Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Nimes

For one person, living is cheaper in Nimes: $1,776 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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 Nimes
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Nimes Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Nimes

🇫🇷 France

$1,776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Nimes

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,776 in Nimes, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Nimes $1,776

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,908 in Nimes, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Nimes $2,908

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $4,039 in Nimes, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Nimes $4,039

Lyon costs about 15% more than Nimes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Nimes sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Nimes by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.15

$16.89 €15.17

-0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$56.1 €50.4

20.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.28

$12.38 €11.12

10.42%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.70

$3.33 €2.99

23.72%

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

$2.76 €2.48

$2.24 €2.01

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.49

$1.13 €1.02

46.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.83

$6.91 €6.20

9.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.46

$5.57 €5.00

9.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.32 €1.19

18.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.55

$1.48 €1.33

16.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.39 €2.14

2.51%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$3.98 €3.57

19.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.62

$12.96 €11.64

77.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.97

$11.03 €9.91

10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.65

$24.04 €21.60

-4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.17

$2.73 €2.45

-11.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.16 €1.94

16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$2.79 €2.50

22.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.86

$5.03 €4.52

-36.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.57 €2.31

-2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.35 €2.11

25.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.39 €1.25

1.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.32 €1.19

-18.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.47

$14.14 €12.70

-1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.98

$5.69 €5.11

36.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$3.31 €2.98

-19.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$2.91 €2.61

11.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.17

$1.82 €1.63

32.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.9

$40.42 €36.31

103.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.54

$3.07 €2.76

173.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.43 €1.29

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €37.01

$30.20 €27.13

36.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.04 €1.84

8.33%

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

$34.4K €30.9K

$25.2K €22.6K

36.63%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$33.2K €29.8K

13.22%

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

$268 €241

$202 €181

32.74%

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

$14.01 €12.58

$27.83 €25.00

-49.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.14

$34.64 €31.12

-16.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.13

$41.63 €37.39

-11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.49

$11.01 €9.89

157.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.77

$13.46 €12.09

13.89%

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

$628 €564

$601 €540

4.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.1K

$7,409 €6,655

51.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.8

$87.0 €78.1

23.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.95

$39.25 €35.26

10.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$92.3 €82.9

32.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$147 €132

-13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €800

$722 €649

23.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €631

$600 €539

17.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,688

$1,429 €1,284

31.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,229

$1,465 €1,316

-6.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,772

$3,405 €3,059

88.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,878

$2,380 €2,138

81.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,757

$2,305 €2,071

33.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.66

0.55%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nimes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Nimes

$600 33.8% 14.6% $103

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Nimes

$350 19.7% 8.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Nimes

$264 14.9% 15% $47

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Nimes

$271 15.3% 7.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Nimes

$164 9.3% 8.8% $16

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Nimes

$58 3.3% 48% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Nimes

$69 3.9% 1.5% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $722 in Nimes. 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 33% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $56 in Nimes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $350 – making Nimes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Nimes

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

148,104

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Nimes 220 km

From you

Lyon
Nimes

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 Nimes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 15% more than Nimes, 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 $2,664 in Nimes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nimes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $722 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $1,776 in Nimes. That makes Nimes about 13% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Nimes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nimes, where all-in costs run around $1,776, than in Lyon at $2,050. In Nimes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nimes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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