Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Orleans

For one person, living is cheaper in Orleans: $1,577 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Orleans
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Orleans Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Orleans

🇫🇷 France

$1,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Orleans

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,577 in Orleans, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Orleans $1,577

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,381 in Orleans, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Orleans $2,381

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,186 in Orleans, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Orleans $3,186

Lyon costs about 30% more than Orleans, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lyon and Orleans sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Orleans by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.15

$16.87 €15.15

-0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$54.9 €49.27

23.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.28

$11.32 €10.17

20.76%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.70

$2.81 €2.53

46.62%

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

$2.76 €2.48

$2.90 €2.61

-4.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.49

$1.43 €1.29

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.83

$5.63 €5.05

34.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.46

$6.51 €5.85

-6.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.10 €0.99

42.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.55

$1.07 €0.96

60.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.17 €1.95

12.90%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$3.63 €3.26

30.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.62

$12.59 €11.31

82.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.97

$9.18 €8.25

33.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.65

$19.23 €17.28

19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.17

$2.19 €1.97

10.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.27 €2.04

10.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$2.46 €2.21

39.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.86

$2.22 €2.00

43.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$1.10 €0.98

127.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$1.09 €0.98

169.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.14 €1.03

23.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.10 €0.99

-2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.47

$14.80 €13.30

-6.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.98

$6.47 €5.81

20.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$2.22 €2.00

19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$3.33 €2.99

-2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.05 €1.84

18.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.9

$52.4 €47.08

56.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.54

$8.89 €7.99

-5.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.25 €1.13

76.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €37.01

$22.54 €20.25

82.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.05 €1.84

7.80%

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

$34.4K €30.9K

$28.4K €25.5K

21.25%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$35.8K €32.1K

5.04%

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

$268 €241

$179 €161

49.46%

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

$14.01 €12.58

$23.17 €20.81

-39.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.14

$27.72 €24.90

4.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.13

$30.95 €27.80

19.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.49

$7.89 €7.08

259.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.77

$13.85 €12.44

10.69%

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

$628 €564

$912 €819

-31.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.1K

$3,561 €3,199

214.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.8

$77.5 €69.6

39.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.95

$40.48 €36.36

7.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$95.4 €85.7

28.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$106 €95.5

19.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €800

$776 €697

14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €631

$521 €468

34.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,688

$1,066 €958

76.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,229

$861 €774

58.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,772

$2,721 €2,444

136.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,878

$2,047 €1,838

110.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,757

$3,221 €2,893

-4.72%

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 Orleans: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Orleans

$521 33.1% 25.7% $181

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Orleans

$286 18.1% 25.7% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Orleans

$230 14.6% 26% $81

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Orleans

$261 16.6% 10.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Orleans

$144 9.1% 20.1% $36

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Orleans

$76 4.8% 32% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Orleans

$59 3.7% 13.2% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $776 in Orleans. 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 Orleans, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $55 in Orleans. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $286 – making Orleans the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Orleans

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

116,617

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Orleans 330 km

From you

Lyon
Orleans

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 Orleans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 30% more than Orleans, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $2,365 in Orleans. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Orleans, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $776 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $1,577 in Orleans. That makes Orleans about 23% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Orleans. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,050 in Lyon and $1,577 in Orleans. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,577 in Orleans 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.

For expats, Orleans is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 23% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.