For one person, living is cheaper in Reims: $1,814 a month against $2,025 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Reims actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,025 per month in Lyon vs $1,814 in Reims, rent included.
Lyon $2,025
Reims $1,814
A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Lyon vs $2,696 in Reims, rent included.
Lyon $3,130
Reims $2,696
A family of three spends $4,236 per month in Lyon vs $3,577 in Reims, rent included.
Lyon $4,236
Reims $3,577
😐
Lyon costs about 12% more than Reims, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.
📊
Both Lyon and Reims sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Reims by 34%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lyon
Reims
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.87€15.00
$19.30€17.17
-12.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.0€59.6
$68.0€60.5
-1.50%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.32€11.85
$13.31€11.84
0.08%
Cappuccino
$4.11€3.66
$3.39€3.01
21.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87€2.55
$3.55€3.16
-19.15%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73€1.54
$2.91€2.59
-40.55%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$8.00€7.12
$7.21€6.41
10.96%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.31€5.61
$6.54€5.82
-3.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lyon
Reims
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.51€1.34
$1.34€1.20
12.69%
White Bread(500g)
$1.72€1.53
$1.11€0.99
54.95%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.49€2.21
$2.13€1.90
16.90%
Eggs
$4.63€4.12
$3.69€3.28
25.47%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$22.54€20.05
$32.47€28.88
-30.58%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.38€11.01
$8.86€7.88
39.73%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$23.55€20.95
$14.45€12.85
62.98%
Apples(1kg)
$2.40€2.13
$2.83€2.52
-15.19%
Banana(1kg)
$2.41€2.14
$2.28€2.03
5.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.54€3.15
$2.47€2.19
43.32%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.07€2.73
$4.58€4.07
-32.97%
Potato(1kg)
$2.54€2.26
$1.85€1.64
37.30%
Onion(1kg)
$3.08€2.74
$1.42€1.26
116.90%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.35€1.20
$1.20€1.07
12.50%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.06€0.94
$1.15€1.03
-7.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.90€12.36
$13.24€11.78
4.98%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.04€7.15
$8.96€7.97
-10.27%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.75€2.45
$2.20€1.95
25.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32€2.95
$2.20€1.96
50.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Lyon
Reims
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.29€2.03
$2.25€2.00
1.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$83.6€74.4
$44.14€39.26
89.49%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$7.92€7.04
$8.82€7.84
-10.20%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.17€1.93
$1.21€1.08
79.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$41.68€37.08
$33.50€29.79
24.42%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.23€1.99
$2.12€1.89
5.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K€31.0K
$34.5K€30.7K
1.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.9K€31.0K
$36.2K€32.2K
-3.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
Reims
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$270€240
$211€187
28.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.35€12.76
$28.33€25.20
-49.35%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.64€25.48
$39.82€35.42
-28.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
Reims
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.31€34.96
$35.74€31.79
9.99%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.36€24.34
$10.99€9.77
148.95%
Cinema Ticket
$14.64€13.02
$11.82€10.52
23.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lyon
Reims
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$619€550
$664€591
-6.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.3K€10.0K
$9,797€8,715
15.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
Reims
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109€96.8
$85.9€76.5
26.61%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.48€38.67
$39.60€35.23
9.80%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$123€109
$89.4€79.5
37.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€111
$105€93.7
17.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lyon
Reims
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$886€788
$672€598
31.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$672€598
$600€534
12.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,804€1,604
$1,217€1,082
48.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,285€1,143
$896€797
43.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$6,364€5,661
$5,267€4,685
20.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,953€3,516
$3,642€3,239
8.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lyon
Reims
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,062€2,723
$1,603€1,426
91.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.68
3.67
0.27%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lyon: October 12, 2026
Last update for Reims: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$672 33.2%
Reims
$600 33.1% ↓ 10.8%$72
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$385 19%
Reims
$354 19.5% ↓ 8.1%$31
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$313 15.5%
Reims
$279 15.4% ↓ 10.9%$34
🍽Eating Out
Lyon
$295 14.6%
Reims
$310 17.1% ↑ 5%$15
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$180 8.9%
Reims
$144 8% ↓ 19.8%$36
🚌Getting Around
Lyon
$112 5.5%
Reims
$68 3.8% ↓ 39%$44
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$69 3.4%
Reims
$59 3.3% ↓ 13.4%$9.2
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lyon
$1.3K 30.3%
Reims
$896 25.1% ↓ 30.2%$388
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lyon
$911 21.5%
Reims
$825 23.1% ↓ 9.5%$86
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lyon
$327 7.7%
Reims
$307 8.6% ↓ 6.1%$20
🍽Eating Out
Lyon
$921 21.7%
Reims
$958 26.8% ↑ 4%$37
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lyon
$400 9.4%
Reims
$320 9% ↓ 19.8%$79
🚌Getting Around
Lyon
$228 5.4%
Reims
$141 3.9% ↓ 38.3%$87
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lyon
$165 3.9%
Reims
$130 3.6% ↓ 21.1%$35
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $886 in Lyon versus $672 in Reims. 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 91% higher in Lyon, 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 $68.0 in Reims. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Lyon vs $354 in Reims – so Reims wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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 Reims: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lyon or Reims?
Lyon costs about 12% more than Reims, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lyon and in Reims?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,038 per month in Lyon and $2,721 in Reims. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lyon or Reims?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Reims, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Lyon compared to Reims?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,025 in Lyon and $1,814 in Reims. That's a gap of about 12%.
How expensive is transport in Lyon compared to Reims?
Public transport costs about 89% less in Reims. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Lyon or in Reims?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Reims, where all-in costs run around $1,814, than in Lyon at $2,025. In Reims it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lyon or Reims?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Reims costs $1,814 versus $2,025 in Lyon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Lyon compared to Reims?
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.
Should I move to Lyon or to Reims?
If budget matters most, go with Reims. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.