Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saintes and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Saintes: $1,872 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Saintes
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Saintes Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Saintes

🇫🇷 France

$1,872

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,872 per month in Saintes vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Saintes $1,872
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,858 per month in Saintes vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Saintes $2,858
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $3,843 per month in Saintes vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Saintes $3,843
Lyon $4,315

Saintes is about 9% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Saintes and Lyon sit above the global median – Saintes by 38%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.58 €20.29

$16.86 €15.15

33.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €61.4

$67.5 €60.7

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 €5.86

$13.67 €12.29

-52.30%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.31

$4.12 €3.70

-10.44%

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

$2.71 €2.44

$2.76 €2.48

-1.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.65 €1.49

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 €6.60

$7.60 €6.83

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €4.15

$6.08 €5.46

-24.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.57 €1.41

-33.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.72 €1.55

7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 €1.69

$2.45 €2.21

-23.27%

Eggs

$2.26 €2.03

$4.74 €4.26

-52.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.82 €21.41

$22.95 €20.62

3.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 €10.59

$12.21 €10.97

-3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 €15.88

$22.99 €20.65

-23.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 €3.77

$2.41 €2.17

74.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.71 €3.33

$2.51 €2.25

47.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.74

$3.43 €3.08

-43.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 €4.62

$3.19 €2.86

61.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.50 €2.25

-69.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$2.94 €2.64

-59.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.41 €1.27

21.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 €0.31

$1.07 €0.96

-68.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 €12.99

$13.89 €12.48

4.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 €11.62

$7.77 €6.98

66.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.15

$2.66 €2.39

-10.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.12

$3.25 €2.92

-27.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.42 €2.17

-23.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.69

$82.3 €73.9

-46.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.93

$8.39 €7.54

-47.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.20 €1.98

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.94 €30.49

$41.20 €37.01

-17.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.74

$2.21 €1.98

-12.22%

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

$36.5K €32.8K

$34.4K €30.9K

6.09%

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

$38.1K €34.2K

$37.6K €33.8K

1.28%

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

$134 €120

$268 €241

-49.94%

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

$11.13 €10.00

$14.01 €12.59

-20.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.75 €30.33

$29.09 €26.14

16.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.92 €32.27

$36.88 €33.13

-2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.50

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 €8.91

$15.33 €13.78

-35.36%

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

$849 €762

$628 €564

35.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,791

$11.2K €10.1K

-2.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.9

$108 €96.8

1.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.98 €35.02

$43.36 €38.96

-10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.0

$122 €110

-11.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €134

$127 €114

17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$691 €621

$891 €800

-22.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 €644

$702 €631

2.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 €1,295

$1,879 €1,689

-23.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,060

$1,369 €1,230

-13.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,571 €3,209

$6,425 €5,773

-44.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,323 €2,986

$4,317 €3,879

-23.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,069 €2,757

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.68

2.99%

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

Last update for Saintes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saintes

$717 38.3%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 2.1% $15

Groceries & Markets

Saintes

$364 19.4%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 5.7% $21

Eating Out

Saintes

$307 16.4%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 4.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Saintes

$183 9.8%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 1.3% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saintes

$179 9.6%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 73.8% $132

Getting Around

Saintes

$68 3.6%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 64.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Saintes

$56 3%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 21.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $691 in Saintes 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Saintes versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $385 – making Saintes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Saintes

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Saintes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,518

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saintes Lyon 420 km

From you

Saintes
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

Saintes vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 9% more than Saintes, 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 $2,808 per month in Saintes 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 Saintes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $691 there versus $891 in Lyon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,872 in Saintes and $2,050 in Lyon. That’s a gap of about 9%.

Kindergarten costs $849 per month in Saintes and $628 in Lyon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,872 in Saintes 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.