Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nice and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lyon: $2,025 a month against $2,201 in Nice, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Nice
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Nice Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Nice

🇫🇷 France

$2,201

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,201 per month in Nice vs $2,025 in Lyon, rent included.

Nice $2,201
Lyon $2,025

A couple spends around $3,529 per month in Nice vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.

Nice $3,529
Lyon $3,130

A family of three spends $4,857 per month in Nice vs $4,236 in Lyon, rent included.

Nice $4,857
Lyon $4,236

Nice costs about 9% more than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nice and Lyon sit above the global median – Nice by 63%, Lyon by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 €18.04

$16.87 €15.00

20.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 €78.8

$67.0 €59.6

32.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$13.32 €11.85

-0.90%

Cappuccino

$3.62 €3.22

$4.11 €3.66

-11.92%

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

$3.55 €3.16

$2.87 €2.55

23.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.12

$1.73 €1.54

38.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 €7.09

$8.00 €7.12

-0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 €7.10

$6.31 €5.61

26.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.51 €1.34

8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.72 €1.53

28.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.49 €2.21

9.64%

Eggs

$4.84 €4.31

$4.63 €4.12

4.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.93 €18.62

$22.54 €20.05

-7.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.74 €14.89

$12.38 €11.01

35.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 €20.58

$23.55 €20.95

-1.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 €3.88

$2.40 €2.13

81.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.41 €2.14

4.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.69

$3.54 €3.15

-14.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.47

$3.07 €2.73

27.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.45

$2.54 €2.26

8.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$3.08 €2.74

-15.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.35 €1.20

25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$1.06 €0.94

-21.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.57 €12.07

$13.90 €12.36

-2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 €8.09

$8.04 €7.15

13.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.18

$2.75 €2.45

30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$3.32 €2.95

17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.29 €2.03

-17.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.67 €44.18

$83.6 €74.4

-40.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 €2.93

$7.92 €7.04

-58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.17 €1.93

4.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.06 €25.85

$41.68 €37.08

-30.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.23 €1.99

-3.14%

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

$34.4K €30.6K

$34.8K €31.0K

-1.10%

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

$35.1K €31.2K

$34.9K €31.0K

0.51%

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

$228 €203

$270 €240

-15.53%

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

$16.38 €14.57

$14.35 €12.76

14.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.13 €29.47

$28.64 €25.48

15.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.09 €28.55

$39.31 €34.96

-18.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.41 €30.61

$27.36 €24.34

25.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 €13.71

$14.64 €13.02

5.33%

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

$1,535 €1,365

$619 €550

148.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.1K

$11.3K €10.0K

50.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €98.0

$109 €96.8

1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.35 €43.90

$43.48 €38.67

13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.7

$123 €109

-13.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$190 €169

$124 €111

52.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 €989

$886 €788

25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 €740

$672 €598

23.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,776

$1,804 €1,604

10.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 €1,514

$1,285 €1,143

32.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 €6,605

$6,364 €5,661

16.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,154 €3,695

$3,953 €3,516

5.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 €2,225

$3,062 €2,723

-18.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

3.68

5.98%

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

Last update for Nice: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nice

$831 37.8%

Lyon

$672 33.2% 19.2% $159

Groceries & Markets

Nice

$427 19.4%

Lyon

$385 19% 9.9% $42

Eating Out

Nice

$325 14.8%

Lyon

$295 14.6% 9.1% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nice

$278 12.6%

Lyon

$313 15.5% 12.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Nice

$205 9.3%

Lyon

$180 8.9% 12.4% $25

Getting Around

Nice

$72 3.3%

Lyon

$112 5.5% 55.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Nice

$63 2.9%

Lyon

$69 3.4% 9% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,112 in Nice versus $886 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 22% higher in Lyon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Nice versus $67.0 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $385 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Nice

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

Same time as Nice

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,085

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

Nice
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

Nice vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nice costs about 9% more than Lyon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Nice and $3,038 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lyon, 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 $2,201 in Nice and $2,025 in Lyon. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Lyon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lyon, where all-in costs run around $2,025, than in Nice at $2,201. In Lyon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nice it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lyon costs $2,025 versus $2,201 in Nice. 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 Lyon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nice makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.