Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpellier and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Montpellier: $1,948 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Montpellier
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Montpellier Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Montpellier

🇫🇷 France

$1,948

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,948 per month in Montpellier vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Montpellier $1,948
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,955 per month in Montpellier vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Montpellier $2,955
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $3,962 per month in Montpellier vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Montpellier $3,962
Lyon $4,315

Montpellier is about 5% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montpellier and Lyon sit above the global median – Montpellier by 43%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 €14.97

$16.86 €15.11

-0.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.1 €64.6

$67.5 €60.5

6.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 €11.87

$13.67 €12.25

-3.15%

Cappuccino

$3.65 €3.27

$4.12 €3.69

-11.41%

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

$3.05 €2.73

$2.76 €2.47

10.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.65 €1.48

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.15

$7.60 €6.81

-24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.10

$6.08 €5.45

-24.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.57 €1.41

-14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.72 €1.54

27.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.45 €2.20

10.61%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.33

$4.74 €4.25

-21.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.67 €16.73

$22.95 €20.56

-18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €12.38

$12.21 €10.94

13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.91 €22.32

$22.99 €20.60

8.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.57

$2.41 €2.16

19.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.51 €2.25

-1.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.56

$3.43 €3.07

-16.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 €3.51

$3.19 €2.85

22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.50 €2.24

-7.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.94 €2.64

1.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.41 €1.27

23.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.57

$1.07 €0.96

-41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.76

$13.89 €12.44

2.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.64 €6.84

$7.77 €6.96

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.27

$2.66 €2.39

37.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.46

$3.25 €2.91

-15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 €1.82

$2.42 €2.16

-16.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.08 €1.87

$82.3 €73.7

-97.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 €4.52

$8.39 €7.52

-39.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.46

$2.20 €1.97

-25.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.42 €29.95

$41.20 €36.92

-18.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.21 €1.98

-3.62%

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

$34.4K €30.8K

0.11%

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

$39.0K €34.9K

$37.6K €33.7K

3.69%

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

$220 €197

$268 €240

-17.82%

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

$16.67 €14.94

$14.01 €12.55

18.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.14 €28.80

$29.09 €26.07

10.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.24 €31.58

$36.88 €33.05

-4.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 €12.62

$28.38 €25.43

-50.39%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 €12.36

$15.33 €13.74

-10.05%

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

$731 €655

$628 €563

16.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K €11.8K

$11.2K €10.0K

18.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 €79.8

$108 €96.6

-17.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 €57.1

$43.36 €38.86

47.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.5

$122 €110

-16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €159

$127 €114

39.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 €759

$891 €798

-4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 €659

$702 €629

4.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 €1,412

$1,879 €1,684

-16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 €1,103

$1,369 €1,226

-10.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,909 €4,399

$6,425 €5,758

-23.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,599 €3,225

$4,317 €3,869

-16.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,777 €2,489

$3,069 €2,750

-9.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.68

3.53%

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

Last update for Montpellier: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montpellier

$735 37.8%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 4.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Montpellier

$388 19.9%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 0.8% $3.1

Eating Out

Montpellier

$275 14.1%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 6.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montpellier

$269 13.8%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 15.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Montpellier

$194 10%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 7.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Montpellier

$63 3.2%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 7.5% $4.7

Getting Around

Montpellier

$23 1.2%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 376% $88

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $847 in Montpellier 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 10% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Montpellier versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $385 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Montpellier

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

Same time as Montpellier

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

302,454

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Montpellier vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 5% more than Montpellier, 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 $2,922 per month in Montpellier 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 $847 in Montpellier and $891 in Lyon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,948 in Montpellier and $2,050 in Lyon. That makes Montpellier about 5% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $731 per month in Montpellier and $628 in Lyon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,948 in Montpellier and $2,050 in Lyon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Montpellier costs $1,948 versus $2,050 in Lyon. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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