Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and La Rochelle

For one person, living is cheaper in La Rochelle: $1,838 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in La Rochelle
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La Rochelle Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,028

/mo nomad

La Rochelle

🇫🇷 France

$1,838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in La Rochelle

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

A single person spends $2,028 per month in Lyon vs $1,838 in La Rochelle, rent included.

Lyon $2,028
La Rochelle $1,838

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Lyon vs $2,834 in La Rochelle, rent included.

Lyon $3,130
La Rochelle $2,834

A family of three spends $4,232 per month in Lyon vs $3,829 in La Rochelle, rent included.

Lyon $4,232
La Rochelle $3,829

Lyon costs about 10% more than La Rochelle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lyon and La Rochelle sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, La Rochelle by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 €14.70

$22.45 €19.97

-26.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$67.4 €60.0

1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.76

$14.00 €12.46

-5.57%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.57

$3.77 €3.35

6.63%

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

$2.66 €2.37

$2.83 €2.52

-6.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.33 €1.19

30.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.62 €6.78

$7.25 €6.45

5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 €5.63

$4.49 €4.00

40.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.42 €1.27

9.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.79 €1.59

-3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$1.95 €1.73

27.18%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.21

$4.19 €3.72

12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.97 €20.43

$19.16 €17.05

19.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 €11.16

$11.76 €10.46

6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.68 €21.07

$17.84 €15.87

32.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.01 €2.68

-19.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.31 €2.06

5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 €3.11

$2.74 €2.44

27.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 €2.82

$3.89 €3.46

-18.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.86 €1.65

34.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.96 €1.75

57.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.73 €1.54

-21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.99

$0.35 €0.31

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.35

$14.04 €12.49

-1.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 €7.26

$8.99 €7.99

-9.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.37

$2.31 €2.05

15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.91

$2.41 €2.15

35.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.67 €1.48

38.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 €73.6

$38.75 €34.47

113.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 €7.46

$9.13 €8.12

-8.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.42 €2.15

-10.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.11 €37.46

$31.86 €28.34

32.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.06

$2.09 €1.86

11.00%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$36.7K €32.7K

-3.89%

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

$37.5K €33.4K

$31.0K €27.5K

21.28%

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

$267 €238

$135 €120

97.55%

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

$14.02 €12.47

$13.61 €12.11

3.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 €26.55

$32.85 €29.22

-9.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 €34.38

$35.75 €31.80

8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 €13.60

$8.95 €7.96

70.84%

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

$637 €566

$571 €508

11.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.3K

$11.2K €9,936

3.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.0

$87.0 €77.4

25.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 €39.83

$39.85 €35.45

12.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €110

$111 €98.9

11.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$146 €130

-12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 €802

$1,070 €951

-15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 €602

$694 €617

-2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 €1,618

$1,586 €1,410

14.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 €1,133

$1,199 €1,066

6.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,353 €5,651

$6,588 €5,860

-3.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,982 €3,542

$4,548 €4,045

-12.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 €2,727

$2,379 €2,116

28.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.79

-2.90%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Last update for La Rochelle: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$676 33.4%

La Rochelle

$694 37.8% 2.6% $18

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$389 19.2%

La Rochelle

$341 18.5% 12.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.4%

La Rochelle

$182 9.9% 41.6% $129

Eating Out

Lyon

$288 14.2%

La Rochelle

$329 17.9% 14% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$182 9%

La Rochelle

$173 9.4% 5% $9.2

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.5%

La Rochelle

$67 3.6% 40.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$69 3.4%

La Rochelle

$54 2.9% 22.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Lyon versus $1,070 in La Rochelle. 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 29% higher in Lyon, 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 $68.0 in Lyon versus $67.0 in La Rochelle. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $341 – making La Rochelle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 La Rochelle

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

78,535

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lyon La Rochelle 460 km

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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 La Rochelle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 10% more than La Rochelle, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,042 per month in Lyon and $2,757 in La Rochelle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $637 per month in Lyon and $571 in La Rochelle. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Lyon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in La Rochelle, where all-in costs run around $1,838, than in Lyon at $2,028. In La Rochelle it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Rochelle costs $1,838 versus $2,028 in Lyon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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