Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Le Havre

For one person, living is cheaper in Le Havre: $1,404 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,028
/mo nomad
Le Havre
🇫🇷 France
$1,404
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Le Havre

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

A single person spends $2,028 per month in Lyon vs $1,404 in Le Havre, rent included.

  • Lyon $2,028
  • Le Havre $1,404

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Lyon vs $2,147 in Le Havre, rent included.

  • Lyon $3,130
  • Le Havre $2,147

A family of three spends $4,232 per month in Lyon vs $2,889 in Le Havre, rent included.

  • Lyon $4,232
  • Le Havre $2,889

Lyon costs about 44% more than Le Havre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lyon and Le Havre sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Le Havre by 4%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.52 €14.70
$14.40 €12.81
14.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$55.8 €49.62
22.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.22 €11.76
$13.53 €12.04
-2.29%
Cappuccino
$4.02 €3.57
$2.66 €2.36
51.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 €2.37
$2.41 €2.14
10.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.47 €1.31
17.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.62 €6.78
$6.88 €6.12
10.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.33 €5.63
$5.49 €4.88
15.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.08 €0.96
44.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.72 €1.53
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.48 €2.20
$1.72 €1.53
44.19%
Eggs
$4.73 €4.21
$3.68 €3.27
28.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.97 €20.43
$16.97 €15.10
35.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.54 €11.16
$12.18 €10.84
2.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.68 €21.07
$24.29 €21.61
-2.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.42 €2.15
$2.36 €2.10
2.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.44 €2.17
$1.93 €1.71
26.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.49 €3.11
$4.54 €4.04
-23.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.17 €2.82
$3.28 €2.92
-3.35%
Potato (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$0.76 €0.67
230.26%
Onion (1kg)
$3.09 €2.75
$1.91 €1.70
61.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.14 €1.01
18.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 €0.99
$0.18 €0.16
522.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89 €12.35
$11.08 €9.86
25.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.16 €7.26
$6.59 €5.86
23.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 €2.37
$3.07 €2.73
-13.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 €2.91
$3.53 €3.14
-7.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.89 €1.68
22.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.7 €73.6
$33.20 €29.53
149.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.38 €7.46
$6.61 €5.88
26.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 €1.93
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.11 €37.46
$45.57 €40.54
-7.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.32 €2.06
$2.06 €1.83
12.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.4K
$24.6K €21.9K
43.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K €33.4K
$37.9K €33.7K
-0.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$267 €238
$155 €138
72.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.02 €12.47
$13.19 €11.74
6.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.85 €26.55
$30.27 €26.93
-1.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.65 €34.38
$28.96 €25.76
33.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.56 €24.51
$8.77 €7.80
214.25%
Cinema Ticket
$15.29 €13.60
$12.20 €10.86
25.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$637 €566
$506 €450
25.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 €97.0
$55.9 €49.70
95.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.77 €39.83
$28.12 €25.02
59.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 €110
$90.2 €80.2
36.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 €113
$49.79 €44.29
155.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$901 €802
$497 €442
81.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 €602
$415 €369
62.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,819 €1,618
$958 €852
89.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 €1,133
$660 €587
93.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,353 €5,651
$2,824 €2,512
124.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,982 €3,542
$1,740 €1,547
128.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lyon
Le Havre
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,066 €2,727
$2,339 €2,080
31.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
3.77
-2.39%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Le Havre: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$676
Le Havre
$415 38.6% $261
Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$389
Le Havre
$341 12.5% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$311
Le Havre
$199 36.2% $113
Eating Out
Lyon
$288
Le Havre
$249 13.8% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$182
Le Havre
$101 44.6% $81
Getting Around
Lyon
$111
Le Havre
$47 * 57.4% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$69
Le Havre
$53 22.9% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Lyon versus $497 in Le Havre. 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 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 $56.0 in Le Havre. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $341 – making Le Havre the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Lyon
🇫🇷 Le Havre
🕒 Local time
14:32 2:32 PM
14:32 2:32 PM
Same time as Lyon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
522,250
166,058
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lyon Le Havre 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lyon
  • Le Havre

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 Le Havre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lyon or Le Havre?
Lyon costs about 44% more than Le Havre, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lyon and in Le Havre?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,042 per month in Lyon and $2,107 in Le Havre. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lyon or Le Havre?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Le Havre, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Lyon compared to Le Havre?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,028 in Lyon and $1,404 in Le Havre. That's a gap of about 44%.
How expensive is transport in Lyon compared to Le Havre?
Public transport costs about 149% less in Le Havre. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lyon or in Le Havre?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Le Havre, where all-in costs run around $1,404, than in Lyon at $2,028. In Le Havre it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lyon or Le Havre?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Le Havre costs $1,404 versus $2,028 in Lyon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Lyon compared to Le Havre?
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.
Should I move to Lyon or to Le Havre?
If budget matters most, go with Le Havre. 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.

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