Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Les Ulis Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Les Ulis

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,194 per month in Lyon vs $1,883 in Les Ulis, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,343 per month in Lyon vs $2,826 in Les Ulis, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,493 per month in Lyon vs $3,769 in Les Ulis, rent included.

Lyon costs about 17% more than Les Ulis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Lyon and Les Ulis sit above the global median – Lyon by 64%, Les Ulis by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.98

$15.56 €13.63

9.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.7 €66.4

$70.6 €61.9

7.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.97 €11.37

$10.46 €9.17

24.00%

Cappuccino

$3.83 €3.36

$3.49 €3.06

9.74%

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

$2.82 €2.47

$3.49 €3.06

-19.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.40 €2.98

-45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 €7.31

$8.30 €7.27

0.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 €5.97

$5.88 €5.15

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.86 €0.75

74.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 €2.30

$2.01 €1.76

30.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.32

$1.01 €0.88

161.39%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.67

$5.20 €4.56

-19.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.35 €21.34

$14.03 €12.29

73.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.77 €13.82

$13.98 €12.24

12.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.22 €22.09

$13.52 €11.85

86.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.37 €2.07

16.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.17

$1.88 €1.65

31.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 €3.16

$3.43 €3.01

5.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.49

$3.77 €3.30

5.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.53

$2.61 €2.28

10.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 €2.39

$1.98 €1.74

37.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.82 €1.59

-19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.81

$0.39 €0.34

135.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.13 €12.38

$11.61 €10.17

21.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 €7.19

$9.17 €8.04

-10.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.78

$2.83 €2.48

12.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.82

$4.09 €3.58

-21.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 €2.15

$2.00 €1.75

23.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 €73.7

$47.95 €42.01

75.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €5.03

$4.67 €4.09

22.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.10 €1.84

-11.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.5 €51.2

$54.5 €47.78

7.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.84

$2.12 €1.86

-0.94%

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

$38.2K €33.5K

$35.4K €31.0K

8.07%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$36.3K €31.8K

4.37%

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

$284 €248

$251 €220

13.16%

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

$22.13 €19.39

$16.63 €14.57

33.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.77 €32.21

$36.48 €31.96

0.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.62 €38.21

$37.35 €32.72

16.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.02 €20.16

$18.32 €16.05

25.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 €12.31

$15.31 €13.41

-8.23%

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

$742 €650

$898 €787

-17.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.5K

$8,474 €7,424

41.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €96.5

$112 €98.4

-1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 €44.44

$48.31 €42.32

5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €106

$123 €108

-1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 €141

$160 €140

0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$962 €843

$774 €678

24.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 €606

$626 €548

10.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,895 €1,660

$1,372 €1,202

38.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 €1,082

$1,073 €940

15.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,596 €5,779

$4,319 €3,784

52.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,036 €3,536

$3,376 €2,957

19.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,156 €2,765

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Les Ulis: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $962 in Lyon versus $774 in Les Ulis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lyon versus $71.0 in Les Ulis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $429 vs $326 – making Les Ulis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Les Ulis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,194 in Lyon, $1,883 in Les Ulis – roughly 17% apart. Lyon costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,291 per month in Lyon and $2,824 in Les Ulis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 31% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lyon and $71.0 in Les Ulis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Les Ulis, where all-in costs run around $1,883, than in Lyon at $2,194. In Les Ulis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,883 in Les Ulis to $2,194 in Lyon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Les Ulis. 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.