Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Fontainebleau Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Fontainebleau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,155 in Lyon versus $1,828 in Fontainebleau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,306 in Lyon versus $2,754 in Fontainebleau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,456 in Lyon versus $3,679 in Fontainebleau.

Living in Lyon is roughly 18% more expensive than in Fontainebleau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 61% above, Fontainebleau 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €15.08

$18.01 €15.76

-4.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 €65.7

$64.8 €56.7

15.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.77 €11.17

$14.06 €12.30

-9.17%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.38

$3.63 €3.18

6.34%

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

$2.98 €2.61

$3.18 €2.78

-6.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.56

$2.08 €1.82

-14.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 €6.93

$8.19 €7.17

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 €6.12

$5.88 €5.14

19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.48 €1.29

3.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.80 €1.57

41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$1.38 €1.21

85.51%

Eggs

$4.21 €3.68

$3.91 €3.43

7.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.28 €21.25

$22.04 €19.28

10.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 €13.81

$12.55 €10.98

25.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 €22.35

$23.82 €20.84

7.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.37

$3.71 €3.25

-26.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$2.16 €1.89

18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 €3.16

$2.34 €2.05

54.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.42

$3.19 €2.79

22.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.44

$1.97 €1.73

41.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 €2.49

$2.04 €1.78

39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.25

$1.57 €1.37

-9.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.24 €0.21

254.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 €12.22

$11.98 €10.49

16.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 €7.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 €2.70

$2.36 €2.06

30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.84

$4.49 €3.93

-27.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.92 €1.68

23.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.3 €72.9

$49.53 €43.33

68.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €4.92

$4.57 €4.00

22.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.84 €1.61

2.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.0 €50.8

$32.97 €28.85

76.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.98 €1.74

1.52%

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

$37.7K €32.9K

$29.0K €25.4K

29.90%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$30.8K €27.0K

22.93%

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

$285 €249

$200 €175

42.24%

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

$22.33 €19.54

$17.14 €14.99

30.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.28 €32.62

$28.83 €25.22

29.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.26 €38.72

$37.17 €32.52

19.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.98 €20.10

$13.83 €12.10

66.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 €12.20

$13.95 €12.20

-0.07%

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

$739 €646

$575 €503

28.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.6K

$8,666 €7,581

39.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €95.8

$88.6 €77.5

23.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 €44.50

$37.14 €32.50

36.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 €105

$85.8 €75.1

39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 €144

$105 €91.5

57.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 €838

$768 €672

24.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 €603

$608 €532

13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,969 €1,723

$1,391 €1,217

41.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,070

$1,087 €951

12.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,652 €5,820

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,985 €3,486

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,179 €2,781

$2,763 €2,417

15.06%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Fontainebleau: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $958 in Lyon and $768 in Fontainebleau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 15% 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: $75.0 in Lyon vs $65.0 in Fontainebleau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 vs $367 per month, with Fontainebleau 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 Fontainebleau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fontainebleau wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Lyon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fontainebleau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Lyon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $958 in Lyon versus $768 in Fontainebleau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lyon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Fontainebleau – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $75.0 in Lyon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,828 in Fontainebleau versus $2,155 in Lyon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fontainebleau but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Fontainebleau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fontainebleau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,828 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fontainebleau hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lyon and Fontainebleau 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 Fontainebleau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.