Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lyon: $2,025 a month against $2,613 in Paris, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Paris
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Paris Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Paris

🇫🇷 France

$2,613

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,613 per month in Paris vs $2,025 in Lyon, rent included.

Paris $2,613
Lyon $2,025

A couple spends around $4,026 per month in Paris vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.

Paris $4,026
Lyon $3,130

A family of three spends $5,440 per month in Paris vs $4,236 in Lyon, rent included.

Paris $5,440
Lyon $4,236

Paris costs about 29% more than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Paris and Lyon sit above the global median – Paris by 94%, Lyon by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €16.11

$16.87 €15.00

7.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 €68.5

$67.0 €59.6

15.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 €12.08

$13.32 €11.85

1.95%

Cappuccino

$4.99 €4.44

$4.11 €3.66

21.41%

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

$4.41 €3.92

$2.87 €2.55

53.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.37

$1.73 €1.54

54.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 €6.96

$8.00 €7.12

-2.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 €6.01

$6.31 €5.61

6.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.51 €1.34

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.72 €1.53

47.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$2.49 €2.21

6.83%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.84

$4.63 €4.12

-6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.04 €19.61

$22.54 €20.05

-2.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 €12.43

$12.38 €11.01

12.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.31 €19.84

$23.55 €20.95

-5.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.83

$2.40 €2.13

32.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.41 €2.14

-9.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.56

$3.54 €3.15

-18.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 €3.72

$3.07 €2.73

36.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.59

$2.54 €2.26

-29.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$3.08 €2.74

-19.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.35 €1.20

34.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.06 €0.94

-10.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 €13.10

$13.90 €12.36

5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.07 €8.07

$8.04 €7.15

12.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.40

$2.75 €2.45

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.21

$3.32 €2.95

8.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.29 €2.03

25.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 €89.9

$83.6 €74.4

20.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 €7.80

$7.92 €7.04

10.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.26

$2.17 €1.93

-34.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.47 €41.33

$41.68 €37.08

11.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.23 €1.99

3.14%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

0.05%

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

$35.2K €31.3K

$34.9K €31.0K

0.93%

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

$247 €219

$270 €240

-8.64%

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

$16.01 €14.24

$14.35 €12.76

11.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 €26.09

$28.64 €25.48

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 €34.54

$39.31 €34.96

-1.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €16.43

$27.36 €24.34

-32.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 €12.66

$14.64 €13.02

-2.80%

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

$1,773 €1,577

$619 €550

186.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K €23.1K

$11.3K €10.0K

129.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €97.5

$109 €96.8

0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 €46.82

$43.48 €38.67

21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €105

$123 €109

-4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €142

$124 €111

28.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 €1,405

$886 €788

78.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 €1,068

$672 €598

78.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,406 €3,030

$1,804 €1,604

88.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 €2,049

$1,285 €1,143

79.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K €12.8K

$6,364 €5,661

125.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,759 €8,681

$3,953 €3,516

146.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,452 €3,071

$3,062 €2,723

12.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.68

-7.61%

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

Last update for Paris: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paris

$1.2K 45.9%

Lyon

$672 33.2% 44% $528

Groceries & Markets

Paris

$401 15.3%

Lyon

$385 19% 3.9% $16

Eating Out

Paris

$326 12.5%

Lyon

$295 14.6% 9.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paris

$292 11.2%

Lyon

$313 15.5% 7.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Paris

$198 7.6%

Lyon

$180 8.9% 9.1% $18

Getting Around

Paris

$128 4.9%

Lyon

$112 5.5% 13.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Paris

$67 2.6%

Lyon

$69 3.4% 1.9% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,580 in Paris 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 13% higher in Paris, 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 $77.0 in Paris versus $67.0 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $385 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Paris

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

Same time as Paris

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,133,111 Capital

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

Paris vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paris costs about 29% more than Lyon, 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 $3,920 per month in Paris 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 $2,613 in Paris and $2,025 in Lyon. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 21% 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 Paris at $2,613. In Lyon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paris it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lyon costs $2,025 versus $2,613 in Paris. 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, Paris makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.