Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Montpellier

For one person, living is cheaper in Montpellier: $1,948 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Montpellier
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Montpellier Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Montpellier

🇫🇷 France

$1,948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Montpellier

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,948 in Montpellier, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Montpellier $1,948

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,955 in Montpellier, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Montpellier $2,955

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,962 in Montpellier, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Montpellier $3,962

Lyon costs about 5% more than Montpellier, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Montpellier sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Montpellier by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.11

$16.70 €14.97

0.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$72.1 €64.6

-6.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.25

$13.24 €11.87

3.25%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.69

$3.65 €3.27

12.88%

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

$2.76 €2.47

$3.05 €2.73

-9.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.98 €1.77

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.81

$5.75 €5.15

32.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.45

$4.58 €4.10

32.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.35 €1.21

16.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.20 €1.97

-21.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.71 €2.43

-9.59%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

$3.72 €3.33

27.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.56

$18.67 €16.73

22.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.94

$13.81 €12.38

-11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.60

$24.91 €22.32

-7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.87 €2.57

-16.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.46 €2.20

2.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.85 €2.56

20.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.85

$3.92 €3.51

-18.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.32 €2.08

7.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.98 €2.67

-1.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.74 €1.56

-18.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.63 €0.57

69.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.44

$14.24 €12.76

-2.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.96

$7.64 €6.84

1.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$3.65 €3.27

-27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$2.74 €2.46

18.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.03 €1.82

19.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.7

$2.08 €1.87

3855.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.52

$5.04 €4.52

66.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.63 €1.46

34.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €36.92

$33.42 €29.95

23.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.13 €1.91

3.76%

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

$34.4K €30.8K

-0.11%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$39.0K €34.9K

-3.56%

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

$268 €240

$220 €197

21.68%

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

$14.01 €12.55

$16.67 €14.94

-15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.07

$32.14 €28.80

-9.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.05

$35.24 €31.58

4.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.43

$14.08 €12.62

101.56%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.74

$13.79 €12.36

11.17%

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

$628 €563

$731 €655

-14.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.0K

$13.2K €11.8K

-15.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.6

$89.0 €79.8

21.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.86

$63.8 €57.1

-32.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$102 €91.5

19.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$177 €159

-28.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €798

$847 €759

5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €629

$735 €659

-4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,684

$1,576 €1,412

19.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,226

$1,231 €1,103

11.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,758

$4,909 €4,399

30.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,869

$3,599 €3,225

19.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,750

$2,777 €2,489

10.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.81

-3.41%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montpellier: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Montpellier

$735 37.8% 4.7% $33

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Montpellier

$388 19.9% 0.8% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Montpellier

$269 13.8% 13.5% $42

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Montpellier

$275 14.1% 6.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Montpellier

$194 10% 8% $14

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Montpellier

$23 1.2% 79% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Montpellier

$63 3.2% 7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $847 in Montpellier. 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 10% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $72 in Montpellier. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $388 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Montpellier

🕒 Local time

04:02 4:02 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

302,454

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Lyon Montpellier 250 km

From you

Lyon
Montpellier

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 Montpellier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 5% more than Montpellier, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,075 per month in Lyon and $2,922 in Montpellier. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $891 in Lyon and $847 in Montpellier. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $1,948 in Montpellier. That makes Montpellier about 5% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Lyon and $731 in Montpellier. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,050 in Lyon and $1,948 in Montpellier, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montpellier costs $1,948 versus $2,050 in Lyon. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Montpellier. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.