Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Nantes

For one person, living is cheaper in Nantes: $1,968 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $980 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Nantes
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Nantes Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Nantes

🇫🇷 France

$1,968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Nantes

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,968 in Nantes, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Nantes $1,968

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,930 in Nantes, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Nantes $2,930

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,891 in Nantes, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Nantes $3,891

Lyon costs about 4% more than Nantes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Nantes sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Nantes by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.06

$16.85 €15.05

0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

$56.8 €50.7

18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.21

$11.39 €10.17

20.02%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.68

$3.56 €3.18

15.73%

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

$2.76 €2.46

$3.05 €2.73

-9.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.61 €1.44

2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.79

$7.72 €6.90

-1.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.43

$4.78 €4.27

27.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.20 €1.07

30.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$3.95 €3.53

-56.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$3.21 €2.87

-23.68%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.24

$3.62 €3.24

30.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.50

$24.84 €22.19

-7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.90

$11.97 €10.69

2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.53

$15.85 €14.15

45.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$3.00 €2.68

-19.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.54 €2.27

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.06

$3.05 €2.73

12.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.85

$2.96 €2.64

7.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$1.84 €1.64

35.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.63

$1.88 €1.68

56.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.44 €1.29

-2.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$0.67 €0.60

59.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.40

$14.49 €12.94

-4.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.94

$6.75 €6.03

15.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.38

$3.53 €3.15

-24.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.90

$2.71 €2.42

19.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.02 €1.81

19.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.5

$61.5 €55.0

33.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.50

$5.50 €4.92

52.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.84 €2.53

-22.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €36.80

$35.51 €31.72

16.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.97

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

$34.4K €30.7K

$34.9K €31.2K

-1.59%

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

$37.6K €33.6K

$38.3K €34.2K

-1.83%

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

$268 €239

$165 €147

62.21%

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

$14.01 €12.51

$14.32 €12.79

-2.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €25.99

$31.67 €28.29

-8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €32.94

$31.22 €27.89

18.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.35

$4.36 €3.90

550.92%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.69

$13.49 €12.05

13.64%

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

$628 €561

$1,073 €958

-41.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,997

$19.1K €17.0K

-41.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.2

$91.7 €81.9

17.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.73

$35.13 €31.38

23.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €109

$92.1 €82.2

32.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$135 €121

-5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €796

$890 €795

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €627

$794 €709

-11.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,679

$1,724 €1,540

9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,222

$1,294 €1,156

5.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,739

$5,186 €4,632

23.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,856

$3,651 €3,261

18.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,741

$2,917 €2,605

5.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.89

-5.40%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nantes: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Nantes

$794 40.4% 13.1% $92

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Nantes

$378 19.2% 1.8% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Nantes

$211 10.7% 32.1% $100

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Nantes

$279 14.2% 5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Nantes

$159 8.1% 11.6% $21

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Nantes

$89 4.5% 19.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Nantes

$58 3% 13.8% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $890 in Nantes. 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 5% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $57 in Nantes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $378 – making Nantes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Nantes

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

323,204

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Nantes 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lyon
Nantes

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 Nantes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 4% more than Nantes, 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 $2,952 in Nantes. 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 $890 in Nantes. 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 $1,968 in Nantes. That makes Nantes about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Lyon and $1,073 in Nantes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nantes costs $1,968 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 Nantes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.