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: $2,086 in Lyon versus $1,155 in Fontainebleau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,232 in Lyon versus $2,604 in Fontainebleau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Lyon versus $4,054 in Fontainebleau.

Living in Lyon is roughly 81% more expensive than in Fontainebleau, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lyon is 52% above, Fontainebleau is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €14.84

$18.68 €16.28

-8.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 €61.2

$68.6 €59.8

2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.83 €12.05

$13.95 €12.16

-0.86%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.80

$3.91 €3.41

11.51%

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

$2.86 €2.50

$3.23 €2.81

-11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.72 €1.50

4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 €7.25

$8.02 €6.99

3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 €5.59

$5.64 €4.92

13.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.30 €1.14

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.81

$2.01 €1.75

3.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.36

$3.02 €2.64

-10.26%

Eggs

$4.64 €4.05

$4.35 €3.79

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.52 €20.50

$22.04 €19.22

6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 €12.08

$12.55 €10.94

10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.45 €23.92

$23.82 €20.77

15.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$3.41 €2.97

-28.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.10

$2.16 €1.89

11.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 €2.93

$2.38 €2.08

41.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €2.98

$3.23 €2.82

5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.41

$1.89 €1.65

46.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 €2.62

$2.13 €1.86

40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.58 €1.37

-9.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.06

$0.69 €0.61

75.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 €12.34

$14.42 €12.57

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €7.86

$8.22 €7.17

9.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.44

$2.46 €2.14

13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 €3.14

$4.32 €3.76

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 €2.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 €73.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.27 €7.21

$2.36 €2.05

250.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.22 €1.94

4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.74 €37.26

$25.11 €21.89

70.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.18 €1.90

0.92%

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

$36.0K €31.4K

-0.09%

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

$36.6K €31.9K

$35.4K €30.8K

3.38%

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

$277 €242

$217 €189

27.86%

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

$15.06 €13.13

$15.84 €13.81

-4.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.15 €28.02

$31.44 €27.40

2.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.00 €38.35

$22.71 €19.80

93.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.61 €24.94

$14.05 €12.25

103.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 €12.90

$10.85 €9.45

36.41%

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

$640 €558

$632 €551

1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.2K

$8,506 €7,415

38.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €104

$91.2 €79.5

31.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.79 €42.53

$42.02 €36.62

16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €110

$106 €92.3

19.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €114

$105 €91.6

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 €785

$948 €827

-4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 €594

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 €1,624

$1,764 €1,538

5.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,112

$1,463 €1,275

-12.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,541 €5,702

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,166 €3,631

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,170 €2,763

$3,221 €2,807

-1.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.5

5.14%

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

Last update for Lyon: September 13, 2026

Last update for Fontainebleau: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Lyon and $948 in Fontainebleau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fontainebleau pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Lyon vs $69.0 in Fontainebleau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $381 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 81% 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.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Fontainebleau. 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: $901 in Lyon versus $948 in Fontainebleau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lyon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,086 per month in Lyon versus $1,155 in Fontainebleau – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Fontainebleau versus $2,086 in Lyon, a $1,000 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 $1,155 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 81% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.