Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Cherbourg

For one person, living is cheaper in Cherbourg: $1,893 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lyon, France
Cherbourg, France
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,050
/mo nomad
Cherbourg
🇫🇷 France
$1,893
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Cherbourg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,050 in Lyon versus $1,893 in Cherbourg.

  • Lyon $2,050
  • Cherbourg $1,893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,182 in Lyon versus $2,890 in Cherbourg.

  • Lyon $3,182
  • Cherbourg $2,890

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,315 in Lyon versus $3,886 in Cherbourg.

  • Lyon $4,315
  • Cherbourg $3,886

Living in Lyon is roughly 8% more expensive than in Cherbourg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 51% above, Cherbourg 39% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.08
$16.22 €14.50
3.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.4
$59.8 €53.5
12.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.67 €12.23
$13.26 €11.85
3.09%
Cappuccino
$4.12 €3.68
$3.25 €2.91
26.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 €2.46
$3.36 €3.00
-17.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.80 €1.61
-8.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.60 €6.79
$7.40 €6.61
2.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.08 €5.44
$6.33 €5.66
-3.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.33 €1.19
18.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.54
$1.94 €1.74
-11.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.48 €2.22
-1.21%
Eggs
$4.74 €4.24
$4.04 €3.61
17.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.95 €20.52
$20.03 €17.91
14.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.21 €10.91
$11.30 €10.10
8.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.99 €20.55
$21.75 €19.45
5.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.41 €2.16
$2.98 €2.66
-19.13%
Banana (1kg)
$2.51 €2.24
$2.21 €1.97
13.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 €3.06
$3.12 €2.79
9.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.19 €2.85
$3.22 €2.88
-0.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 €2.23
$1.71 €1.53
46.20%
Onion (1kg)
$2.94 €2.63
$1.91 €1.71
53.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.28 €1.14
10.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$0.72 €0.65
48.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89 €12.41
$13.98 €12.50
-0.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.77 €6.94
$7.45 €6.66
4.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 €2.38
$3.00 €2.68
-11.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 €2.91
$3.66 €3.27
-11.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.42 €2.16
$1.99 €1.78
21.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.3 €73.6
$49.36 €44.13
66.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.39 €7.50
$5.12 €4.57
63.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.78 €1.59
23.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.20 €36.83
$33.01 €29.51
24.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 €1.97
$2.13 €1.90
3.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K €30.7K
$37.1K €33.1K
-7.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K €33.6K
$33.3K €29.8K
12.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$268 €239
$191 €170
40.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.01 €12.52
$14.65 €13.10
-4.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.09 €26.01
$31.51 €28.17
-7.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.88 €32.97
$33.61 €30.05
9.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.38 €25.37
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.33 €13.71
$13.94 €12.46
9.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 €562
$704 €629
-10.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.2K €10.0K
$10.8K €9,682
3.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.3
$106 €94.7
1.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.36 €38.77
$38.15 €34.11
13.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 €109
$111 €99.0
10.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 €113
$145 €129
-12.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$891 €796
$755 €675
18.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$702 €628
$708 €633
-0.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,879 €1,680
$1,574 €1,407
19.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,369 €1,224
$1,274 €1,139
7.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,425 €5,744
$4,681 €4,185
37.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,317 €3,859
$3,452 €3,086
25.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lyon
Cherbourg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,069 €2,744
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
3.79
-2.90%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cherbourg: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$702
Cherbourg
$708 0.8% $5.7
Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$385
Cherbourg
$357 7.1% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$311
Cherbourg
$237 23.9% $74
Eating Out
Lyon
$293
Cherbourg
$279 4.9% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$180
Cherbourg
$180 0.2% $0.3
Getting Around
Lyon
$111
Cherbourg
$71 35.9% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$68
Cherbourg
$61 9% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Lyon and $755 in Cherbourg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68 in Lyon vs $60 in Cherbourg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $357 per month, with Cherbourg cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Lyon
🇫🇷 Cherbourg
🕒 Local time
09:06 9:06 AM
09:06 9:06 AM
Same time as Lyon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
522,250
188,335
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lyon Cherbourg 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lyon
  • Cherbourg

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 Cherbourg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lyon or Cherbourg?
Cherbourg wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Lyon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cherbourg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lyon and in Cherbourg?
You’d need roughly $3,075 in Lyon and $2,840 in Cherbourg to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lyon compared to Cherbourg?
Rent for a central apartment: $891 in Lyon versus $755 in Cherbourg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Lyon and in Cherbourg?
Childcare runs $628 in Lyon versus $704 in Cherbourg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Lyon or in Cherbourg?
Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lyon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lyon or Cherbourg?
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.
How safe is Lyon compared to Cherbourg?
Safety-wise, Lyon and Cherbourg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Cherbourg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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