Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens: $1,806 a month against $1,999 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$1,999

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,999 in Lyon versus $1,806 in Athens.

Lyon $1,999
Athens $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,120 in Lyon versus $2,731 in Athens.

Lyon $3,120
Athens $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,240 in Lyon versus $3,656 in Athens.

Lyon $4,240
Athens $3,656

Living in Lyon is roughly 11% more expensive than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 49% above, Athens 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 €15.05

$16.66 €14.85

1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €61.0

$66.2 €59.0

3.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 €11.79

$11.06 €9.86

19.62%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.65

$4.14 €3.69

-1.21%

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

$2.79 €2.48

$2.80 €2.50

-0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.57 €0.51

205.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 €6.96

$5.64 €5.03

38.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 €5.35

$5.46 €4.86

9.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.96 €1.74

-20.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.41 €1.25

34.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$2.83 €2.53

-10.60%

Eggs

$4.98 €4.44

$5.04 €4.49

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.71 €20.25

$15.35 €13.68

47.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 €11.20

$10.34 €9.22

21.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.40 €20.86

$18.97 €16.92

23.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.17 €1.93

6.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$1.91 €1.70

30.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.12

$1.38 €1.23

153.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 €2.97

$2.20 €1.96

51.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$1.10 €0.98

133.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$1.13 €1.00

161.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.10 €0.98

25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$0.83 €0.74

33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 €12.55

$5.60 €4.99

151.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 €7.21

$10.19 €9.08

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.18 €1.95

22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 €3.00

$2.45 €2.18

37.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.06

$1.38 €1.23

68.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 €74.4

$30.87 €27.52

170.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 €7.37

$4.37 €3.90

89.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.04 €0.93

110.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.44 €37.84

$17.11 €15.26

148.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.31 €2.06

-3.90%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$28.0K €24.9K

22.84%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$28.0K €25.0K

23.71%

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

$271 €241

$210 €187

29.03%

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

$14.32 €12.77

$26.70 €23.80

-46.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.07 €26.81

$30.13 €26.86

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.48 €35.20

$54.6 €48.68

-27.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.23 €25.17

$26.03 €23.21

8.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 €13.25

$10.78 €9.61

37.85%

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

$636 €567

$575 €513

10.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €10.2K

$13.1K €11.7K

-12.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 €105

$93.2 €83.1

26.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.54 €38.82

$40.68 €36.27

7.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €109

$104 €92.8

17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$128 €114

0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 €784

$756 €674

16.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 €604

$652 €582

3.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 €1,586

$1,294 €1,153

37.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,159

$1,163 €1,037

11.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,332 €5,646

$4,008 €3,574

57.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,977 €3,546

$3,452 €3,078

15.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,091 €2,756

$1,243 €1,109

148.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

4.48

-17.86%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 6, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$678 33.2%

Athens

$652 36.5% 3.7% $25

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$392 19.2%

Athens

$315 17.6% 19.6% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$315 15.4%

Athens

$267 14.9% 15.4% $48

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Athens

$269 15% 8.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$186 9.1%

Athens

$165 9.2% 11.2% $21

Getting Around

Lyon

$112 5.5%

Athens

$46 2.6% 59% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$69 3.4%

Athens

$76 4.3% 10% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $879 in Lyon and $756 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 149% 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: $68.0 in Lyon vs $66.0 in Athens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $315 per month, with Athens cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

1 h ahead of Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lyon Athens 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lyon
Athens

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 Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Athens wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Lyon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Athens the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 149% higher in Lyon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $879 in Lyon versus $756 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Athens – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $68.0 in Lyon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,999 per month in Lyon versus $1,806 in Athens – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,806 in Athens versus $1,999 in Lyon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Athens but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Athens the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Athens delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,806 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Athens hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lyon and Athens 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 Athens gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.