Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Les Ulis

For one person, living costs are similar in Lyon and in Les Ulis: $2,028 and $1,965 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,028
/mo nomad
Les Ulis
🇫🇷 France
$1,965
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Les Ulis

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

A single person spends $2,028 per month in Lyon vs $1,965 in Les Ulis, rent included.

  • Lyon $2,028
  • Les Ulis $1,965

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Lyon vs $3,037 in Les Ulis, rent included.

  • Lyon $3,130
  • Les Ulis $3,037

A family of three spends $4,232 per month in Lyon vs $4,109 in Les Ulis, rent included.

  • Lyon $4,232
  • Les Ulis $4,109

Lyon costs about 3% more than Les Ulis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lyon and Les Ulis sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Les Ulis by 45%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.52 €14.70
$18.70 €16.64
-11.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 €60.7
$77.3 €68.8
-11.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.22 €11.76
$13.34 €11.86
-0.90%
Cappuccino
$4.02 €3.57
$5.01 €4.45
-19.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 €2.37
$4.51 €4.02
-41.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.67 €2.38
-35.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.62 €6.78
$7.88 €7.01
-3.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.33 €5.63
$6.75 €6.00
-6.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.57 €1.40
-0.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 €1.53
$2.51 €2.23
-31.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.48 €2.20
$2.66 €2.36
-6.77%
Eggs
$4.73 €4.21
$4.30 €3.83
10.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.97 €20.43
$21.70 €19.31
5.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.54 €11.16
$13.47 €11.98
-6.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.68 €21.07
$22.43 €19.95
5.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.42 €2.15
$3.18 €2.83
-23.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.44 €2.17
$2.17 €1.93
12.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.49 €3.11
$2.92 €2.60
19.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.17 €2.82
$4.11 €3.66
-22.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$1.88 €1.67
33.51%
Onion (1kg)
$3.09 €2.75
$2.47 €2.19
25.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.85 €1.65
-27.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 €0.99
$0.88 €0.78
27.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.89 €12.35
$14.67 €13.05
-5.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.16 €7.26
$8.95 €7.96
-8.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 €2.37
$2.67 €2.37
-0.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 €2.91
$3.53 €3.14
-7.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.92 €1.71
20.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.7 €73.6
$47.30 €42.07
74.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.38 €7.46
$8.82 €7.85
-4.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.43 €1.27
51.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.11 €37.46
$45.02 €40.04
-6.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.32 €2.06
$2.19 €1.95
5.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.4K
$34.9K €31.0K
1.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K €33.4K
$35.7K €31.8K
5.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$267 €238
$247 €220
8.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.02 €12.47
$15.57 €13.85
-9.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.85 €26.55
$30.09 €26.77
-0.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.65 €34.38
$36.10 €32.11
7.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.56 €24.51
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.29 €13.60
$14.78 €13.15
3.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$637 €566
$1,788 €1,591
-64.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.3K
$10.1K €8,956
15.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 €97.0
$112 €99.4
-2.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.77 €39.83
$52.0 €46.21
-13.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 €110
$120 €107
2.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 €113
$160 €142
-20.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$901 €802
$741 €659
21.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 €602
$608 €541
11.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,819 €1,618
$1,391 €1,238
30.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 €1,133
$1,105 €983
15.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,353 €5,651
$3,866 €3,439
64.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,982 €3,542
$2,967 €2,639
34.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lyon
Les Ulis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,066 €2,727
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
3.4
8.24%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Les Ulis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$676
Les Ulis
$608 10.1% $68
Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$389
Les Ulis
$396 1.8% $6.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$311
Les Ulis
$293 6% $19
Eating Out
Lyon
$288
Les Ulis
$331 14.9% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$182
Les Ulis
$200 9.7% $18
Getting Around
Lyon
$111
Les Ulis
$71 36.2% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$69
Les Ulis
$66 5.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Lyon versus $741 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 $68.0 in Lyon versus $77.0 in Les Ulis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $396 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Lyon
🇫🇷 Les Ulis
🕒 Local time
13:42 1:42 PM
13:42 1:42 PM
Same time as Lyon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
522,250
25,253
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lyon Les Ulis 380 km
From you
  • Lyon
  • Les Ulis

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 Les Ulis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lyon and in Les Ulis compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,028 in Lyon, $1,965 in Les Ulis – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lyon compared to Les Ulis?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,042 per month in Lyon and $2,948 in Les Ulis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lyon and Les Ulis?
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.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Lyon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Lyon and $77.0 in Les Ulis. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Les Ulis, where all-in costs run around $1,965, than in Lyon at $2,028. In Les Ulis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lyon and Les Ulis?
It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,965 in Les Ulis to $2,028 in Lyon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lyon or Les Ulis safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Lyon and Les Ulis?
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.

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