Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Bourges Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Bourges

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,163 in Lyon versus $2,030 in Bourges.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,334 in Lyon versus $3,102 in Bourges.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Lyon versus $4,173 in Bourges.

Living in Lyon is roughly 7% more expensive than Bourges, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 61% above, Bourges 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.03

$17.02 €14.66

2.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 €65.3

$75.8 €65.2

0.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 €10.78

$12.79 €11.01

-2.11%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.46

$3.83 €3.30

4.96%

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

$2.84 €2.45

$2.89 €2.49

-1.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 €6.86

$8.05 €6.93

-0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 €6.12

$6.86 €5.90

3.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.54 €1.33

-3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.51 €2.16

5.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.56 €2.20

3.91%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.73

$4.23 €3.64

2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.03 €21.55

$24.26 €20.88

3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 €13.69

$16.21 €13.96

-1.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.06 €22.43

$25.26 €21.75

3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.80 €2.41

-3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.59 €2.23

0.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 €2.96

$3.64 €3.13

-5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.36

$3.84 €3.31

1.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.87 €2.47

-0.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.76 €2.37

1.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.49 €1.28

-4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.79

$0.85 €0.73

7.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.14

$13.69 €11.78

2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 €7.35

$8.28 €7.13

3.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.75

$3.23 €2.78

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.67

$3.07 €2.64

0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.91 €1.65

23.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.3 €72.6

$49.76 €42.84

69.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €4.89

$5.73 €4.93

-0.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.92 €1.65

-1.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.5 €50.4

$57.0 €49.09

2.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.09 €1.80

0.48%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$36.9K €31.8K

0.71%

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

$37.8K €32.5K

$37.6K €32.3K

0.61%

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

$283 €243

$279 €240

1.49%

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

$22.15 €19.07

$22.36 €19.25

-0.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.37 €32.17

$36.84 €31.72

1.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.01 €37.89

$37.44 €32.23

17.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.14 €19.92

$18.11 €15.59

27.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 €11.94

$13.70 €11.80

1.24%

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

$730 €628

$294 €253

147.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.2K

$12.0K €10.4K

-1.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €94.5

$113 €97.2

-2.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.51

$51.3 €44.18

-1.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €144

$165 €142

1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 €847

$771 €664

27.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 €614

$609 €524

17.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 €1,643

$1,232 €1,061

54.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,069

$1,083 €933

14.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 €5,780

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,089 €3,520

$1,034 €890

295.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,282 €2,826

$2,918 €2,512

12.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

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

Last update for Lyon: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bourges: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $984 in Lyon and $771 in Bourges. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 13% 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: $76.0 in Lyon vs $76.0 in Bourges. Groceries flip the comparison at $434 vs $430, with Bourges cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bourges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bourges wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Lyon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bourges the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lyon pays 13% more on average, 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: $984 in Lyon versus $771 in Bourges. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bourges – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $76.0 in Lyon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,163 per month in Lyon versus $2,030 in Bourges – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,030 in Bourges versus $2,163 in Lyon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bourges but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Bourges the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bourges delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,030 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bourges hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lyon and Bourges 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 Bourges gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.