Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Arrest

For one person, living is cheaper in Arrest: $1,800 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lyon, France
Arrest, France
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,050
/mo nomad
Arrest
🇫🇷 France
$1,800
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Arrest

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 Arrest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,050 in Lyon versus $1,800 in Arrest.

  • Lyon $2,050
  • Arrest $1,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,182 in Lyon versus $2,757 in Arrest.

  • Lyon $3,182
  • Arrest $2,757

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,315 in Lyon versus $3,713 in Arrest.

  • Lyon $4,315
  • Arrest $3,713

Living in Lyon is roughly 14% more expensive than in Arrest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 51% above, Arrest 32% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.15
$16.82 €15.11
0.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$56.2 €50.5
20.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.67 €12.28
$13.24 €11.90
3.25%
Cappuccino
$4.12 €3.70
$2.97 €2.67
38.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 €2.48
$3.05 €2.74
-9.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.49
$2.08 €1.87
-20.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.60 €6.83
$8.52 €7.66
-10.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.08 €5.46
$5.57 €5.00
9.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.30 €1.17
20.77%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.55
$1.69 €1.52
1.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$2.49 €2.24
-1.61%
Eggs
$4.74 €4.26
$3.92 €3.52
20.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.95 €20.62
$10.07 €9.05
127.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.21 €10.97
$12.03 €10.80
1.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.99 €20.65
$15.92 €14.30
44.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.41 €2.17
$2.99 €2.68
-19.40%
Banana (1kg)
$2.51 €2.25
$3.03 €2.72
-17.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 €3.08
$1.46 €1.31
134.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.19 €2.86
$4.20 €3.78
-24.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 €2.24
$1.83 €1.65
36.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.94 €2.64
$2.08 €1.87
41.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 €1.27
$1.62 €1.46
-12.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.16 €0.14
568.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89 €12.47
$12.64 €11.35
9.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.77 €6.98
$5.56 €4.99
39.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 €2.39
$1.43 €1.28
86.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 €2.92
$1.59 €1.43
104.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 €2.17
$1.94 €1.74
24.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.3 €73.9
$50.4 €45.31
63.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.39 €7.54
$2.27 €2.04
269.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.14 €1.03
92.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.20 €37.01
$32.61 €29.30
26.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 €1.98
$2.17 €1.95
1.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K €30.9K
$34.9K €31.3K
-1.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K €33.7K
$35.8K €32.2K
4.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$268 €241
$200 €180
33.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.01 €12.58
$32.60 €29.28
-57.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.09 €26.14
$31.74 €28.51
-8.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.88 €33.13
$40.19 €36.10
-8.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.38 €25.49
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.33 €13.77
$15.48 €13.91
-0.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 €564
$889 €799
-29.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.2K €10.1K
$10.6K €9,481
6.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.8
$129 €116
-16.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.36 €38.95
$46.35 €41.63
-6.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 €110
$98.9 €88.8
23.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 €114
$158 €142
-19.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$891 €800
$825 €741
7.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$702 €631
$626 €563
12.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,879 €1,688
$1,536 €1,380
22.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,369 €1,229
$1,160 €1,042
18.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,425 €5,772
$3,727 €3,348
72.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,317 €3,878
$3,368 €3,026
28.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lyon
Arrest
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,069 €2,757
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
3.9
-5.64%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arrest: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$702
Arrest
$626 10.8% $76
Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$385
Arrest
$293 23.8% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$311
Arrest
$264 15% $47
Eating Out
Lyon
$293
Arrest
$284 3% $8.9
Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$180
Arrest
$195 8.1% $15
Getting Around
Lyon
$111
Arrest
$66 40.6% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$68
Arrest
$71 5.3% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Lyon and $825 in Arrest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Lyon vs $56 in Arrest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $293 per month, with Arrest cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Lyon
🇫🇷 Arrest
🕒 Local time
01:12 1:12 AM
01:12 1:12 AM
Same time as Lyon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
522,250
900
💱 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 = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lyon Arrest 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lyon
  • Arrest

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 Arrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arrest cheaper than Lyon?
Arrest is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,075 in Lyon and $2,700 in Arrest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Lyon and Arrest?
Rent for a central apartment: $891 in Lyon versus $825 in Arrest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $628 in Lyon versus $889 in Arrest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Lyon and in Arrest?
Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lyon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,500 enough for either Lyon or Arrest?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Arrest gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Lyon or in Arrest?
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.
Which city is safer, Lyon or Arrest?
Safety-wise, Lyon and Arrest are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Arrest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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