Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nantes and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Nantes: $1,968 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Nantes
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Nantes Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Nantes

🇫🇷 France

$1,968

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,968 per month in Nantes vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Nantes $1,968
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,930 per month in Nantes vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Nantes $2,930
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $3,891 per month in Nantes vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Nantes $3,891
Lyon $4,315

Nantes is about 4% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nantes and Lyon sit above the global median – Nantes by 45%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.85 €15.04

$16.86 €15.05

-0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 €50.7

$67.5 €60.2

-15.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €10.16

$13.67 €12.20

-16.68%

Cappuccino

$3.56 €3.18

$4.12 €3.68

-13.59%

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

$3.05 €2.72

$2.76 €2.46

10.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.65 €1.48

-2.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.72 €6.89

$7.60 €6.78

1.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.26

$6.08 €5.42

-21.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.57 €1.40

-23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 €3.53

$1.72 €1.54

129.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 €2.87

$2.45 €2.19

31.02%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.23

$4.74 €4.23

-23.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.84 €22.16

$22.95 €20.48

8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 €10.68

$12.21 €10.89

-1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.85 €14.14

$22.99 €20.51

-31.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 €2.68

$2.41 €2.15

24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.27

$2.51 €2.24

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 €2.72

$3.43 €3.06

-11.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$3.19 €2.84

-7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.50 €2.23

-26.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$2.94 €2.63

-36.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.41 €1.26

2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.60

$1.07 €0.95

-37.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.49 €12.93

$13.89 €12.39

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 €6.02

$7.77 €6.93

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.15

$2.66 €2.38

32.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.42

$3.25 €2.90

-16.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.42 €2.15

-16.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 €54.9

$82.3 €73.4

-25.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 €4.91

$8.39 €7.49

-34.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.20 €1.97

29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.51 €31.69

$41.20 €36.75

-13.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.97

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

$34.9K €31.2K

$34.4K €30.7K

1.61%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$37.6K €33.5K

1.86%

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

$165 €147

$268 €239

-38.35%

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

$14.32 €12.78

$14.01 €12.50

2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 €28.26

$29.09 €25.96

8.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.22 €27.86

$36.88 €32.90

-15.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.36 €3.89

$28.38 €25.32

-84.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.49 €12.03

$15.33 €13.68

-12.00%

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

$1,073 €957

$628 €561

70.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K €17.0K

$11.2K €9,986

70.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €81.9

$108 €96.1

-14.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.13 €31.34

$43.36 €38.69

-18.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 €82.1

$122 €109

-24.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €120

$127 €113

6.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 €794

$891 €795

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 €709

$702 €626

13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 €1,538

$1,879 €1,677

-8.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,155

$1,369 €1,221

-5.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,186 €4,627

$6,425 €5,733

-19.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,651 €3,257

$4,317 €3,852

-15.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,917 €2,602

$3,069 €2,738

-4.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.68

5.71%

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

Last update for Nantes: 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

Nantes

$794 40.4%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 11.6% $92

Groceries & Markets

Nantes

$378 19.2%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 1.8% $6.9

Eating Out

Nantes

$279 14.2%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 5.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nantes

$211 10.7%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 47.3% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Nantes

$159 8.1%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 13.1% $21

Getting Around

Nantes

$89 4.5%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 24.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Nantes

$58 3%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 16% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $890 in Nantes 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 5% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Nantes versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $385 – making Nantes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Nantes

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

Same time as Nantes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

323,204

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nantes Lyon 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nantes
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

Nantes vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 4% more than Nantes, 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 $2,952 per month in Nantes 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 $890 in Nantes 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 $1,968 in Nantes and $2,050 in Lyon. That makes Nantes about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,073 per month in Nantes and $628 in Lyon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nantes costs $1,968 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 Nantes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.