Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Cork Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Cork

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,163 in Lyon versus $2,952 in Cork.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,334 in Lyon versus $4,344 in Cork.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Lyon versus $5,735 in Cork.

Living in Lyon costs roughly 27% less than in Cork, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 61% above, Cork 120% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.02

$21.14 €18.18

-17.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 €65.3

$97.4 €83.8

-22.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 €10.77

$11.60 €9.98

7.93%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.46

$4.64 €3.99

-13.36%

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

$2.84 €2.44

$2.89 €2.49

-1.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.16 €1.85

-15.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 €6.85

$7.04 €6.06

13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 €6.11

$7.05 €6.06

0.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.58 €1.36

-6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.13 €1.83

23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$2.18 €1.88

22.02%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.73

$4.20 €3.61

3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.03 €21.53

$11.75 €10.11

113.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 €13.68

$12.64 €10.88

25.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.06 €22.41

$14.95 €12.86

74.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.31

$3.42 €2.94

-21.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.23

$3.17 €2.73

-17.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 €2.96

$3.70 €3.18

-7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.36

$5.71 €4.91

-31.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.80 €2.40

1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.11 €1.82

32.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.70 €1.46

-15.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.79

$2.03 €1.75

-55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.13

$20.44 €17.59

-31.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 €7.34

$13.90 €11.96

-38.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.75

$3.72 €3.20

-13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.66

$3.77 €3.24

-17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.38 €2.05

-0.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.3 €72.5

$101 €86.9

-16.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €4.89

$5.20 €4.47

9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.68 €2.31

-29.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.5 €50.3

$35.71 €30.72

63.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.99 €1.71

5.53%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$43.2K €37.2K

-13.97%

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

$37.8K €32.5K

$39.5K €34.0K

-4.30%

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

$283 €243

$248 €213

13.94%

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

$22.15 €19.06

$21.89 €18.83

1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.37 €32.14

$49.84 €42.87

-25.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.01 €37.86

$64.9 €55.9

-32.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.14 €19.90

$34.23 €29.44

-32.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 €11.93

$13.70 €11.78

1.24%

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

$730 €628

$1,363 €1,172

-46.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.2K

$7,303 €6,282

61.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €94.5

$104 €89.1

6.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.47

$49.42 €42.51

2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$101 €86.6

22.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €144

$117 €100

43.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 €846

$1,837 €1,580

-46.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 €613

$1,500 €1,291

-52.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 €1,642

$3,203 €2,755

-40.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,068

$2,575 €2,215

-51.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 €5,775

$4,879 €4,197

37.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,089 €3,517

$3,253 €2,798

25.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,282 €2,824

$4,354 €3,745

-24.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

4.6

-18.26%

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

Last update for Lyon: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cork: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $984 in Lyon and $1,837 in Cork. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cork pays 33% 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 $97.0 in Cork. Groceries flip the comparison at $434 vs $383, with Cork 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 Cork: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon and Cork differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($2,163 vs $2,952 including rent). Lyon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cork earns 33% less. 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: $984 in Lyon versus $1,837 in Cork. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cork pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lyon – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $97.0 in Cork. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,163 in Lyon versus $2,952 in Cork, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lyon but tight or insufficient in Cork. The gap between the two cities makes Lyon 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 Cork 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 Lyon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Cork. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.