Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Schenectady, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lyon: $2,050 a month against $2,516 in Schenectady, NY, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Schenectady, NY
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Schenectady, NY Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Schenectady, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Schenectady, NY

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $2,516 in Schenectady, NY, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Schenectady, NY $2,516

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $3,503 in Schenectady, NY, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Schenectady, NY $3,503

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $4,491 in Schenectady, NY, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Schenectady, NY $4,491

Lyon is about 19% cheaper than Schenectady, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Lyon and Schenectady, NY sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Schenectady, NY by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.15

$19.79 $19.79

-14.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.6

$74.4 $74.4

-9.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.28

$13.04 $13.04

4.83%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.70

$5.32 $5.32

-22.56%

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

$2.76 €2.48

$2.68 $2.68

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.49

$2.14 $2.14

-22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.83

$5.97 $5.97

27.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.46

$8.93 $8.93

-31.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.06 $1.06

48.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.55

$4.36 $4.36

-60.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$4.49 $4.49

-45.43%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.26

$5.13 $5.13

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.62

$6.55 $6.55

250.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.97

$15.20 $15.20

-19.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.65

$18.49 $18.49

24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.17

$4.95 $4.95

-51.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$0.88 $0.88

185.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$5.37 $5.37

-36.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.86

$4.76 $4.76

-32.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$3.28 $3.28

-23.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$1.08 $1.08

172.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$2.23 $2.23

-36.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.98 $1.98

-45.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.47

$13.43 $13.43

3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.98

$13.90 $13.90

-44.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$1.92 $1.92

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$2.83 $2.83

14.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.17

$1.51 $1.51

60.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.9

$55.1 $55.1

49.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.54

$4.95 $4.95

69.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.41 $1.41

56.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €37.01

$29.84 $29.84

38.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.04 $1.04

112.50%

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

$34.4K €30.9K

$27.4K $27.4K

25.43%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

41.05%

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

$268 €241

$212 $212

26.41%

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

$14.01 €12.58

$71.0 $71.0

-80.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.14

$88.4 $88.4

-67.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.13

$70.6 $70.6

-47.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.49

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.77

$12.40 $12.40

23.63%

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

$628 €564

$1,497 $1,497

-58.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.1K

$16.8K $16.8K

-33.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.8

$39.80 $39.80

170.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.95

$40.47 $40.47

7.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$113 $113

8.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$107 $107

19.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €800

$1,296 $1,296

-31.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €631

$1,106 $1,106

-36.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,688

$2,194 $2,194

-14.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,229

$1,440 $1,440

-4.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,772

$2,585 $2,585

148.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,878

$2,610 $2,610

65.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,757

$3,782 $3,782

-18.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

6.51

-43.47%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Schenectady, NY: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Schenectady, NY

$1.1K 44% 57.6% $404

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Schenectady, NY

$407 16.2% 5.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Schenectady, NY

$371 14.8% 19.4% $60

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Schenectady, NY

$328 13.1% 12% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Schenectady, NY

$135 5.4% 25.1% $45

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Schenectady, NY

$73 2.9% 34.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Schenectady, NY

$95 3.8% 41.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $1,296 in Schenectady, NY. 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 23% higher in Schenectady, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $74 in Schenectady, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $407 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇺🇸 Schenectady, NY

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

5 h behind Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

67,047

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lyon Schenectady, NY 6,010 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lyon
Schenectady, NY

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 Schenectady, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schenectady, NY costs about 23% more than Lyon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $3,774 in Schenectady, NY. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $891 there versus $1,296 in Schenectady, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $2,516 in Schenectady, NY. That’s a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Schenectady, NY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,050 in Lyon and $2,516 in Schenectady, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lyon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lyon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Schenectady, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.