Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poitiers and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Poitiers: $1,560 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Poitiers
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Poitiers Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Poitiers

🇫🇷 France

$1,560

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,560 per month in Poitiers vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Poitiers $1,560
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,398 per month in Poitiers vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Poitiers $2,398
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $3,236 per month in Poitiers vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Poitiers $3,236
Lyon $4,315

Poitiers is about 24% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Poitiers and Lyon sit above the global median – Poitiers by 15%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.99 €13.47

$16.86 €15.15

-11.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 €50.4

$67.5 €60.6

-16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.09 €12.65

$13.67 €12.28

3.07%

Cappuccino

$2.69 €2.41

$4.12 €3.70

-34.71%

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

$3.20 €2.88

$2.76 €2.48

15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.65 €1.49

10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 €5.91

$7.60 €6.83

-13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 €5.55

$6.08 €5.46

1.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.46

$1.57 €1.41

3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.72 €1.55

36.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$2.45 €2.20

-21.63%

Eggs

$4.95 €4.45

$4.74 €4.26

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 €17.51

$22.95 €20.62

-15.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 €10.49

$12.21 €10.97

-4.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 €13.93

$22.99 €20.65

-32.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.41 €2.17

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 €1.80

$2.51 €2.25

-20.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 €2.95

$3.43 €3.08

-4.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 €2.68

$3.19 €2.86

-6.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.72

$2.50 €2.24

-23.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.12

$2.94 €2.64

-19.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 €2.50

$1.41 €1.27

97.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.59

$1.07 €0.96

-38.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.97 €11.65

$13.89 €12.47

-6.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.33

$7.77 €6.98

19.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.60

$2.66 €2.39

8.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.31

$3.25 €2.92

13.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.42 €2.17

-13.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.56 €41.82

$82.3 €73.9

-43.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.98 €8.07

$8.39 €7.54

7.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 €2.57

$2.20 €1.98

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.10 €31.53

$41.20 €37.01

-14.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.95

$2.21 €1.98

-1.36%

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

$34.7K €31.2K

$34.4K €30.9K

0.99%

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

$32.4K €29.1K

$37.6K €33.7K

-13.87%

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

$252 €227

$268 €241

-5.73%

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

$11.74 €10.54

$14.01 €12.58

-16.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.04 €35.07

$29.09 €26.14

34.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.12 €44.12

$36.88 €33.13

33.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.70 €17.70

$28.38 €25.49

-30.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 €7.97

$15.33 €13.77

-42.14%

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

$677 €608

$628 €564

7.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,767

$11.2K €10.1K

-2.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.0 €84.5

$108 €96.8

-12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.30 €39.80

$43.36 €38.95

2.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 €71.4

$122 €110

-34.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 €64.1

$127 €114

-43.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 €517

$891 €800

-35.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 €332

$702 €631

-47.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 €818

$1,879 €1,688

-51.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 €632

$1,369 €1,229

-48.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,539 €3,179

$6,425 €5,772

-44.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,124 €1,908

$4,317 €3,878

-50.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,948 €1,750

$3,069 €2,757

-36.51%

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 Poitiers: 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

Poitiers

$369 23.7%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 90.1% $333

Groceries & Markets

Poitiers

$353 22.6%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 9.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poitiers

$303 19.4%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 2.5% $7.7

Eating Out

Poitiers

$260 16.7%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 12.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Poitiers

$130 8.3%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 38.4% $50

Getting Around

Poitiers

$78 5%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 42.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Poitiers

$67 4.3%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Poitiers 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 58% higher in Lyon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Poitiers versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $385 – making Poitiers the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Poitiers

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Poitiers

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,240

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Poitiers vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 31% more than Poitiers, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,340 per month in Poitiers 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 Poitiers, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $576 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,560 in Poitiers and $2,050 in Lyon. That’s a gap of about 31%.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Poitiers. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,560 in Poitiers and $2,050 in Lyon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,560 in Poitiers to $2,050 in Lyon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Poitiers. 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.