For one person, living is cheaper in Lyon: $2,050 a month against $2,227 in Espoo, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
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 Espoo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $2,227 in Espoo, rent included.
Lyon $2,050
Espoo $2,227
A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $3,547 in Espoo, rent included.
Lyon $3,182
Espoo $3,547
A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $4,866 in Espoo, rent included.
Lyon $4,315
Espoo $4,866
🙂
Lyon is about 8% cheaper than Espoo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Lyon and Espoo sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Espoo by 64%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86€15.11
$15.68€14.05
7.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5€60.5
$100€89.6
-32.51%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.67€12.25
$12.52€11.22
9.19%
Cappuccino
$4.12€3.69
$5.51€4.94
-25.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76€2.47
$3.55€3.18
-22.25%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65€1.48
$2.73€2.45
-39.56%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.60€6.81
$9.16€8.21
-17.03%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.08€5.45
$8.42€7.54
-27.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.57€1.41
$1.40€1.25
12.14%
White Bread(500g)
$1.72€1.54
$2.93€2.62
-41.30%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.45€2.20
$3.64€3.26
-32.69%
Eggs
$4.74€4.25
$4.18€3.74
13.40%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$22.95€20.56
$10.51€9.42
118.36%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.21€10.94
$16.61€14.88
-26.49%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$22.99€20.60
$20.82€18.65
10.42%
Apples(1kg)
$2.41€2.16
$2.60€2.33
-7.31%
Banana(1kg)
$2.51€2.25
$2.08€1.86
20.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.43€3.07
$3.44€3.08
-0.29%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.19€2.85
$4.95€4.44
-35.56%
Potato(1kg)
$2.50€2.24
$1.20€1.08
108.33%
Onion(1kg)
$2.94€2.64
$1.82€1.63
61.54%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.41€1.27
$2.38€2.13
-40.76%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07€0.96
$1.88€1.68
-43.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89€12.44
$12.41€11.12
11.93%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.77€6.96
$13.34€11.95
-41.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66€2.39
$3.79€3.39
-29.82%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25€2.91
$4.90€4.39
-33.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.42€2.16
$3.56€3.19
-32.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$82.3€73.7
$80.0€71.7
2.84%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$8.39€7.52
$9.59€8.59
-12.51%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.20€1.97
$1.75€1.57
25.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$41.20€36.92
$51.5€46.17
-20.05%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.21€1.98
$2.33€2.09
-5.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K€30.8K
$36.1K€32.4K
-4.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.6K€33.7K
$37.3K€33.4K
0.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$268€240
$107€95.9
150.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.01€12.55
$26.05€23.35
-46.22%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.09€26.07
$29.80€26.70
-2.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$36.88€33.05
$54.1€48.47
-31.82%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.38€25.43
$42.92€38.46
-33.88%
Cinema Ticket
$15.33€13.74
$17.65€15.82
-13.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$628€563
$730€654
-13.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.2K€10.0K
$19.2K€17.2K
-41.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108€96.6
$123€110
-12.56%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.36€38.86
$56.7€50.8
-23.55%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$122€110
$89.5€80.2
36.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127€114
$176€158
-28.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$891€798
$1,111€996
-19.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$702€629
$935€838
-24.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,879€1,684
$2,168€1,943
-13.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,369€1,226
$1,719€1,540
-20.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$6,425€5,758
$6,070€5,439
5.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,317€3,869
$4,158€3,726
3.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lyon
Espoo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,069€2,750
$3,301€2,958
-7.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.68
3.59
2.51%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026
Last update for Espoo: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$702 34.3%
Espoo
$935 42% ↑ 33.1%$233
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$385 18.8%
Espoo
$410 18.4% ↑ 6.7%$26
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$311 15.2%
Espoo
$163 7.3% ↓ 47.6%$148
🍽Eating Out
Lyon
$293 14.3%
Espoo
$317 14.2% ↑ 8.1%$24
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$180 8.8%
Espoo
$201 9% ↑ 11.4%$21
🚌Getting Around
Lyon
$111 5.4%
Espoo
$113 5.1% ↑ 1.1%$1.3
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$68 3.3%
Espoo
$89 4% ↑ 32.4%$22
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$1.4K 31.7%
Espoo
$1.7K 35.3% ↑ 25.6%$350
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$910 21.1%
Espoo
$937 19.3% ↑ 2.9%$27
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$325 7.5%
Espoo
$189 3.9% ↓ 41.9%$136
🍽Eating Out
Lyon
$920 21.3%
Espoo
$1.1K 23.1% ↑ 22%$202
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$400 9.3%
Espoo
$446 9.2% ↑ 11.4%$46
🚌Getting Around
Lyon
$228 5.3%
Espoo
$232 4.8% ↑ 2.1%$4.8
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$163 3.8%
Espoo
$222 4.6% ↑ 35.6%$58
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $1,111 in Espoo. 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 8% higher in Espoo, 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 in Lyon versus $100 in Espoo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $410 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Espoo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lyon cheaper than Espoo?
Yes – Espoo is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,075 per month in Lyon and $3,341 in Espoo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lyon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $891 there versus $1,111 in Espoo.
What are total monthly expenses in Lyon and in Espoo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $2,227 in Espoo. That makes Lyon about 8% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 3% less in Espoo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,000 enough to cover costs in Lyon or in Espoo?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,050 in Lyon and $2,227 in Espoo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Lyon or Espoo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lyon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Lyon or Espoo?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lyon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Espoo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.