Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Paterson, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lyon: $2,025 a month against $2,743 in Paterson, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Paterson, NJ
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Paterson, NJ Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,025

/mo nomad

Paterson, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,743

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Paterson, NJ

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

A single person spends $2,025 per month in Lyon vs $2,743 in Paterson, NJ, rent included.

Lyon $2,025
Paterson, NJ $2,743

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Lyon vs $4,154 in Paterson, NJ, rent included.

Lyon $3,130
Paterson, NJ $4,154

A family of three spends $4,236 per month in Lyon vs $5,565 in Paterson, NJ, rent included.

Lyon $4,236
Paterson, NJ $5,565

Lyon is about 26% cheaper than Paterson, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Paterson, NJ sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Paterson, NJ by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 €15.00

$18.81 $18.81

-10.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 €59.6

$79.0 $79.0

-15.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 €11.85

$13.90 $13.90

-4.17%

Cappuccino

$4.11 €3.66

$6.31 $6.31

-34.87%

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

$2.87 €2.55

$2.81 $2.81

2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.93 $2.93

-40.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 €7.12

$8.60 $8.60

-6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 €5.61

$6.80 $6.80

-7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.28 $1.28

17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.53

$4.52 $4.52

-61.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 €2.21

$5.96 $5.96

-58.22%

Eggs

$4.63 €4.12

$5.98 $5.98

-22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.54 €20.05

$14.00 $14.00

61.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.01

$10.39 $10.39

19.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.55 €20.95

$18.68 $18.68

26.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$5.89 $5.89

-59.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.18 $2.18

10.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 €3.15

$4.36 $4.36

-18.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 €2.73

$5.44 $5.44

-43.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$3.09 $3.09

-17.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.04 $3.04

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$2.80 $2.80

-51.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.94

$2.57 $2.57

-58.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 €12.36

$17.67 $17.67

-21.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 €7.15

$15.24 $15.24

-47.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.45

$1.86 $1.86

47.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.95

$3.60 $3.60

-7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.6 €74.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 €7.04

$2.91 $2.91

172.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.15 $2.15

0.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.68 €37.08

$42.52 $42.52

-1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.15 $1.15

93.91%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-3.54%

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

$34.9K €31.0K

$24.8K $24.8K

40.75%

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

$270 €240

$172 $172

56.85%

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

$14.35 €12.76

$51.8 $51.8

-72.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.64 €25.48

$49.34 $49.34

-41.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.31 €34.96

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.36 €24.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.64 €13.02

$20.15 $20.15

-27.34%

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

$619 €550

$1,984 $1,984

-68.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €10.0K

$16.0K $16.0K

-29.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €96.8

$49.02 $49.02

121.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 €38.67

$52.5 $52.5

-17.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €109

$111 $111

10.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$101 $101

23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 €788

$2,481 $2,481

-64.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 €598

$1,480 $1,480

-54.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 €1,604

$3,436 $3,436

-47.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 €1,143

$2,706 $2,706

-52.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,364 €5,661

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,953 €3,516

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,062 €2,723

$3,166 $3,166

-3.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

6.8

-45.88%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 12, 2026

Last update for Paterson, NJ: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$672 33.2%

Paterson, NJ

$1.5K 54% 120% $808

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 19%

Paterson, NJ

$447 16.3% 16.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$313 15.5%

Paterson, NJ

$273 10% 12.7% $40

Eating Out

Lyon

$295 14.6%

Paterson, NJ

$347 12.7% 17.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.9%

Paterson, NJ

$141 5.1% 21.5% $39

Getting Around

Lyon

$112 5.5%

Paterson, NJ

$14 * 0.5% 87.8% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$69 3.4%

Paterson, NJ

$40 * 1.5% 41.2% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $886 in Lyon versus $2,481 in Paterson, NJ. 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 3% higher in Paterson, NJ, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Lyon versus $79.0 in Paterson, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $447 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇺🇸 Paterson, NJ

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

15:37 3:37 PM

6 h behind Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

147,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lyon Paterson, NJ 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lyon
Paterson, NJ

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 Paterson, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paterson, NJ costs about 35% more than Lyon, 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 $3,038 per month in Lyon and $4,114 in Paterson, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lyon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,025 in Lyon and $2,743 in Paterson, NJ. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $619 per month in Lyon and $1,984 in Paterson, NJ. 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 Lyon, where all-in costs run around $2,025, than in Paterson, NJ at $2,743. In Lyon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paterson, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lyon costs $2,025 versus $2,743 in Paterson, NJ. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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