Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Saintes Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Saintes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,140 per month in Lyon vs $1,841 in Saintes, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,334 per month in Lyon vs $2,822 in Saintes, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,527 per month in Lyon vs $3,802 in Saintes, rent included.

Lyon costs about 16% more than Saintes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Lyon and Saintes sit above the global median – Lyon by 55%, Saintes by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.89

$21.32 €18.38

-18.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 €61.0

$70.3 €60.6

0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.71 €11.82

$6.80 €5.86

101.62%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.73

$3.88 €3.35

11.34%

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

$2.84 €2.45

$2.97 €2.56

-4.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.39 €1.20

32.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 €6.88

$7.43 €6.40

7.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 €5.44

$4.80 €4.14

31.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.08 €0.93

42.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.88 €1.62

10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$2.12 €1.83

28.30%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.27

$2.32 €2.00

113.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.30 €20.09

$25.13 €21.66

-7.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 €12.20

$11.27 €9.72

25.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.12 €24.24

$18.30 €15.77

53.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.75 €3.23

-36.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$3.93 €3.39

-36.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €2.93

$2.06 €1.77

64.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 €2.89

$4.95 €4.27

-32.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$0.79 €0.68

251.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 €2.65

$1.27 €1.09

141.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.70 €1.47

-14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$0.36 €0.31

241.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 €12.68

$14.48 €12.48

1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 €7.78

$9.18 €7.91

-1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.50

$2.50 €2.15

16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 €3.14

$2.55 €2.20

42.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.96 €1.69

23.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 €73.7

$50.1 €43.19

70.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 €7.41

$4.63 €3.99

85.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.12 €1.83

10.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.98 €37.91

$34.97 €30.15

25.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.00 €1.72

16.50%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$38.2K €32.9K

-4.63%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$33.3K €28.7K

8.63%

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

$270 €233

$144 €124

88.06%

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

$15.20 €13.10

$11.60 €10.00

31.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.31 €28.71

$34.80 €30.00

-4.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.40 €38.27

$37.20 €32.07

19.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.04 €25.03

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 €12.78

$10.56 €9.10

40.34%

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

$663 €571

$814 €701

-18.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.3K

$10.5K €9,047

13.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €103

$113 €97.3

6.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.99 €43.10

$41.38 €35.67

20.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €108

$116 €100

8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$154 €133

-14.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 €778

$788 €679

14.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 €604

$652 €562

7.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 €1,582

$1,490 €1,285

23.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,139

$1,137 €980

16.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,584 €5,676

$4,151 €3,578

58.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,063 €3,502

$3,106 €2,677

30.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,177 €2,739

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Saintes: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Lyon versus $788 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 $71.0 in Lyon versus $70.0 in Saintes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $361 – making Saintes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 16% more than Saintes, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,210 per month in Lyon and $2,762 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,140 in Lyon and $1,841 in Saintes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Saintes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Saintes, where all-in costs run around $1,841, than in Lyon at $2,140. In Saintes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saintes costs $1,841 versus $2,140 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 Saintes. 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.