Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Thonon-les-Bains

For one person, living is cheaper in Thonon-les-Bains: $1,795 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Thonon-les-Bains
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Thonon-les-Bains Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Thonon-les-Bains

🇫🇷 France

$1,795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Thonon-les-Bains

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 Thonon-les-Bains actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,795 in Thonon-les-Bains, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Thonon-les-Bains $1,795

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,733 in Thonon-les-Bains, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Thonon-les-Bains $2,733

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,671 in Thonon-les-Bains, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Thonon-les-Bains $3,671

Lyon costs about 14% more than Thonon-les-Bains, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lyon and Thonon-les-Bains sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Thonon-les-Bains by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.11

$16.87 €15.12

-0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$56.8 €50.9

18.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.25

$13.15 €11.79

3.95%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.69

$4.14 €3.71

-0.48%

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

$2.76 €2.47

$2.73 €2.45

1.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.68 €1.50

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.81

$8.05 €7.22

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.45

$6.10 €5.46

-0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.52 €1.36

3.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.70 €1.52

1.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.56 €2.29

-4.30%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

$4.57 €4.10

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.56

$11.20 €10.03

104.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.94

$12.32 €11.04

-0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.60

$23.13 €20.73

-0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$1.09 €0.98

130.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.19 €1.97

56.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.85

$2.20 €1.97

45.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.27 €2.03

29.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.36 €1.22

3.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.44

$13.99 €12.54

-0.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.96

$8.15 €7.30

-4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.39

$2.74 €2.45

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$3.32 €2.97

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.26 €1.13

92.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.7

$48.62 €43.57

69.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.52

$5.61 €5.03

49.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.25 €2.02

-2.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €36.92

$41.08 €36.81

0.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$1.97 €1.76

12.18%

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

$34.4K €30.8K

$34.7K €31.1K

-0.91%

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

$37.6K €33.7K

$37.0K €33.2K

1.50%

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

$268 €240

$215 €193

24.40%

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

$14.01 €12.55

$14.24 €12.76

-1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.07

$29.66 €26.58

-1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.05

$35.54 €31.85

3.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.43

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.74

$14.52 €13.01

5.58%

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

$628 €563

0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.0K

0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.6

$67.8 €60.8

58.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.86

$43.65 €39.11

-0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €110

$90.4 €81.0

35.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €798

$763 €684

16.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €629

$628 €563

11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,684

$1,473 €1,320

27.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,226

$1,151 €1,032

18.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,758

$4,207 €3,770

52.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,869

$3,102 €2,780

39.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,750

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

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

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Thonon-les-Bains: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Thonon-les-Bains

$628 35% 10.6% $74

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Thonon-les-Bains

$331 18.4% 14% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Thonon-les-Bains

$259 14.4% 16.6% $52

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Thonon-les-Bains

$294 16.4% 0.3% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Thonon-les-Bains

$148 8.2% 17.9% $32

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Thonon-les-Bains

$71 3.9% 36.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Thonon-les-Bains

$65 3.6% 4.4% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $763 in Thonon-les-Bains. 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 Thonon-les-Bains. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $331 – making Thonon-les-Bains the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Thonon-les-Bains

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

37,027

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lyon Thonon-les-Bains 140 km

From you

Lyon
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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 Thonon-les-Bains: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 14% more than Thonon-les-Bains, 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 $3,075 per month in Lyon and $2,693 in Thonon-les-Bains. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thonon-les-Bains, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $763 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $1,795 in Thonon-les-Bains. That makes Thonon-les-Bains about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Thonon-les-Bains. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,050 in Lyon and $1,795 in Thonon-les-Bains, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,795 in Thonon-les-Bains 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.

For expats, Thonon-les-Bains is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.