Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Saintes

For one person, living is cheaper in Saintes: $1,872 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Saintes
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Saintes Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Saintes

🇫🇷 France

$1,872

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Saintes

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,872 in Saintes, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Saintes $1,872

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,858 in Saintes, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Saintes $2,858

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,843 in Saintes, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Saintes $3,843

Lyon costs about 9% more than Saintes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Saintes sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Saintes by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.15

$22.58 €20.29

-25.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$68.3 €61.4

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.28

$6.52 €5.86

109.66%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.70

$3.69 €3.31

11.65%

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

$2.76 €2.48

$2.71 €2.44

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.49

$1.35 €1.21

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.83

$7.35 €6.60

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.46

$4.62 €4.15

31.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.04 €0.93

50.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.55

$1.85 €1.66

-7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$1.88 €1.69

30.32%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$2.26 €2.03

109.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.62

$23.82 €21.40

-3.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.97

$11.79 €10.59

3.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.65

$17.67 €15.88

30.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.17

$4.20 €3.77

-42.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$3.71 €3.33

-32.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$1.94 €1.74

76.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.86

$5.14 €4.62

-37.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$0.76 €0.68

228.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$1.20 €1.07

145.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.71 €1.53

-17.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.34 €0.31

214.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.47

$14.46 €12.99

-3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.98

$12.93 €11.61

-39.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$2.39 €2.14

11.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$2.36 €2.12

37.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.17

$1.86 €1.67

30.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.9

$44.18 €39.68

86.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.54

$4.37 €3.93

91.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.31 €2.08

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €37.01

$33.94 €30.49

21.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.94 €1.74

13.92%

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

$34.4K €30.9K

$36.5K €32.8K

-5.74%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$38.1K €34.2K

-1.27%

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

$268 €241

$134 €120

99.78%

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

$14.01 €12.58

$11.13 €10.00

25.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.14

$33.75 €30.32

-13.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.13

$35.92 €32.26

2.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.49

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.77

$9.91 €8.90

54.69%

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

$628 €564

$849 €762

-25.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.1K

$10.9K €9,788

2.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.8

$109 €97.9

-1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.95

$38.98 €35.02

11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$108 €97.0

13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$150 €134

-15.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €800

$691 €621

28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €631

$717 €644

-2.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,688

$1,441 €1,295

30.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,229

$1,179 €1,060

16.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,772

$3,571 €3,208

79.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,878

$3,323 €2,985

29.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,757

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.79

-2.90%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Saintes: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Saintes

$717 38.3% 2.1% $15

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Saintes

$364 19.4% 5.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Saintes

$179 9.6% 42.4% $132

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Saintes

$307 16.4% 4.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Saintes

$183 9.8% 1.3% $2.4

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Saintes

$68 3.6% 39.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Saintes

$56 3% 17.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $691 in Saintes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $68 in Saintes. Groceries tell a different story – $385 in Lyon vs $364 in Saintes – so Saintes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Saintes

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

25,518

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Saintes 420 km

From you

Lyon
Saintes

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 Saintes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 9% more than Saintes, 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 $3,075 per month in Lyon and $2,808 in Saintes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saintes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $691 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $1,872 in Saintes. That makes Saintes about 9% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Lyon and $849 in Saintes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,872 in Saintes 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.