Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Poitiers

For one person, living is cheaper in Poitiers: $1,560 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Poitiers
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Poitiers Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Poitiers

🇫🇷 France

$1,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Poitiers

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,560 in Poitiers, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Poitiers $1,560

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,398 in Poitiers, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Poitiers $2,398

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,236 in Poitiers, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Poitiers $3,236

Lyon costs about 31% more than Poitiers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lyon and Poitiers sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Poitiers by 15%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.15

$14.99 €13.47

12.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$56.1 €50.4

20.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.28

$14.09 €12.65

-2.98%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.70

$2.69 €2.41

53.16%

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

$2.76 €2.48

$3.20 €2.88

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.49

$1.83 €1.64

-9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.83

$6.57 €5.91

15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.46

$6.17 €5.55

-1.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.62 €1.46

-3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.55

$2.35 €2.11

-26.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$1.92 €1.72

27.60%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$4.95 €4.45

-4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.62

$19.50 €17.51

17.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.97

$11.68 €10.49

4.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.65

$15.51 €13.93

48.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.17

$2.41 €2.16

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.00 €1.80

25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.29 €2.95

4.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.86

$2.98 €2.68

7.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$1.91 €1.72

30.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.36 €2.12

24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$2.79 €2.50

-49.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.66 €0.59

62.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.47

$12.97 €11.65

7.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.98

$9.28 €8.33

-16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$2.89 €2.60

-7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$3.69 €3.31

-11.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.09 €1.88

15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.9

$46.56 €41.82

76.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.54

$8.98 €8.07

-6.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.86 €2.57

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €37.01

$35.10 €31.53

17.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.18 €1.95

1.38%

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

$34.4K €30.9K

$34.7K €31.2K

-0.98%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$32.4K €29.1K

16.11%

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

$268 €241

$252 €227

6.08%

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

$14.01 €12.58

$11.74 €10.54

19.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.14

$39.04 €35.07

-25.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.13

$49.12 €44.12

-24.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.49

$19.70 €17.70

44.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.77

$8.87 €7.97

72.83%

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

$628 €564

$677 €608

-7.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.1K

$10.9K €9,767

2.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.8

$94.0 €84.5

14.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.95

$44.30 €39.80

-2.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$79.5 €71.4

53.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$71.3 €64.1

77.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €800

$576 €517

54.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €631

$369 €332

90.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,688

$911 €818

106.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,229

$704 €632

94.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,772

$3,539 €3,179

81.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,878

$2,124 €1,908

103.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,757

$1,948 €1,750

57.50%

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 Poitiers: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Poitiers

$369 23.7% 47.4% $333

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Poitiers

$353 22.6% 8.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Poitiers

$303 19.4% 2.5% $7.7

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Poitiers

$260 16.7% 11.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Poitiers

$130 8.3% 27.7% $50

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Poitiers

$78 5% 29.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Poitiers

$67 4.3% 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $576 in Poitiers. 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 58% 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 Poitiers. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $353 – making Poitiers the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Poitiers

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

90,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Lyon Poitiers 360 km

From you

Lyon
Poitiers

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 Poitiers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 31% more than Poitiers, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $2,340 in Poitiers. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Poitiers, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $576 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $1,560 in Poitiers. That makes Poitiers about 24% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Poitiers. 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 $1,560 in Poitiers. 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 $1,560 in Poitiers 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 Poitiers. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.