Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $1,999 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$1,999

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Cairo

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

A single person spends $1,999 per month in Lyon vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

Lyon $1,999
Cairo $643

A couple spends around $3,120 per month in Lyon vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

Lyon $3,120
Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $4,240 per month in Lyon vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

Lyon $4,240
Cairo $1,431

Lyon costs about 211% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lyon sits 49% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 €15.06

$4.69 E£245

259.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €61.0

$28.49 E£1,491

139.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 €11.80

$6.03 E£315

119.40%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.65

$1.81 E£94.7

125.97%

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

$2.79 €2.49

$0.35 E£18.18

697.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.15 E£7.95

1060.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 €6.97

$1.45 E£76.0

438.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 €5.35

$2.24 E£117

167.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.40

$0.97 E£50.7

60.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.69

$0.73 E£37.96

158.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.26

$0.77 E£40.24

228.57%

Eggs

$4.98 €4.44

$1.17 E£61.2

325.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.71 €20.26

$4.32 E£226

425.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 €11.21

$5.07 E£265

147.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.40 €20.88

$8.92 E£467

162.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.83 E£95.8

26.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.23

$0.75 E£39.07

232.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.13

$0.57 E£29.78

514.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 €2.98

$0.51 E£26.62

554.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$0.38 E£20.05

576.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$0.42 E£21.88

604.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.35 E£18.43

294.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$0.24 E£12.57

362.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 €12.56

$1.99 E£104

607.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.09 €7.22

$7.48 E£391

8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.39

$1.52 E£79.4

76.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 €3.00

$2.13 E£112

57.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.33 E£17.10

603.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.5 €74.5

$8.66 E£453

863.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 €7.37

$0.37 E£19.27

2132.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.20 E£10.65

995.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.44 €37.87

$1.49 E£77.8

2748.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.98

$0.46 E£23.94

382.61%

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

$34.4K €30.7K

$32.6K E£1.7M

5.35%

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

$34.7K €30.9K

$28.4K E£1.5M

22.06%

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

$271 €242

$27.54 E£1,441

882.72%

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

$14.32 €12.78

$8.27 E£432

73.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.07 €26.83

$14.05 E£735

114.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.48 €35.23

$28.27 E£1,479

39.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.23 €25.19

$6.70 E£350

321.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 €13.26

$4.40 E£230

237.73%

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

$636 €567

$121 E£6,356

423.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €10.2K

$3,619 E£189.3K

216.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 €105

$40.16 E£2,101

192.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.54 €38.86

$49.61 E£2,596

-12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €109

$115 E£6,033

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$60.6 E£3,170

112.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 €785

$220 E£11.5K

299.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 €605

$194 E£10.2K

248.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 €1,587

$514 E£26.9K

245.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 €1,160

$334 E£17.5K

289.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,332 €5,651

$806 E£42.2K

685.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,977 €3,549

$513 E£26.9K

674.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,091 €2,758

$200 E£10.5K

1443.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

16.21

-77.30%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$678 33.2%

Cairo

$194 30.1% 71.3% $484

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$392 19.2%

Cairo

$141 21.9% 63.9% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$315 15.4%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 84.2% $265

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Cairo

$91 14.1% 68.9% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$186 9.1%

Cairo

$120 18.6% 35.6% $66

Getting Around

Lyon

$112 5.5%

Cairo

$11 1.8% 89.9% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$69 3.4%

Cairo

$37 5.8% 46.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $879 in Lyon versus $220 in Cairo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1444% higher in Lyon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Lyon versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

1 h ahead of Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Lyon Cairo 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lyon
Cairo

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lyon is pricier by about 211%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,999 per month in Lyon and $965 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 177% more in Lyon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Lyon and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Lyon at $1,999. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.