Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Roskilde Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Roskilde

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,128 per month in Lyon vs $2,652 in Roskilde, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,264 per month in Lyon vs $4,018 in Roskilde, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,400 per month in Lyon vs $5,384 in Roskilde, rent included.

Lyon is about 20% cheaper than Roskilde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lyon and Roskilde sit above the global median – Lyon by 55%, Roskilde by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 €15.16

$18.79 DKK 121

-6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 €60.6

$119 DKK 766

-40.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.14

$15.78 DKK 102

-10.77%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.67

$7.45 DKK 48.05

-42.95%

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

$2.98 €2.57

$4.35 DKK 28.08

-31.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.69 DKK 23.78

-50.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 €6.98

$8.41 DKK 54.3

-3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 €5.46

$9.00 DKK 58.1

-29.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.40

$2.13 DKK 13.71

-23.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 €1.80

$4.07 DKK 26.26

-48.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.48 DKK 16.00

12.10%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.07

$4.85 DKK 31.30

-2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.38 €20.17

$14.73 DKK 95.0

58.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 €11.83

$12.05 DKK 77.7

13.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.43 €23.66

$19.30 DKK 124

42.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$2.74 DKK 17.64

-10.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.79 DKK 18.02

-13.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$2.11 DKK 13.62

61.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.83

$4.22 DKK 27.24

-22.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$1.74 DKK 11.21

67.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 €2.65

$1.50 DKK 9.70

104.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.46 DKK 9.41

2.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.06

$0.68 DKK 4.39

79.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.55 €12.55

$9.41 DKK 60.7

54.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.93 €7.70

$7.55 DKK 48.72

18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.98 DKK 12.77

47.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.08

$2.75 DKK 17.75

29.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 €2.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.2 €75.2

$76.7 DKK 494

13.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.63 €7.45

$6.04 DKK 38.96

42.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.72 DKK 11.10

31.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.74 €37.73

$65.5 DKK 422

-33.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.31 DKK 14.92

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

$35.2K €30.4K

$52.9K DKK 341.5K

-33.53%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$54.8K DKK 353.7K

-33.80%

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

$275 €237

$225 DKK 1,449

22.31%

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

$15.34 €13.23

$16.14 DKK 104

-4.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.34 €28.76

$45.19 DKK 291

-26.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 €37.43

$62.0 DKK 400

-30.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.48 €25.42

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 €13.24

$17.01 DKK 110

-9.76%

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

$652 €562

$389 DKK 2,509

67.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.2K

$6,119 DKK 39.5K

93.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €105

$107 DKK 690

13.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.93 €42.20

$49.29 DKK 318

-0.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 €112

$161 DKK 1,040

-19.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €111

$197 DKK 1,271

-34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 €764

$1,361 DKK 8,775

-34.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 €606

$1,179 DKK 7,603

-40.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 €1,588

$2,625 DKK 16.9K

-29.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,123

$2,096 DKK 13.5K

-37.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,580 €5,675

$6,823 DKK 44.0K

-3.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,128 €3,561

$6,231 DKK 40.2K

-33.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,196 €2,757

$4,214 DKK 27.2K

-24.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.7

-0.54%

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

Last update for Lyon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Roskilde: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $886 in Lyon versus $1,361 in Roskilde. 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 32% higher in Roskilde, 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 $70.0 in Lyon versus $119 in Roskilde. Groceries tell a different story – $420 in Lyon vs $366 in Roskilde – so Roskilde wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Roskilde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roskilde costs about 25% more than Lyon, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,192 per month in Lyon and $3,978 in Roskilde. 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 $2,128 in Lyon and $2,652 in Roskilde. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Lyon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lyon, where all-in costs run around $2,128, than in Roskilde at $2,652. In Lyon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Roskilde it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lyon costs $2,128 versus $2,652 in Roskilde. 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, Roskilde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.