Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Etienne and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint-Etienne: $1,436 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Etienne
Learn more

Saint-Etienne Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
Learn more

Lyon Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint-Etienne

🇫🇷 France

$1,436

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,436 per month in Saint-Etienne vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Saint-Etienne $1,436
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,264 per month in Saint-Etienne vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Saint-Etienne $2,264
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $3,092 per month in Saint-Etienne vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Saint-Etienne $3,092
Lyon $4,315

Saint-Etienne is about 30% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Saint-Etienne and Lyon sit above the global median – Saint-Etienne by 6%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 €14.88

$16.86 €15.15

-1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 €50.9

$67.5 €60.6

-16.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 €12.16

$13.67 €12.28

-0.95%

Cappuccino

$2.07 €1.86

$4.12 €3.70

-49.76%

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

$3.42 €3.07

$2.76 €2.48

23.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.53

$1.65 €1.49

3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 €4.55

$7.60 €6.83

-33.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €5.16

$6.08 €5.46

-5.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.57 €1.41

-17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.72 €1.55

-36.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.88

$2.45 €2.20

-14.69%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.74

$4.74 €4.26

-35.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.01 €15.28

$22.95 €20.62

-25.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.17 €10.03

$12.21 €10.97

-8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 €14.68

$22.99 €20.65

-28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 €2.94

$2.41 €2.17

35.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.51 €2.25

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.20

$3.43 €3.08

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$3.19 €2.86

-15.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.41

$2.50 €2.24

-37.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.94 €2.64

-41.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.41 €1.27

-21.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.07

$1.07 €0.96

114.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.15 €10.91

$13.89 €12.47

-12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.14 €9.11

$7.77 €6.98

30.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.99

$2.66 €2.39

24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.93

$3.25 €2.92

0.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.62

$2.42 €2.17

-25.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.87 €35.82

$82.3 €73.9

-51.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 €2.54

$8.39 €7.54

-66.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 €1.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 €37.01

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.21 €1.98

-4.52%

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

$20.1K €18.0K

$34.4K €30.9K

-41.60%

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

$32.0K €28.7K

$37.6K €33.7K

-14.88%

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

$164 €148

$268 €241

-38.63%

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

$29.01 €26.06

$14.01 €12.58

107.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.04 €17.11

$29.09 €26.14

-34.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 €26.82

$36.88 €33.13

-19.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.61 €5.94

$28.38 €25.49

-76.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 €8.88

$15.33 €13.77

-35.49%

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

$996 €894

$628 €564

58.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.2K

$11.2K €10.1K

41.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 €64.8

$108 €96.8

-33.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.47 €27.37

$43.36 €38.95

-29.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$122 €110

-15.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €135

$127 €114

18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 €463

$891 €800

-42.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 €332

$702 €631

-47.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 €785

$1,879 €1,688

-53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 €643

$1,369 €1,229

-47.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,677 €1,506

$6,425 €5,772

-73.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,619 €1,454

$4,317 €3,878

-62.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,255 €2,026

$3,069 €2,757

-26.51%

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 Saint-Etienne: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint-Etienne

$370 25.8%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 89.8% $332

Groceries & Markets

Saint-Etienne

$339 23.6%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 13.5% $46

Eating Out

Saint-Etienne

$255 17.8%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 14.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint-Etienne

$212 14.8%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 46.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Saint-Etienne

$160 11.2%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 12.4% $20

Getting Around

Saint-Etienne

$50 * 3.5%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 123% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Saint-Etienne

$50 3.5%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 36.1% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $515 in Saint-Etienne 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 36% 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 $57 in Saint-Etienne versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $385 – making Saint-Etienne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Saint-Etienne

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

Same time as Saint-Etienne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

172,718

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint-Etienne Lyon 49 km

From you

Saint-Etienne
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

Saint-Etienne vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 43% more than Saint-Etienne, 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 $2,154 per month in Saint-Etienne 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 Saint-Etienne, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $515 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,436 in Saint-Etienne and $2,050 in Lyon. That’s a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Saint-Etienne. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,436 in Saint-Etienne 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 Saint-Etienne. 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.