Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Grenoble

For one person, living is cheaper in Grenoble: $1,938 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Grenoble
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Grenoble Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Grenoble

🇫🇷 France

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Grenoble

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 Grenoble actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,938 in Grenoble, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Grenoble $1,938

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,860 in Grenoble, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Grenoble $2,860

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,781 in Grenoble, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Grenoble $3,781

Lyon costs about 6% more than Grenoble, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lyon and Grenoble sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Grenoble by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.10

$16.75 €15.00

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$56.8 €50.9

18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.25

$13.33 €11.94

2.55%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.69

$3.28 €2.93

25.61%

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

$2.76 €2.47

$2.33 €2.09

18.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.59 €1.43

3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.80

$6.57 €5.88

15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.44

$6.83 €6.11

-10.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.30 €1.16

20.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.66 €1.48

3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.41 €2.16

1.66%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

$4.46 €4.00

6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.55

$20.76 €18.60

10.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.93

$11.01 €9.86

10.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.59

$18.21 €16.31

26.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.74 €2.45

-12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.15 €1.93

16.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$3.05 €2.73

12.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.85

$2.44 €2.19

30.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.53 €2.27

-1.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.33 €2.08

26.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.42 €1.27

-0.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.47 €1.32

-27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.44

$13.90 €12.45

-0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.96

$9.72 €8.71

-20.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.38

$4.04 €3.62

-34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$4.46 €3.99

-27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.20 €1.97

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.7

$77.3 €69.2

6.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.52

$3.05 €2.73

175.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.11 €1.89

4.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €36.89

$30.09 €26.95

36.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.17 €1.94

1.84%

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

$34.4K €30.8K

$34.9K €31.2K

-1.34%

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

$37.6K €33.6K

$37.8K €33.8K

-0.58%

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

$268 €240

$273 €245

-1.99%

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

$14.01 €12.55

$14.77 €13.23

-5.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.06

$34.42 €30.83

-15.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.03

$38.71 €34.67

-4.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.41

$28.17 €25.23

0.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.73

$15.72 €14.08

-2.48%

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

$628 €563

$601 €539

4.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.0K

$7,258 €6,500

54.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.5

$88.2 €79.0

22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.84

$43.28 €38.76

0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €109

$90.1 €80.7

35.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$133 €119

-4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €798

$857 €767

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €629

$647 €579

8.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,683

$1,470 €1,317

27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,226

$1,044 €935

31.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,755

$3,803 €3,406

68.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,866

$2,531 €2,267

70.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,748

$2,824 €2,529

8.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.91

-5.88%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Grenoble: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Grenoble

$647 33.4% 7.9% $55

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Grenoble

$364 18.8% 5.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Grenoble

$322 16.6% 3.7% $12

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Grenoble

$275 14.2% 6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Grenoble

$159 8.2% 11.4% $21

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Grenoble

$100 5.1% 10.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Grenoble

$70 3.6% 3.9% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $857 in Grenoble. 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 9% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $57 in Grenoble. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $364 – making Grenoble the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Grenoble

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

157,477

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lyon Grenoble 95 km

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Lyon
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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 Grenoble: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 6% more than Grenoble, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,075 per month in Lyon and $2,907 in Grenoble. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $891 in Lyon and $857 in Grenoble. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Grenoble. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Lyon and $601 in Grenoble. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Grenoble costs $1,938 versus $2,050 in Lyon. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Grenoble. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.