Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Mulhouse

For one person, living is cheaper in Mulhouse: $1,765 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Mulhouse
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Mulhouse Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Mulhouse

🇫🇷 France

$1,765

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Mulhouse

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,765 in Mulhouse, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Mulhouse $1,765

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,829 in Mulhouse, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Mulhouse $2,829

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,892 in Mulhouse, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Mulhouse $3,892

Lyon costs about 16% more than Mulhouse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Mulhouse sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Mulhouse by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.11

$22.76 €20.39

-25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$76.2 €68.3

-11.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.25

$11.39 €10.20

20.02%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.69

$3.39 €3.04

21.53%

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

$2.76 €2.47

$3.11 €2.79

-11.25%

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

$4.38 €3.92

73.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.45

$3.90 €3.49

55.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.32 €1.19

18.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.18 €1.95

-21.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.51 €2.25

-2.39%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

$3.86 €3.46

22.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.56

$13.43 €12.03

70.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.94

$13.45 €12.05

-9.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.60

$20.97 €18.79

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$3.58 €3.21

-32.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.28 €2.04

10.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$4.55 €4.08

-24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.85

$6.10 €5.46

-47.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$3.19 €2.86

-21.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.21 €1.98

33.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.91 €1.71

-26.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.98 €0.88

9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.44

$12.27 €11.00

13.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.96

$7.75 €6.94

0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$3.06 €2.75

-13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$3.44 €3.08

-5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.83 €1.64

32.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.7

$49.43 €44.30

66.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.52

$3.42 €3.07

145.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

$3.38 €3.03

-34.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €36.92

$27.73 €24.85

48.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.98 €1.77

11.62%

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

$34.4K €30.8K

$36.0K €32.2K

-4.37%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$37.5K €33.6K

0.23%

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

$268 €240

$245 €220

9.24%

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

$14.01 €12.55

$31.98 €28.65

-56.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.07

$32.47 €29.10

-10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.05

$43.12 €38.64

-14.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.43

$45.45 €40.73

-37.56%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.74

$11.79 €10.57

30.03%

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

$628 €563

$710 €637

-11.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.0K

$8,415 €7,541

33.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.6

$65.0 €58.3

65.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.86

$38.76 €34.73

11.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$88.9 €79.7

37.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$138 €123

-7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €798

$581 €521

53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €629

$474 €425

48.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,684

$1,158 €1,037

62.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,226

$976 €874

40.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,758

$2,377 €2,130

170.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,869

$1,648 €1,477

161.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,750

$2,164 €1,940

41.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.56

3.37%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mulhouse: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Mulhouse

$474 26.9% 32.5% $228

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Mulhouse

$382 21.7% 0.6% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Mulhouse

$310 17.5% 0.4% $1.3

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Mulhouse

$307 17.4% 4.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Mulhouse

$149 8.4% 17.4% $31

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Mulhouse

$77 4.4% 30.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Mulhouse

$67 3.8% 1.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $581 in Mulhouse. 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 42% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $76 in Mulhouse. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Lyon vs $382 in Mulhouse – so Mulhouse wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Mulhouse

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

106,341

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Mulhouse 290 km

From you

Lyon
Mulhouse

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 Mulhouse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 16% more than Mulhouse, 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 $2,648 in Mulhouse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mulhouse, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $581 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $1,765 in Mulhouse. That makes Mulhouse about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Lyon and $710 in Mulhouse. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mulhouse, where all-in costs run around $1,765, than in Lyon at $2,050. In Mulhouse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,765 in Mulhouse to $2,050 in Lyon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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