Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pau and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Pau: $1,452 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Pau
Learn more

Pau Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
Learn more

Lyon Living Index

Jump to prices

Pau

🇫🇷 France

$1,452

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,452 per month in Pau vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Pau $1,452
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,274 per month in Pau vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Pau $2,274
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $3,097 per month in Pau vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Pau $3,097
Lyon $4,315

Pau is about 29% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Pau and Lyon sit above the global median – Pau by 7%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 €15.04

$16.86 €15.11

-0.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.82 €42.85

$67.5 €60.5

-29.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 €10.19

$13.67 €12.25

-16.83%

Cappuccino

$3.83 €3.43

$4.12 €3.69

-7.04%

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

$2.65 €2.37

$2.76 €2.47

-3.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.41

$1.65 €1.48

-4.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.16

$7.60 €6.81

-24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 €3.45

$6.08 €5.45

-36.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.57 €1.41

-27.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.72 €1.54

31.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.40

$2.45 €2.20

-36.33%

Eggs

$5.57 €4.99

$4.74 €4.25

17.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.77 €18.61

$22.95 €20.56

-9.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 €10.58

$12.21 €10.94

-3.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.35 €21.82

$22.99 €20.60

5.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.36

$2.41 €2.16

55.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.51 €2.25

-13.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$3.43 €3.07

-39.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.88

$3.19 €2.85

0.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.50 €2.24

-31.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.94 €2.64

-24.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.12

$1.41 €1.27

-11.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.61

$1.07 €0.96

-36.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 €11.43

$13.89 €12.44

-8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 €8.98

$7.77 €6.96

28.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.45 €3.99

$2.66 €2.39

67.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €5.06

$3.25 €2.91

73.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.42 €2.16

-43.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.00 €30.47

$82.3 €73.7

-58.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 €7.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €36.92

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.82

$2.21 €1.98

-8.14%

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

$34.0K €30.5K

$34.4K €30.8K

-1.06%

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

$36.5K €32.7K

$37.6K €33.7K

-2.95%

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

$86.0 €77.0

$268 €240

-67.90%

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

$30.75 €27.56

$14.01 €12.55

119.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.92 €29.50

$29.09 €26.07

13.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.89 €37.53

$36.88 €33.05

13.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.43

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 €10.83

$15.33 €13.74

-21.14%

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

$394 €353

$628 €563

-37.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 €4,009

$11.2K €10.0K

-60.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €99.1

$108 €96.6

2.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 €30.64

$43.36 €38.86

-21.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 €80.8

$122 €110

-26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 €80.6

$127 €114

-29.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €663

$891 €798

-16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 €353

$702 €629

-43.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 €965

$1,879 €1,684

-42.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 €619

$1,369 €1,226

-49.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,478 €2,220

$6,425 €5,758

-61.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,000 €1,793

$4,317 €3,869

-53.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 €2,755

$3,069 €2,750

0.18%

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 Pau: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pau

$394 27.1%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 78.4% $309

Groceries & Markets

Pau

$389 26.8%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 1.2% $4.7

Eating Out

Pau

$268 18.4%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 9.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pau

$150 10.3%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 108% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Pau

$146 10.1%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 23.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Pau

$66 4.6%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 2.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Pau

$39 * 2.7%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 183% $72

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $740 in Pau 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in Pau versus $68 in Lyon. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Pau vs $385 in Lyon – so Lyon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Pau

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

Same time as Pau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,066

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pau Lyon 490 km

From you

Pau
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

Pau vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 41% more than Pau, 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 $2,178 per month in Pau and $3,075 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $740 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,452 in Pau and $2,050 in Lyon. That makes Pau about 29% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $394 per month in Pau and $628 in Lyon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pau, where all-in costs run around $1,452, than in Lyon at $2,050. In Pau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.