Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Roubaix

For one person, living is cheaper in Roubaix: $1,656 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Roubaix
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Roubaix Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,028

/mo nomad

Roubaix

🇫🇷 France

$1,656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Roubaix

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

A single person spends $2,028 per month in Lyon vs $1,656 in Roubaix, rent included.

Lyon $2,028
Roubaix $1,656

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Lyon vs $2,580 in Roubaix, rent included.

Lyon $3,130
Roubaix $2,580

A family of three spends $4,232 per month in Lyon vs $3,505 in Roubaix, rent included.

Lyon $4,232
Roubaix $3,505

Lyon costs about 22% more than Roubaix, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lyon and Roubaix sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Roubaix by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 €14.70

$18.17 €16.16

-9.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.7

$74.0 €65.8

-7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.76

$13.62 €12.11

-2.94%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.57

$3.83 €3.41

4.96%

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

$2.66 €2.37

$3.19 €2.84

-16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.64 €1.46

5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.62 €6.78

$7.59 €6.75

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 €5.63

$5.67 €5.04

11.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.14 €1.02

36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.59 €1.41

8.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.20

$2.82 €2.51

-12.06%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.21

$2.04 €1.81

131.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.97 €20.43

$12.71 €11.30

80.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 €11.16

$9.01 €8.01

39.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.68 €21.07

$13.08 €11.64

81.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$0.98 €0.88

146.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.11 €0.98

119.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 €3.11

$2.19 €1.95

59.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 €2.82

$2.70 €2.40

17.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$0.76 €0.67

230.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$0.92 €0.82

235.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.68 €1.49

-19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.99

$0.22 €0.19

409.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.35

$11.66 €10.37

19.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 €7.26

$8.48 €7.55

-3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.37

$2.37 €2.10

12.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.91

$4.27 €3.80

-23.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.94 €1.72

19.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 €73.6

$48.11 €42.80

71.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 €7.46

$2.21 €1.97

279.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.15 €1.91

0.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.11 €37.46

$24.07 €21.41

74.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.06

$2.07 €1.84

12.08%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$28.3K €25.1K

24.85%

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

$37.5K €33.4K

$27.7K €24.6K

35.67%

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

$267 €238

$176 €157

51.53%

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

$14.02 €12.47

$15.18 €13.50

-7.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 €26.55

$30.56 €27.18

-2.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 €34.38

$35.62 €31.68

8.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 €13.60

$10.97 €9.76

39.38%

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

$637 €566

$629 €560

1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.3K

$8,319 €7,399

39.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.0

$87.0 €77.4

25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 €39.83

$40.20 €35.76

11.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €110

$101 €89.5

22.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €113

$102 €91.1

24.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 €802

$756 €672

19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 €602

$604 €537

11.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 €1,618

$1,360 €1,209

33.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 €1,133

$1,132 €1,007

12.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,353 €5,651

$3,956 €3,519

60.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,982 €3,542

$3,007 €2,675

32.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 €2,727

$1,761 €1,566

74.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.92

-6.12%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Roubaix: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$676 33.4%

Roubaix

$604 36.5% 10.7% $72

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$389 19.2%

Roubaix

$254 15.3% 34.9% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.4%

Roubaix

$222 13.4% 28.6% $89

Eating Out

Lyon

$288 14.2%

Roubaix

$301 18.2% 4.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$182 9%

Roubaix

$149 9% 18.4% $33

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.5%

Roubaix

$69 4.2% 38.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$69 3.4%

Roubaix

$58 3.5% 16.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Lyon versus $756 in Roubaix. 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 74% 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 $68.0 in Lyon versus $74.0 in Roubaix. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Lyon vs $254 in Roubaix – so Roubaix wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Roubaix

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

98,892

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Roubaix 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lyon
Roubaix

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 Roubaix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 22% more than Roubaix, 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 $3,042 per month in Lyon and $2,484 in Roubaix. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roubaix, 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 $2,028 in Lyon and $1,656 in Roubaix. That's a gap of about 22%.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Roubaix. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Roubaix, where all-in costs run around $1,656, than in Lyon at $2,028. In Roubaix it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Roubaix costs $1,656 versus $2,028 in Lyon. 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 Roubaix. 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.