Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Sète

For one person, living is cheaper in Sète: $1,757 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Sète
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Sète Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,028

/mo nomad

Sète

🇫🇷 France

$1,757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Sète

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

A single person spends $2,028 per month in Lyon vs $1,757 in Sète, rent included.

Lyon $2,028
Sète $1,757

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Lyon vs $2,697 in Sète, rent included.

Lyon $3,130
Sète $2,697

A family of three spends $4,232 per month in Lyon vs $3,638 in Sète, rent included.

Lyon $4,232
Sète $3,638

Lyon costs about 15% more than Sète, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lyon and Sète sit above the global median – Lyon by 50%, Sète by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.52 €14.75

$16.85 €15.04

-1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €60.9

$56.8 €50.7

20.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.22 €11.80

$13.21 €11.79

0.08%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.59

$3.37 €3.01

19.29%

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

$2.66 €2.38

$2.31 €2.06

15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.59 €1.42

8.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.62 €6.80

$5.43 €4.84

40.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 €5.65

$4.33 €3.87

46.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.29 €1.15

20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.68 €1.50

2.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.51 €2.24

-1.20%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.22

$3.72 €3.32

27.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.97 €20.50

$18.68 €16.67

22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 €11.20

$10.79 €9.63

16.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.68 €21.14

$18.54 €16.55

27.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.78 €2.48

-12.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.16 €1.93

12.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 €3.12

$2.96 €2.64

17.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 €2.83

$2.55 €2.28

24.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.43 €2.17

3.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.43 €2.17

27.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.44 €1.29

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.64 €0.57

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.40

$13.85 €12.36

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 €7.29

$7.64 €6.82

6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.38

$3.63 €3.24

-26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.92

$2.73 €2.43

19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.84 €1.65

26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 €73.8

$47.28 €42.20

74.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 €7.48

$3.10 €2.77

170.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.70 €1.52

27.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.11 €37.58

$29.83 €26.63

41.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.19 €1.95

5.94%

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

$35.3K €31.5K

$34.5K €30.8K

2.33%

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

$37.5K €33.5K

$35.3K €31.5K

6.50%

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

$267 €239

$223 €199

20.10%

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

$14.02 €12.51

$14.66 €13.09

-4.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 €26.64

$32.55 €29.05

-8.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 €34.49

$34.90 €31.15

10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.59

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 €13.65

$14.17 €12.65

7.90%

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

$637 €568

$594 €530

7.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.4K

$7,384 €6,590

57.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.3

$88.4 €78.9

23.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.77 €39.96

$42.37 €37.82

5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €110

$91.1 €81.3

35.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$128 €114

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 €805

$743 €663

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 €604

$598 €534

13.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 €1,623

$1,407 €1,256

29.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 €1,137

$1,137 €1,015

12.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,353 €5,670

$3,943 €3,519

61.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,982 €3,554

$2,937 €2,621

35.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 €2,736

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.81

-3.41%

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

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sète: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$676 33.4%

Sète

$598 34% 11.6% $78

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$389 19.2%

Sète

$336 19.1% 13.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.4%

Sète

$270 15.4% 13.3% $41

Eating Out

Lyon

$288 14.2%

Sète

$266 15.2% 7.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$182 9%

Sète

$157 9% 13.5% $25

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.5%

Sète

$66 3.8% 40.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$69 3.4%

Sète

$63 3.6% 8.7% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Lyon versus $743 in Sète. 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 $57 in Sète. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $336 – making Sète the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Sète

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

44,712

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Sète 280 km

From you

Lyon
Sète

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 Sète: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 15% more than Sète, 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 $2,636 in Sète. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sète, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $743 there versus $901 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,028 in Lyon and $1,757 in Sète. That’s a gap of about 15%.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Sète. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,028 in Lyon and $1,757 in Sète, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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.

For expats, Sète is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 15% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.