Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Ferney-Voltaire Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Ferney-Voltaire

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,155 per month in Lyon vs $2,164 in Ferney-Voltaire, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,300 per month in Lyon vs $3,652 in Ferney-Voltaire, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,445 per month in Lyon vs $5,141 in Ferney-Voltaire, rent included.

Lyon and Ferney-Voltaire have comparable living costs — the differences are in the details.

Both Lyon and Ferney-Voltaire sit above the global median – Lyon by 61%, Ferney-Voltaire by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 €15.01

$23.47 €20.02

-25.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 €65.0

$69.8 €59.6

9.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.57 €10.72

$11.79 €10.06

6.62%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.29

$3.90 €3.33

-1.28%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$2.90 €2.48

0.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.28 €1.95

-21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 €6.83

$8.27 €7.05

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 €5.86

$6.84 €5.84

0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.28 €1.09

16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.14

$1.78 €1.52

41.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.29

$2.67 €2.28

0.37%

Eggs

$4.15 €3.54

$4.13 €3.53

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.90 €21.24

$18.85 €16.08

32.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.08 €13.71

$12.85 €10.96

25.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.53 €21.78

$20.53 €17.51

24.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.42

$2.96 €2.53

-4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.15 €1.84

17.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 €3.09

$2.68 €2.28

35.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 €3.34

$3.59 €3.07

9.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.39

$2.01 €1.72

39.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 €2.34

$2.52 €2.15

9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.54 €1.32

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.70 €0.60

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 €11.78

$13.57 €11.58

1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 €7.50

$6.64 €5.66

32.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 €2.74

$1.89 €1.61

69.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 €2.74

$3.42 €2.92

-6.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 €2.06

$3.54 €3.02

-31.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 €72.3

$50.8 €43.36

66.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.86

$4.59 €3.92

24.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 €1.55

$1.80 €1.54

1.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.1 €49.59

$35.79 €30.53

62.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.70

$2.06 €1.76

-2.91%

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

$37.3K €31.8K

$37.0K €31.6K

0.71%

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

$36.8K €31.4K

$36.9K €31.4K

-0.07%

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

$289 €246

$192 €164

50.23%

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

$22.27 €18.99

$23.11 €19.71

-3.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.85 €31.43

$62.9 €53.7

-41.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.82 €38.23

$37.13 €31.67

20.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.37 €19.93

$18.52 €15.80

26.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.66 €11.65

$14.08 €12.01

-2.98%

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

$731 €623

$779 €664

-6.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.0K

$8,804 €7,510

33.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €96.1

$58.0 €49.46

94.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 €43.78

$39.58 €33.76

29.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €105

$93.5 €79.8

31.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €139

$140 €120

16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 €839

$767 €655

28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €605

$905 €772

-21.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,677

$2,421 €2,065

-18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,038

$2,264 €1,931

-46.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,903 €5,888

$4,241 €3,618

62.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,115 €3,510

$3,088 €2,634

33.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 €2,685

$4,126 €3,520

-23.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

3.5

7.43%

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

Last update for Lyon: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ferney-Voltaire: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $983 in Lyon versus $767 in Ferney-Voltaire. 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 31% higher in Ferney-Voltaire. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Lyon versus $70 in Ferney-Voltaire. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $433 vs $352 – making Ferney-Voltaire the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ferney-Voltaire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,232 per month in Lyon and $3,246 in Ferney-Voltaire. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lyon and $70.0 in Ferney-Voltaire. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Lyon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lyon, where all-in costs run around $2,155, than in Ferney-Voltaire at $2,164. In Lyon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ferney-Voltaire it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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