Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Marseille

For one person, living costs are similar in Lyon and in Marseille: $2,022 and $2,045 a month, rent and utilities included.

97

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Marseille
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Marseille Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,022

/mo nomad

Marseille

🇫🇷 France

$2,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Marseille

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

A single person spends $2,022 per month in Lyon vs $2,045 in Marseille, rent included.

Lyon $2,022
Marseille $2,045

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Lyon vs $3,211 in Marseille, rent included.

Lyon $3,156
Marseille $3,211

A family of three spends $4,290 per month in Lyon vs $4,377 in Marseille, rent included.

Lyon $4,290
Marseille $4,377

Lyon and Marseille have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Lyon and Marseille sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Marseille by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €15.23

$17.01 €15.17

0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €60.6

$73.0 €65.1

-6.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.52 €12.06

$13.56 €12.10

-0.29%

Cappuccino

$4.00 €3.57

$3.49 €3.11

14.61%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$3.14 €2.80

-12.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.95 €1.74

-11.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 €6.92

$6.88 €6.14

12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 €5.52

$6.57 €5.86

-5.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.27 €1.13

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.53

$2.49 €2.22

-31.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$3.06 €2.73

-15.03%

Eggs

$4.60 €4.10

$4.84 €4.32

-4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.55 €20.11

$26.99 €24.07

-16.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.44 €11.09

$14.46 €12.90

-13.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.01 €20.53

$26.82 €23.92

-14.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$3.77 €3.36

-36.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.22

$2.46 €2.19

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 €3.14

$4.62 €4.12

-23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 €2.71

$3.93 €3.51

-22.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.07 €2.74

-19.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 €2.64

$2.41 €2.15

22.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.95 €1.74

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.37 €1.22

-18.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 €12.32

$13.91 €12.40

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 €7.00

$9.14 €8.15

-14.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.21 €2.86

-14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.98

$4.43 €3.95

-24.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.06 €1.84

11.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.7 €72.9

$45.50 €40.58

79.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €3.00

$2.64 €2.36

27.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.28 €1.14

76.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.12 €41.14

$39.57 €35.30

16.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.30 €2.05

-0.87%

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

$34.9K €31.1K

$34.3K €30.6K

1.58%

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

$37.5K €33.5K

$38.9K €34.7K

-3.46%

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

$263 €235

$189 €169

38.83%

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

$14.04 €12.52

$17.74 €15.82

-20.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.06 €25.92

$36.34 €32.41

-20.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.96 €33.86

$35.07 €31.29

8.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 €25.00

$28.55 €25.47

-1.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 €13.31

$14.60 €13.02

2.19%

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

$629 €561

$862 €769

-26.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €11.0K

$11.4K €10.1K

8.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.6

$91.8 €81.9

17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 €39.03

$53.2 €47.44

-17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €108

$118 €105

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$152 €136

-16.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 €822

$852 €760

8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 €610

$745 €664

-8.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 €1,704

$1,707 €1,522

11.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,211

$1,408 €1,256

-3.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,450 €5,753

$5,121 €4,568

25.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,230 €3,773

$3,430 €3,060

23.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,268 €2,915

$2,637 €2,352

23.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.91

-5.88%

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

Last update for Lyon: November 3, 2026

Last update for Marseille: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$684 33.8%

Marseille

$745 36.4% 8.9% $61

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$384 19%

Marseille

$456 22.3% 18.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$306 15.1%

Marseille

$244 11.9% 20.4% $63

Eating Out

Lyon

$294 14.6%

Marseille

$287 14% 2.6% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.9%

Marseille

$187 9.1% 3.6% $6.5

Getting Around

Lyon

$106 5.2%

Marseille

$63 3.1% 40.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.4%

Marseille

$64 3.1% 5.2% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $922 in Lyon versus $852 in Marseille. 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 24% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $73 in Marseille. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $456 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Marseille

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

873,076

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lyon Marseille 280 km

From you

Lyon
Marseille

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 Marseille: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,033 per month in Lyon and $3,067 in Marseille. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $922 in Lyon and $852 in Marseille. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Marseille, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $629 per month in Lyon and $862 in Marseille. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,022 in Lyon and $2,045 in Marseille. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lyon costs $2,022 versus $2,045 in Marseille. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.