Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Chateauroux Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Chateauroux

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,086 in Lyon versus $1,889 in Chateauroux.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,232 in Lyon versus $2,896 in Chateauroux.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Lyon versus $3,902 in Chateauroux.

Living in Lyon is roughly 10% more expensive than in Chateauroux, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 52% above, Chateauroux 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €14.84

$17.52 €15.27

-2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €61.2

$58.1 €50.6

20.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €12.05

$11.37 €9.91

21.64%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.80

$3.70 €3.22

17.84%

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

$2.86 €2.50

$3.22 €2.80

-11.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.62 €1.41

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 €7.25

$8.27 €7.21

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 €5.59

$5.03 €4.38

27.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.27 €1.11

25.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.81

$4.22 €3.68

-50.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.36

$3.31 €2.89

-18.13%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.05

$3.87 €3.37

19.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.52 €20.50

$25.74 €22.44

-8.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 €12.08

$13.28 €11.57

4.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.45 €23.92

$19.75 €17.22

38.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$3.24 €2.83

-24.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.10

$2.66 €2.32

-9.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 €2.93

$3.13 €2.73

7.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €2.98

$3.13 €2.73

9.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.41

$1.88 €1.64

46.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 €2.62

$1.99 €1.74

50.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.48 €1.29

-3.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.06

$0.73 €0.64

65.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 €12.34

$14.75 €12.86

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €7.86

$7.08 €6.17

27.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.44

$3.67 €3.20

-23.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.14

$2.97 €2.59

21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.16

$2.23 €1.95

11.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 €73.8

$48.89 €42.61

73.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 €7.21

$5.83 €5.08

41.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.79 €2.43

-17.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.74 €37.26

$37.64 €32.81

13.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.10 €1.83

4.76%

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

$36.0K €31.4K

$35.3K €30.8K

1.87%

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

$36.6K €31.9K

$36.1K €31.5K

1.16%

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

$277 €242

$168 €146

65.42%

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

$15.06 €13.13

$15.24 €13.28

-1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.15 €28.02

$32.28 €28.13

-0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.00 €38.35

$37.64 €32.81

16.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.61 €24.94

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 €12.90

$13.70 €11.94

8.03%

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

$640 €558

$1,109 €967

-42.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.2K

$19.3K €16.9K

-39.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €104

$125 €109

-3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.79 €42.53

$36.73 €32.02

32.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €110

$93.6 €81.6

35.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €114

$139 €122

-5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 €785

$778 €679

15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 €594

$633 €552

7.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 €1,624

$1,405 €1,224

32.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,112

$1,128 €983

13.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,541 €5,702

$4,271 €3,723

53.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,166 €3,631

$3,127 €2,726

33.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,170 €2,763

$3,439 €2,998

-7.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.89

-5.40%

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

Last update for Lyon: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chateauroux: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Lyon and $778 in Chateauroux. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chateauroux pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Lyon vs $58.0 in Chateauroux for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $410 per month, with Chateauroux 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 Chateauroux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon and Chateauroux differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,086 vs $1,889 including rent). Chateauroux is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Chateauroux. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $901 in Lyon versus $778 in Chateauroux. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chateauroux runs roughly 73% less than in Lyon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $640 in Lyon versus $1,109 in Chateauroux. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,889 in Chateauroux versus $2,086 in Lyon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Chateauroux but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Chateauroux the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lyon and Chateauroux 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 Chateauroux gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.