Cost of Living Comparison Between Roskilde and Lyon Cost of Living Comparison Between Roskilde and Lyon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,652 per month in Roskilde vs $2,128 in Lyon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,018 per month in Roskilde vs $3,264 in Lyon, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,384 per month in Roskilde vs $4,400 in Lyon, rent included.

Roskilde costs about 25% more than Lyon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Roskilde and Lyon sit above the global median – Roskilde by 93%, Lyon by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.79 DKK 121

$17.57 €15.16

6.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 DKK 766

$70.3 €60.6

69.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.78 DKK 102

$14.08 €12.14

12.07%

Cappuccino

$7.45 DKK 48.05

$4.25 €3.67

75.29%

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

$4.35 DKK 28.08

$2.98 €2.57

45.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 DKK 23.78

$1.84 €1.59

100.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.41 DKK 54.3

$8.09 €6.98

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.00 DKK 58.1

$6.32 €5.46

42.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 DKK 13.71

$1.62 €1.40

31.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 DKK 26.26

$2.09 €1.80

94.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 DKK 16.00

$2.78 €2.40

-10.79%

Eggs

$4.85 DKK 31.30

$4.72 €4.07

2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 DKK 95.0

$23.38 €20.17

-37.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 DKK 77.7

$13.72 €11.83

-12.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.30 DKK 124

$27.43 €23.66

-29.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 DKK 17.64

$2.44 €2.10

12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 DKK 18.02

$2.40 €2.07

16.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 DKK 13.62

$3.40 €2.93

-37.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 DKK 27.24

$3.28 €2.83

28.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 DKK 11.21

$2.91 €2.51

-40.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 DKK 9.70

$3.07 €2.65

-51.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 DKK 9.41

$1.50 €1.30

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 DKK 4.39

$1.22 €1.06

-44.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.41 DKK 60.7

$14.55 €12.55

-35.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 DKK 48.72

$8.93 €7.70

-15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 DKK 12.77

$2.92 €2.52

-32.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 DKK 17.75

$3.57 €3.08

-22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 €2.16

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 DKK 494

$87.2 €75.2

-12.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 DKK 38.96

$8.63 €7.45

-30.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 DKK 11.10

$2.26 €1.95

-23.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.5 DKK 422

$43.74 €37.73

49.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 DKK 14.92

$2.31 €1.99

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

$52.9K DKK 341.5K

$35.2K €30.4K

50.45%

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

$54.8K DKK 353.7K

$36.3K €31.3K

51.05%

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

$225 DKK 1,449

$275 €237

-18.24%

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

$16.14 DKK 104

$15.34 €13.23

5.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.19 DKK 291

$33.34 €28.76

35.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 DKK 400

$43.40 €37.43

42.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.48 €25.42

Cinema Ticket

$17.01 DKK 110

$15.35 €13.24

10.81%

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

$389 DKK 2,509

$652 €562

-40.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,119 DKK 39.5K

$11.9K €10.2K

-48.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 DKK 690

$121 €105

-11.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.29 DKK 318

$48.93 €42.20

0.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 DKK 1,040

$130 €112

23.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 DKK 1,271

$129 €111

52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 DKK 8,775

$886 €764

53.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 DKK 7,603

$703 €606

67.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,625 DKK 16.9K

$1,841 €1,588

42.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 DKK 13.5K

$1,302 €1,123

60.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,823 DKK 44.0K

$6,580 €5,675

3.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,231 DKK 40.2K

$4,128 €3,561

50.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,214 DKK 27.2K

$3,196 €2,757

31.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

3.68

0.54%

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

Last update for Roskilde: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lyon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,361 in Roskilde 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 32% higher in Roskilde, 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 $119 in Roskilde versus $70.0 in Lyon. Groceries tell a different story – $366 in Roskilde vs $420 in Lyon – so Roskilde wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Roskilde vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roskilde costs about 25% more than Lyon, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $3,978 per month in Roskilde and $3,192 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 $2,652 in Roskilde and $2,128 in Lyon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 14% 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 $2,128, than in Roskilde at $2,652. In Lyon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Roskilde it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lyon costs $2,128 versus $2,652 in Roskilde. 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, Roskilde makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.