Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Metz

For one person, living is cheaper in Metz: $1,859 a month against $2,022 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lyon, France
Metz, France
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,022
/mo nomad
Metz
🇫🇷 France
$1,859
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Metz

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

A single person spends $2,022 per month in Lyon vs $1,859 in Metz, rent included.

  • Lyon $2,022
  • Metz $1,859

A couple spends around $3,156 per month in Lyon vs $2,783 in Metz, rent included.

  • Lyon $3,156
  • Metz $2,783

A family of three spends $4,290 per month in Lyon vs $3,707 in Metz, rent included.

  • Lyon $4,290
  • Metz $3,707

Lyon costs about 9% more than Metz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Metz sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Metz by 37%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lyon
Metz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.07 €15.20
$16.70 €14.87
2.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0 €60.5
$67.7 €60.3
0.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.52 €12.04
$11.31 €10.07
19.54%
Cappuccino
$4.00 €3.56
$3.45 €3.08
15.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.44
$3.87 €3.45
-29.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.39 €2.13
-27.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.76 €6.91
$5.09 €4.54
52.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 €5.51
$5.57 €4.96
10.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lyon
Metz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 €1.35
$1.08 €0.96
39.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.52 €2.24
-32.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.60 €2.31
$2.77 €2.46
-6.14%
Eggs
$4.60 €4.10
$4.47 €3.98
2.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$22.55 €20.08
$21.94 €19.54
2.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.44 €11.08
$13.30 €11.84
-6.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.01 €20.49
$22.48 €20.02
2.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 €2.14
$3.35 €2.98
-28.36%
Banana (1kg)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.31 €2.06
7.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 €3.14
$2.92 €2.60
20.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.03 €2.70
$4.43 €3.94
-31.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.46 €2.19
$1.86 €1.66
32.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.95 €2.63
$2.56 €2.28
15.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.81 €1.61
-28.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.83 €0.74
34.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.81 €12.30
$14.49 €12.90
-4.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.84 €6.98
$8.94 €7.96
-12.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.73 €2.43
$2.67 €2.37
2.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 €2.98
$3.61 €3.22
-7.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Lyon
Metz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$2.20 €1.96
4.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$81.7 €72.8
$56.9 €50.7
43.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.37 €3.00
$6.28 €5.59
-46.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.48 €1.31
52.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.12 €41.07
$45.35 €40.38
1.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.12 €1.89
7.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K €31.1K
$34.8K €31.0K
0.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K €33.4K
$37.3K €33.2K
0.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
Metz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$263 €234
$153 €136
72.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.04 €12.50
$15.43 €13.74
-9.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.06 €25.87
$22.56 €20.09
28.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
Metz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.96 €33.80
$19.66 €17.51
93.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.03 €24.95
$11.28 €10.05
148.49%
Cinema Ticket
$14.92 €13.28
$11.02 €9.81
35.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lyon
Metz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$629 €560
$1,776 €1,582
-64.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K €11.0K
$29.7K €26.4K
-58.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
Metz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.4
$93.3 €83.1
16.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.76 €38.96
$22.30 €19.86
96.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 €108
$94.7 €84.3
27.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €114
$155 €138
-17.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lyon
Metz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$922 €821
$753 €671
22.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$684 €609
$716 €638
-4.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,910 €1,701
$1,134 €1,009
68.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,358 €1,209
$1,068 €951
27.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,450 €5,743
$3,579 €3,187
80.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,230 €3,766
$2,920 €2,600
44.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lyon
Metz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,268 €2,910
$3,320 €2,956
-1.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
3.45
6.67%

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

Last update for Lyon: November 3, 2026

Last update for Metz: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$684
Metz
$716 4.7% $32
Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$384
Metz
$395 3% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$306
Metz
$191 37.6% $115
Eating Out
Lyon
$294
Metz
$271 8% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$180
Metz
$164 8.8% $16
Getting Around
Lyon
$106
Metz
$79 24.8% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$68
Metz
$42 38.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $922 in Lyon versus $753 in Metz. 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 in Lyon versus $68 in Metz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $395 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Lyon
🇫🇷 Metz
🕒 Local time
03:33 3:33 AM
03:33 3:33 AM
Same time as Lyon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
522,250
120,874
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lyon Metz 390 km
From you
  • Lyon
  • Metz

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 Metz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lyon or Metz?
Lyon costs about 9% more than Metz, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lyon and in Metz?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,033 per month in Lyon and $2,788 in Metz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lyon or Metz?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Metz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $753 there versus $922 in Lyon.
How much does it cost to live in Lyon compared to Metz?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,022 in Lyon and $1,859 in Metz. That makes Metz about 8% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Lyon and in Metz?
Kindergarten costs $629 per month in Lyon and $1,776 in Metz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Lyon or in Metz?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,022 in Lyon and $1,859 in Metz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lyon or Metz?
It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,859 in Metz to $2,022 in Lyon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Lyon compared to Metz?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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