Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Brest Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Brest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,134 in Lyon versus $1,479 in Brest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,259 in Lyon versus $2,283 in Brest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lyon versus $3,088 in Brest.

Living in Lyon is roughly 44% more expensive than Brest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 59% above, Brest 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.03

$16.34 €13.99

7.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 €63.7

$52.0 €44.50

43.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.76 €10.92

$11.08 €9.49

15.16%

Cappuccino

$3.89 €3.33

$3.34 €2.86

16.47%

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

$2.84 €2.43

$2.43 €2.08

16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.84 €1.58

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 €6.94

$6.99 €5.98

16.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 €6.07

$5.18 €4.44

36.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.18 €1.01

31.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.80 €1.54

45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.18

$2.08 €1.78

22.60%

Eggs

$4.14 €3.54

$3.82 €3.27

8.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.95 €21.36

$18.80 €16.10

32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.19 €13.86

$13.34 €11.42

21.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.43 €21.77

$13.23 €11.33

92.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.41

$2.77 €2.37

1.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.13

$2.09 €1.79

19.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 €3.03

$4.19 €3.59

-15.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.35

$3.35 €2.87

16.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.92 €1.65

51.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 €2.31

$2.35 €2.01

14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.40 €1.20

2.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.37 €0.32

145.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 €11.79

$12.78 €10.94

7.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.51 €7.28

$7.00 €5.99

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 €2.64

$3.71 €3.17

-16.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 €2.75

$3.08 €2.64

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 €2.09

$1.96 €1.67

24.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.7 €72.5

$48.57 €41.57

74.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 €5.04

$5.84 €5.00

0.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.83 €1.57

3.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.1 €49.74

$31.37 €26.85

85.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$2.08 €1.78

-3.37%

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

$37.4K €32.0K

$36.2K €31.0K

3.15%

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

$36.8K €31.5K

$32.7K €28.0K

12.54%

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

$286 €245

$178 €153

60.39%

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

$22.54 €19.30

$23.29 €19.94

-3.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.86 €32.40

$25.05 €21.45

51.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.73 €38.29

$36.86 €31.55

21.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.78 €19.50

$24.34 €20.84

-6.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.83 €11.84

$14.27 €12.21

-3.08%

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

$737 €631

$229 €196

221.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.1K

-0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €96.7

$57.1 €48.89

97.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 €43.89

$43.49 €37.23

17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$73.3 €62.8

68.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €142

$92.2 €78.9

80.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 €847

$525 €449

88.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €601

$404 €346

73.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 €1,643

$862 €738

122.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 €1,081

$759 €649

66.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,821 €5,839

$2,843 €2,434

139.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,231 €3,622

$2,584 €2,212

63.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,245 €2,778

$2,555 €2,187

27.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

3.62

3.87%

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

Last update for Lyon: April 25, 2026

Last update for Brest: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $990 in Lyon and $525 in Brest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 27% 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: $74.0 in Lyon vs $52.0 in Brest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $335 per month, with Brest cheaper across the board.

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 Brest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brest wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Lyon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lyon pays 27% 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: $990 in Lyon versus $525 in Brest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brest – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $74.0 in Lyon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,134 per month in Lyon versus $1,479 in Brest – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,479 in Brest versus $2,134 in Lyon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brest but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Brest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,479 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lyon and Brest 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 Brest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.