Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perpignan and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Perpignan: $1,575 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Perpignan, France
Lyon, France
Perpignan
🇫🇷 France
$1,575
/mo nomad
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,028
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,575 per month in Perpignan vs $2,028 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Perpignan $1,575
  • Lyon $2,028

A couple spends around $2,444 per month in Perpignan vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Perpignan $2,444
  • Lyon $3,130

A family of three spends $3,312 per month in Perpignan vs $4,232 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Perpignan $3,312
  • Lyon $4,232

Perpignan is about 22% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Perpignan and Lyon sit above the global median – Perpignan by 16%, Lyon by 50%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.98 €15.13
$16.52 €14.73
2.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.3 €65.4
$68.2 €60.8
7.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.59 €12.11
$13.22 €11.78
2.80%
Cappuccino
$3.02 €2.70
$4.02 €3.58
-24.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.35 €2.98
$2.66 €2.37
25.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.73 €1.54
21.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.59 €5.88
$7.62 €6.79
-13.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 €3.98
$6.33 €5.64
-29.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.08
$1.56 €1.39
-21.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.72 €1.53
23.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 €2.63
$2.48 €2.21
18.95%
Eggs
$3.78 €3.37
$4.73 €4.22
-20.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.75 €10.47
$22.97 €20.47
-48.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.00 €9.81
$12.54 €11.18
-12.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.88 €15.93
$23.68 €21.11
-24.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 €2.82
$2.42 €2.16
30.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 €1.52
$2.44 €2.17
-30.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.74 €2.44
$3.49 €3.11
-21.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.42 €1.27
$3.17 €2.82
-55.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$2.51 €2.24
-22.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 €2.27
$3.09 €2.75
-17.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.60 €1.43
$1.35 €1.20
18.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 €0.46
$1.12 €0.99
-54.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.28 €11.84
$13.89 €12.38
-4.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.59 €4.98
$8.16 €7.28
-31.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 €1.23
$2.66 €2.37
-48.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.27 €2.91
-58.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.32 €2.07
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.28 €33.22
$82.7 €73.7
-54.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.56 €4.95
$8.38 €7.47
-33.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.30 €2.94
$2.17 €1.93
52.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.88 €24.85
$42.11 €37.53
-33.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.32 €2.07
-7.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K €30.6K
$35.3K €31.5K
-2.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K €32.4K
$37.5K €33.5K
-3.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 €167
$267 €238
-30.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.38 €15.49
$14.02 €12.49
23.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.11 €22.38
$29.85 €26.61
-15.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.99 €25.84
$38.65 €34.45
-24.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.26 €12.71
$27.56 €24.56
-48.26%
Cinema Ticket
$11.72 €10.45
$15.29 €13.63
-23.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$352 €314
$637 €568
-44.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,680 €5,954
$11.6K €10.3K
-42.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.6 €83.5
$109 €97.2
-14.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.9 €47.18
$44.77 €39.91
18.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 €102
$123 €110
-7.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 €120
$127 €113
6.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$564 €503
$901 €803
-37.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$486 €434
$676 €603
-28.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$891 €794
$1,819 €1,621
-50.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$818 €729
$1,274 €1,135
-35.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,214 €3,756
$6,353 €5,662
-33.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,396 €2,136
$3,982 €3,549
-39.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perpignan
Lyon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,458 €2,190
$3,066 €2,733
-19.84%
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 Perpignan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perpignan
$486
Lyon
$676 39% $190
Groceries & Markets
Perpignan
$293
Lyon
$389 33.1% $97
Eating Out
Perpignan
$277
Lyon
$288 4.3% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perpignan
$230
Lyon
$311 35.6% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Perpignan
$178
Lyon
$182 2.2% $3.9
Getting Around
Perpignan
$59 *
Lyon
$111 87.4% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Perpignan
$52
Lyon
$69 32% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $564 in Perpignan versus $901 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 25% higher in Lyon, 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 $73 in Perpignan versus $68 in Lyon. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Perpignan vs $389 in Lyon – so Perpignan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Perpignan
🇫🇷 Lyon
🕒 Local time
08:32 8:32 AM
08:32 8:32 AM
Same time as Perpignan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,656
522,250
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perpignan Lyon 370 km
From you
  • Perpignan
  • 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
Perpignan vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Perpignan or Lyon?
Lyon costs about 29% more than Perpignan, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Perpignan and in Lyon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,363 per month in Perpignan and $3,042 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Perpignan or Lyon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Perpignan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $564 there versus $901 in Lyon.
How much does it cost to live in Perpignan compared to Lyon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,575 in Perpignan and $2,028 in Lyon. That’s a gap of about 29%.
How expensive is transport in Perpignan compared to Lyon?
Public transport costs about 55% less in Perpignan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Perpignan or in Lyon?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,575 in Perpignan and $2,028 in Lyon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Perpignan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Perpignan compared to Lyon?
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.
Should I move to Perpignan or to Lyon?
If budget matters most, go with Perpignan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lyon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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