Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Le Mans Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Le Mans

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,163 in Lyon versus $1,702 in Le Mans.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,334 in Lyon versus $2,708 in Le Mans.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Lyon versus $3,714 in Le Mans.

Living in Lyon is roughly 27% more expensive than Le Mans, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 61% above, Le Mans 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.04

$17.25 €14.85

1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 €65.3

$58.1 €50.1

30.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 €10.78

$11.41 €9.83

9.73%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.46

$4.01 €3.45

0.25%

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

$2.84 €2.45

$2.33 €2.00

21.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.13 €0.97

61.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 €6.86

$8.30 €7.15

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 €6.12

$7.97 €6.87

-10.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.05 €0.91

40.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 €2.28

$1.58 €1.36

67.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.93 €2.53

-9.22%

Eggs

$4.34 €3.73

$3.13 €2.70

38.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.03 €21.55

$25.67 €22.10

-2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 €13.69

$14.21 €12.24

11.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.06 €22.44

$19.65 €16.92

32.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$3.59 €3.09

-25.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.38 €2.05

9.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 €2.96

$3.54 €3.05

-2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.36

$3.85 €3.31

1.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.69 €2.32

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$3.04 €2.62

-7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.51 €1.30

-5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.79

$0.92 €0.79

-1.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.14

$14.31 €12.32

-1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 €7.35

$6.78 €5.84

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.75

$2.33 €2.00

37.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.67

$2.36 €2.03

31.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.76 €1.52

34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.3 €72.6

$41.55 €35.77

102.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €4.89

$4.70 €4.05

20.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.73 €1.49

9.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.5 €50.4

$54.7 €47.14

6.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.16 €1.86

-2.78%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$35.6K €30.7K

4.41%

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

$37.8K €32.5K

$36.1K €31.1K

4.81%

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

$283 €243

$176 €152

60.40%

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

$22.15 €19.08

$16.82 €14.49

31.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.37 €32.18

$31.40 €27.04

19.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.01 €37.90

$34.81 €29.97

26.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.14 €19.92

$18.02 €15.52

28.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 €11.94

$11.65 €10.03

19.06%

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

$730 €628

$396 €341

84.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.2K

$8,532 €7,347

38.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €94.6

$114 €97.8

-3.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.52

$47.23 €40.67

7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$117 €101

5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €144

$137 €118

22.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 €847

$579 €498

70.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 €614

$468 €403

52.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 €1,644

$1,057 €910

80.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 €1,069

$987 €850

25.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,714 €5,781

$2,955 €2,545

127.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,089 €3,521

$1,944 €1,674

110.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,282 €2,827

$3,108 €2,676

5.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

3.55

5.92%

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

Last update for Lyon: May 31, 2026

Last update for Le Mans: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $984 in Lyon and $579 in Le Mans. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 6% 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: $76.0 in Lyon vs $58.0 in Le Mans for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $384 per month, with Le Mans 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 Le Mans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon and Le Mans differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,163 vs $1,702 including rent). Le Mans is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lyon pays 6% more on average, 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: $984 in Lyon versus $579 in Le Mans. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Le Mans runs roughly 103% less than in Lyon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $730 in Lyon versus $396 in Le Mans. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,702 in Le Mans versus $2,163 in Lyon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Le Mans but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Le Mans the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lyon and Le Mans 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 Le Mans gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.