Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Lyon

For one person, living costs are similar in Mechelen and in Lyon: $2,074 and $2,050 a month, rent and utilities included.

100

Cost of Living Index in Mechelen
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Mechelen Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Mechelen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,074

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mechelen and in Lyon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mechelen and in Lyon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,074 per month in Mechelen vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Mechelen $2,074
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $3,188 per month in Mechelen vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Mechelen $3,188
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $4,302 per month in Mechelen vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Mechelen $4,302
Lyon $4,315

Mechelen and Lyon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Mechelen and Lyon sit above the global median – Mechelen by 52%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 €19.99

$16.86 €15.10

32.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 €95.8

$67.5 €60.5

58.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.12

$13.67 €12.25

-1.02%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.89

$4.12 €3.69

5.34%

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

$3.39 €3.03

$2.76 €2.47

22.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.61

$1.65 €1.48

76.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.97

$7.60 €6.80

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 €5.02

$6.08 €5.44

-7.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.57 €1.41

-23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.47

$1.72 €1.54

60.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.45 €2.20

-13.06%

Eggs

$3.83 €3.43

$4.74 €4.25

-19.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 €14.56

$22.95 €20.55

-29.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 €10.63

$12.21 €10.93

-2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €17.59

$22.99 €20.59

-14.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.44

$2.41 €2.16

12.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.51 €2.24

-6.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.34

$3.43 €3.07

-23.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.59

$3.19 €2.85

-9.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.50 €2.24

-15.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.94 €2.64

-37.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.41 €1.27

-7.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.07 €0.96

-0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.01 €11.65

$13.89 €12.44

-6.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.08

$7.77 €6.96

16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.64

$2.66 €2.38

-31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.98

$3.25 €2.91

-32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 €2.98

$2.42 €2.16

37.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 €49.11

$82.3 €73.7

-33.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 €4.95

$8.39 €7.52

-34.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.20 €1.97

23.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.54 €40.79

$41.20 €36.89

10.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.21 €1.98

-4.98%

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

$35.2K €31.5K

$34.4K €30.8K

2.38%

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

$36.2K €32.4K

$37.6K €33.6K

-3.68%

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

$210 €188

$268 €240

-21.68%

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

$22.19 €19.87

$14.01 €12.55

58.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.71 €41.83

$29.09 €26.06

60.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.40 €26.33

$36.88 €33.03

-20.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.54 €12.13

$28.38 €25.41

-52.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 €14.18

$15.33 €13.73

3.26%

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

$565 €506

$628 €563

-10.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K €18.9K

$11.2K €10.0K

88.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.7

$108 €96.5

0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.33

$43.36 €38.84

14.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.2

$122 €109

-13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €132

$127 €114

16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 €832

$891 €798

4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 €702

$702 €629

11.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 €1,295

$1,879 €1,683

-23.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,123

$1,369 €1,226

-8.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,968 €4,449

$6,425 €5,755

-22.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,626 €3,247

$4,317 €3,866

-16.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,178 €1,951

$3,069 €2,748

-29.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.68

-4.08%

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

Last update for Mechelen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mechelen

$783 37.8%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 10.4% $81

Groceries & Markets

Mechelen

$343 16.5%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 12.2% $42

Eating Out

Mechelen

$335 16.2%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 12.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mechelen

$279 13.4%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 11.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Mechelen

$185 8.9%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 2.7% $5

Getting Around

Mechelen

$87 4.2%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 27.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Mechelen

$61 2.9%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 10.6% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $929 in Mechelen versus $891 in Lyon. 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 41% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Mechelen versus $68 in Lyon. Groceries tell a different story – $343 in Mechelen vs $385 in Lyon – so Mechelen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mechelen

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

Same time as Mechelen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,000

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mechelen Lyon 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mechelen
Lyon

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

Mechelen vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,110 per month in Mechelen and $3,075 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $929 in Mechelen and $891 in Lyon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Mechelen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $565 per month in Mechelen and $628 in Lyon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,074 in Mechelen and $2,050 in Lyon. 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 $2,050 in Lyon to $2,074 in Mechelen. 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.