccio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Ajaccio sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Ajaccio by 38%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.11
$16.96 €15.19
-0.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.5
$67.4 €60.4
0.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.67 €12.25
$14.77 €13.23
-7.45%
Cappuccino
$4.12 €3.69
$3.59 €3.22
14.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 €2.47
$3.15 €2.82
-12.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.85 €1.65
-10.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.60 €6.81
$7.25 €6.49
4.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.08 €5.45
$5.63 €5.05
7.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.99 €1.78
-21.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.86 €1.67
-7.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$2.57 €2.30
-4.67%
Eggs
$4.74 €4.25
$4.25 €3.81
11.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.95 €20.56
$19.38 €17.36
18.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.21 €10.94
$12.56 €11.25
-2.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.99 €20.60
$21.24 €19.03
8.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.41 €2.16
$3.13 €2.80
-23.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.51 €2.25
$2.76 €2.48
-9.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 €3.07
$2.80 €2.51
22.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.19 €2.85
$3.21 €2.87
-0.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 €2.24
$1.93 €1.73
29.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.94 €2.64
$2.26 €2.03
30.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 €1.27
$1.38 €1.23
2.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.69 €0.62
55.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89 €12.44
$12.66 €11.34
9.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.77 €6.96
$7.78 €6.97
-0.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 €2.39
$2.81 €2.52
-5.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 €2.91
$3.54 €3.17
-8.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 €2.16
$1.76 €1.58
37.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.3 €73.7
$53.3 €47.73
54.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.39 €7.52
$4.35 €3.89
92.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.78 €1.60
23.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.20 €36.92
$29.79 €26.69
38.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 €1.98
$2.15 €1.93
2.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K €30.8K
$35.7K €32.0K
-3.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K €33.7K
$32.3K €28.9K
16.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$268 €240
$210 €188
27.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.01 €12.55
$15.70 €14.06
-10.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.09 €26.07
$30.87 €27.66
-5.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.88 €33.05
$35.31 €31.64
4.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.38 €25.43
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.33 €13.74
$13.40 €12.00
14.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 €563
$836 €749
-24.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.2K €10.0K
$9,169 €8,216
22.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.6
$141 €126
-23.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.36 €38.86
$41.66 €37.34
4.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 €110
$144 €129
-15.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 €114
$114 €102
11.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$891 €798
$732 €656
21.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$702 €629
$624 €559
12.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,879 €1,684
$1,187 €1,064
58.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,369 €1,226
$1,149 €1,030
19.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,425 €5,758
$4,091 €3,666
57.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,317 €3,869
$3,165 €2,836
36.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lyon
Ajaccio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,069 €2,750
$3,074 €2,754
-0.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
3.79
-2.90%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ajaccio: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$702
Ajaccio
$624 11.1% $78
Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$385
Ajaccio
$371 3.6% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$311
Ajaccio
$256 17.6% $55
Eating Out
Lyon
$293
Ajaccio
$291 0.9% $2.6
Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$180
Ajaccio
$198 10.1% $18
Getting Around
Lyon
$111
Ajaccio
$74 33.9% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$68
Ajaccio
$62 8.1% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $732 in Ajaccio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $67 in Ajaccio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $371 – making Ajaccio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Lyon
🇫🇷 Ajaccio
🕒 Local time
05:02 5:02 AM
05:02 5:02 AM
Same time as Lyon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
522,250
73,822
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lyon Ajaccio 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lyon
  • Ajaccio

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
Lyon vs Ajaccio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lyon or Ajaccio?
Lyon costs about 9% more than Ajaccio, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Lyon and in Ajaccio?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,075 per month in Lyon and $2,813 in Ajaccio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lyon or Ajaccio?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajaccio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $732 there versus $891 in Lyon.
How expensive is transport in Lyon compared to Ajaccio?
Public transport costs about 35% less in Ajaccio. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Are groceries more expensive in Lyon or in Ajaccio?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Lyon, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How safe is Lyon compared to Ajaccio?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Lyon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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