Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lyon and Valence

For one person, living is cheaper in Valence: $1,594 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
77

Cost of Living Index in Valence
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Valence Living Index

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Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Valence

🇫🇷 France

$1,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lyon and in Valence

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

A single person spends $2,050 per month in Lyon vs $1,594 in Valence, rent included.

Lyon $2,050
Valence $1,594

A couple spends around $3,182 per month in Lyon vs $2,337 in Valence, rent included.

Lyon $3,182
Valence $2,337

A family of three spends $4,315 per month in Lyon vs $3,079 in Valence, rent included.

Lyon $4,315
Valence $3,079

Lyon costs about 29% more than Valence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lyon and Valence sit above the global median – Lyon by 51%, Valence by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.10

$13.56 €12.14

24.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.5

$39.55 €35.42

70.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.25

$9.56 €8.56

42.99%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.69

$3.72 €3.33

10.75%

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

$2.76 €2.47

$2.98 €2.67

-7.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.48

$2.00 €1.79

-17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 €6.80

$5.74 €5.14

32.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 €5.44

$4.55 €4.07

33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.14 €1.02

37.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.10 €0.98

56.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.26 €2.02

8.41%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.25

$3.78 €3.38

25.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.95 €20.55

$18.42 €16.50

24.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 €10.93

$13.75 €12.31

-11.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.99 €20.59

$24.90 €22.30

-7.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$3.00 €2.68

-19.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.39 €2.14

5.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.07

$2.89 €2.59

18.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.85

$3.97 €3.56

-19.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.33 €2.08

7.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.95 €2.64

-0.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.27

$1.73 €1.55

-18.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.21 €0.19

409.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.89 €12.44

$14.05 €12.58

-1.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 €6.96

$3.28 €2.94

136.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.38

$3.80 €3.40

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$2.79 €2.50

16.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.52 €1.36

59.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 €73.7

$22.60 €20.24

264.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.52

$4.94 €4.42

69.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.64 €1.47

34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €36.89

$32.99 €29.54

24.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.23 €2.00

-0.90%

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

$34.4K €30.8K

$34.3K €30.7K

0.23%

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

$37.6K €33.6K

$38.4K €34.4K

-2.21%

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

$268 €240

$137 €123

95.25%

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

$14.01 €12.55

$11.35 €10.16

23.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.09 €26.06

$27.40 €24.54

6.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €33.03

$27.80 €24.90

32.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.41

$16.82 €15.07

68.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.73

$13.76 €12.32

11.41%

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

$628 €563

$729 €653

-13.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €10.0K

$12.8K €11.5K

-12.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.5

$77.3 €69.2

39.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 €38.84

$65.7 €58.8

-33.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €109

$103 €92.6

18.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €114

$179 €160

-28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €798

$587 €526

51.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €629

$531 €476

32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,683

$838 €751

124.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,226

$722 €647

89.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,425 €5,755

$3,116 €2,791

106.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,317 €3,866

$2,705 €2,422

59.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,748

$2,599 €2,328

18.07%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Valence: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lyon

$702 34.3%

Valence

$531 33.3% 24.4% $171

Groceries & Markets

Lyon

$385 18.8%

Valence

$359 22.6% 6.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lyon

$311 15.2%

Valence

$176 11% 43.4% $135

Eating Out

Lyon

$293 14.3%

Valence

$239 15% 18.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Lyon

$180 8.8%

Valence

$191 12% 6.2% $11

Getting Around

Lyon

$111 5.4%

Valence

$42 2.6% 62.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Lyon

$68 3.3%

Valence

$55 3.5% 18.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Lyon versus $587 in Valence. 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 18% higher in Lyon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lyon versus $40 in Valence. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $359 – making Valence the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Lyon

🇫🇷 Valence

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Lyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,250

64,483

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lyon Valence 92 km

From you

Lyon
Valence

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 Valence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 29% more than Valence, 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 $2,391 in Valence. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valence, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $587 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,050 in Lyon and $1,594 in Valence. That makes Valence about 22% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 73% less in Valence. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,050 in Lyon and $1,594 in Valence. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,594 in Valence 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.

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