Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melun and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Melun: $1,687 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Melun
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Melun Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Melun

🇫🇷 France

$1,687

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,028

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melun 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 Melun and in Lyon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Melun vs $2,028 in Lyon, rent included.

Melun $1,687
Lyon $2,028

A couple spends around $2,511 per month in Melun vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.

Melun $2,511
Lyon $3,130

A family of three spends $3,335 per month in Melun vs $4,232 in Lyon, rent included.

Melun $3,335
Lyon $4,232

Melun is about 17% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Melun and Lyon sit above the global median – Melun by 24%, Lyon by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.73 €11.32

$16.52 €14.70

-22.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 €47.20

$68.2 €60.7

-22.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.41 €11.93

$13.22 €11.76

1.44%

Cappuccino

$2.99 €2.66

$4.02 €3.57

-25.62%

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

$1.68 €1.50

$2.66 €2.37

-36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.44 €6.62

$7.62 €6.78

-2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.00

$6.33 €5.63

-11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.56 €1.39

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.72 €1.53

9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 €2.54

$2.48 €2.20

15.32%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.70

$4.73 €4.21

-11.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.19 €18.85

$22.97 €20.43

-7.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.88 €11.46

$12.54 €11.16

2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.95 €20.41

$23.68 €21.07

-3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 €2.94

$2.42 €2.15

36.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.44 €2.17

-13.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 €2.09

$3.49 €3.11

-32.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 €2.74

$3.17 €2.82

-2.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.51 €2.23

-27.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$3.09 €2.75

-35.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.58

$1.35 €1.20

31.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.56

$1.12 €0.99

-43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €12.38

$13.89 €12.35

0.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 €7.29

$8.16 €7.26

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.66 €2.37

-7.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 €3.80

$3.27 €2.91

30.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.32 €2.07

-15.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.25 €42.03

$82.7 €73.6

-42.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 €1.97

$8.38 €7.46

-73.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.17 €1.93

-0.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 €21.18

$42.11 €37.46

-43.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.32 €2.06

-3.88%

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

$34.1K €30.3K

$35.3K €31.4K

-3.45%

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

$34.3K €30.5K

$37.5K €33.4K

-8.73%

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

$197 €176

$267 €238

-26.22%

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

$15.10 €13.43

$14.02 €12.47

7.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 €25.03

$29.85 €26.55

-5.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.17 €31.29

$38.65 €34.38

-9.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

Cinema Ticket

$9.97 €8.87

$15.29 €13.60

-34.79%

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

$623 €554

$637 €566

-2.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,092 €7,197

$11.6K €10.3K

-30.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 €77.0

$109 €97.0

-20.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.76 €36.25

$44.77 €39.83

-8.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.1

$123 €110

-16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.4

$127 €113

-20.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 €660

$901 €802

-17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 €499

$676 €602

-17.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,061

$1,819 €1,618

-34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 €785

$1,274 €1,133

-30.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,959 €3,522

$6,353 €5,651

-37.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,978 €2,649

$3,982 €3,542

-25.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,499 €2,223

$3,066 €2,727

-18.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

3.68

6.52%

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

Last update for Melun: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melun

$561 33.2%

Lyon

$676 33.4% 20.6% $116

Groceries & Markets

Melun

$372 22.1%

Lyon

$389 19.2% 4.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melun

$241 14.3%

Lyon

$311 15.4% 29.4% $71

Eating Out

Melun

$240 14.2%

Lyon

$288 14.2% 20.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Melun

$150 8.9%

Lyon

$182 9% 21.7% $32

Getting Around

Melun

$68 4%

Lyon

$111 5.5% 63.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Melun

$55 3.3%

Lyon

$69 3.4% 25.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $742 in Melun versus $901 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 23% 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 $53.0 in Melun versus $68.0 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $389 – making Melun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Melun

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

Same time as Melun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,367

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Melun vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 20% more than Melun, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,530 per month in Melun and $3,042 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Melun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,687 in Melun and $2,028 in Lyon. That's a gap of about 20%.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Melun. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Melun, where all-in costs run around $1,687, than in Lyon at $2,028. In Melun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Melun costs $1,687 versus $2,028 in Lyon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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