Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Melun

For one person, living is cheaper in Melun: $1,687 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Melun
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Melun Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,028

/mo nomad

Melun

🇫🇷 France

$1,687

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Melun

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

A single person spends $2,028 per month in Lyon vs $1,687 in Melun, rent included.

Lyon $2,028
Melun $1,687

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Lyon vs $2,511 in Melun, rent included.

Lyon $3,130
Melun $2,511

A family of three spends $4,232 per month in Lyon vs $3,335 in Melun, rent included.

Lyon $4,232
Melun $3,335

Lyon costs about 20% more than Melun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lyon and Melun sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Melun by 24%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 €14.70

$12.73 €11.32

29.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$53.1 €47.20

28.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.76

$13.41 €11.93

-1.42%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.57

$2.99 €2.66

34.45%

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

$2.66 €2.37

$1.68 €1.50

58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.62 €6.78

$7.44 €6.62

2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 €5.63

$5.63 €5.00

12.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.32 €1.17

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.89 €1.68

-8.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$2.86 €2.54

-13.29%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.21

$4.17 €3.70

13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.97 €20.43

$21.19 €18.85

8.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 €11.16

$12.88 €11.46

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.68 €21.07

$22.95 €20.41

3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.31 €2.94

-26.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.12 €1.88

15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 €3.11

$2.35 €2.09

48.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 €2.82

$3.08 €2.74

2.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.82 €1.62

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.99 €1.77

55.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.77 €1.58

-23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.99

$0.63 €0.56

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.35

$13.92 €12.38

-0.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 €7.26

$8.20 €7.29

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.37

$2.46 €2.19

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.27 €3.80

-23.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.95 €1.73

18.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 €73.6

$47.25 €42.03

75.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 €7.46

$2.21 €1.97

279.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.16 €1.92

0.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.11 €37.46

$23.81 €21.18

76.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.06

$2.23 €1.98

4.04%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$34.1K €30.3K

3.57%

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

$37.5K €33.4K

$34.3K €30.5K

9.56%

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

$267 €238

$197 €176

35.54%

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

$14.02 €12.47

$15.10 €13.43

-7.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 €26.55

$28.14 €25.03

6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 €34.38

$35.17 €31.29

9.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 €13.60

$9.97 €8.87

53.36%

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

$637 €566

$623 €554

2.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.3K

$8,092 €7,197

43.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.0

$86.6 €77.0

25.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 €39.83

$40.76 €36.25

9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €110

$103 €92.1

19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$102 €90.4

25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 €802

$742 €660

21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 €602

$561 €499

20.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 €1,618

$1,193 €1,061

52.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 €1,133

$883 €785

44.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,353 €5,651

$3,959 €3,522

60.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,982 €3,542

$2,978 €2,649

33.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 €2,727

$2,499 €2,223

22.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.92

-6.12%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Melun: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$676 33.4%

Melun

$561 33.2% 17.1% $116

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$389 19.2%

Melun

$372 22.1% 4.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.4%

Melun

$241 14.3% 22.7% $71

Eating Out

Lyon

$288 14.2%

Melun

$240 14.2% 16.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$182 9%

Melun

$150 8.9% 17.8% $32

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.5%

Melun

$68 4% 38.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$69 3.4%

Melun

$55 3.3% 20.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Lyon versus $742 in Melun. 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 23% 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 $53.0 in Melun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $372 – making Melun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Melun

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

42,367

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Melun 350 km

From you

Lyon
Melun

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 Melun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 20% more than Melun, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,042 per month in Lyon and $2,530 in Melun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,028 in Lyon and $1,687 in Melun. That's a gap of about 20%.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Melun. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Melun, where all-in costs run around $1,687, than in Lyon at $2,028. In Melun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Melun costs $1,687 versus $2,028 in Lyon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Melun. 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.