For one person, living is cheaper in Reims: $1,814 a month against $2,025 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Reims and in Lyon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,814 per month in Reims vs $2,025 in Lyon, rent included.
Reims $1,814
Lyon $2,025
A couple spends around $2,696 per month in Reims vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.
Reims $2,696
Lyon $3,130
A family of three spends $3,577 per month in Reims vs $4,236 in Lyon, rent included.
Reims $3,577
Lyon $4,236
🙂
Reims is about 10% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.
📊
Both Reims and Lyon sit above the global median – Reims by 34%, Lyon by 50%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Reims
Lyon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.30€17.17
$16.87€15.00
14.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0€60.5
$67.0€59.6
1.52%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.31€11.84
$13.32€11.85
-0.08%
Cappuccino
$3.39€3.01
$4.11€3.66
-17.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55€3.16
$2.87€2.55
23.69%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91€2.59
$1.73€1.54
68.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.21€6.41
$8.00€7.12
-9.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.54€5.82
$6.31€5.61
3.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reims
Lyon
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.34€1.20
$1.51€1.34
-11.26%
White Bread(500g)
$1.11€0.99
$1.72€1.53
-35.47%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.13€1.90
$2.49€2.21
-14.46%
Eggs
$3.69€3.28
$4.63€4.12
-20.30%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$32.47€28.88
$22.54€20.05
44.06%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.86€7.88
$12.38€11.01
-28.43%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.45€12.85
$23.55€20.95
-38.64%
Apples(1kg)
$2.83€2.52
$2.40€2.13
17.92%
Banana(1kg)
$2.28€2.03
$2.41€2.14
-5.39%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.47€2.19
$3.54€3.15
-30.23%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.58€4.07
$3.07€2.73
49.19%
Potato(1kg)
$1.85€1.64
$2.54€2.26
-27.17%
Onion(1kg)
$1.42€1.26
$3.08€2.74
-53.90%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.20€1.07
$1.35€1.20
-11.11%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15€1.03
$1.06€0.94
8.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.24€11.78
$13.90€12.36
-4.75%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.96€7.97
$8.04€7.15
11.44%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.20€1.95
$2.75€2.45
-20.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20€1.96
$3.32€2.95
-33.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Reims
Lyon
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.25€2.00
$2.29€2.03
-1.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.14€39.26
$83.6€74.4
-47.23%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$8.82€7.84
$7.92€7.04
11.36%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.21€1.08
$2.17€1.93
-44.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.50€29.79
$41.68€37.08
-19.63%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.12€1.89
$2.23€1.99
-4.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K€30.7K
$34.8K€31.0K
-0.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.2K€32.2K
$34.9K€31.0K
3.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reims
Lyon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$211€187
$270€240
-21.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.33€25.20
$14.35€12.76
97.42%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.82€35.42
$28.64€25.48
39.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reims
Lyon
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$35.74€31.79
$39.31€34.96
-9.08%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.99€9.77
$27.36€24.34
-59.83%
Cinema Ticket
$11.82€10.52
$14.64€13.02
-19.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reims
Lyon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$664€591
$619€550
7.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,797€8,715
$11.3K€10.0K
-13.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reims
Lyon
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.9€76.5
$109€96.8
-21.02%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.60€35.23
$43.48€38.67
-8.92%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.4€79.5
$123€109
-27.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105€93.7
$124€111
-15.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reims
Lyon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$672€598
$886€788
-24.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$600€534
$672€598
-10.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,217€1,082
$1,804€1,604
-32.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$896€797
$1,285€1,143
-30.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$5,267€4,685
$6,364€5,661
-17.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,642€3,239
$3,953€3,516
-7.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reims
Lyon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,603€1,426
$3,062€2,723
-47.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.67
3.68
-0.27%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Reims: October 11, 2026
Last update for Lyon: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Reims
$600 33.1%
Lyon
$672 33.2% ↑ 12%$72
🛒Groceries & Markets
Reims
$354 19.5%
Lyon
$385 19% ↑ 8.9%$31
🍽Eating Out
Reims
$310 17.1%
Lyon
$295 14.6% ↓ 4.7%$15
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reims
$279 15.4%
Lyon
$313 15.5% ↑ 12.2%$34
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Reims
$144 8%
Lyon
$180 8.9% ↑ 24.7%$36
🚌Getting Around
Reims
$68 3.8%
Lyon
$112 5.5% ↑ 64%$44
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Reims
$59 3.3%
Lyon
$69 3.4% ↑ 15.5%$9.2
🏠Accommodation & Living
Reims
$896 25.1%
Lyon
$1.3K 30.3% ↑ 43.3%$388
🛒Groceries & Markets
Reims
$825 23.1%
Lyon
$911 21.5% ↑ 10.4%$86
🍽Eating Out
Reims
$958 26.8%
Lyon
$921 21.7% ↓ 3.9%$37
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reims
$307 8.6%
Lyon
$327 7.7% ↑ 6.5%$20
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Reims
$320 9%
Lyon
$400 9.4% ↑ 24.7%$79
🚌Getting Around
Reims
$141 3.9%
Lyon
$228 5.4% ↑ 62%$87
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Reims
$130 3.6%
Lyon
$165 3.9% ↑ 26.8%$35
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $672 in Reims 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 91% 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 $68.0 in Reims versus $67.0 in Lyon. Groceries tell a different story – $354 in Reims vs $385 in Lyon – so Reims wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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
Reims vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Reims or Lyon?
Lyon costs about 12% more than Reims, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Reims and in Lyon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,721 per month in Reims and $3,038 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Reims or Lyon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Reims, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Reims compared to Lyon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,814 in Reims and $2,025 in Lyon. That's a gap of about 12%.
How expensive is transport in Reims compared to Lyon?
Public transport costs about 89% less in Reims. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Reims or in Lyon?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Reims, where all-in costs run around $1,814, than in Lyon at $2,025. In Reims it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Reims or Lyon?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Reims costs $1,814 versus $2,025 in Lyon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Reims 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 Reims or to Lyon?
If budget matters most, go with Reims. 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.