Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schenectady, NY and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lyon: $2,050 a month against $2,516 in Schenectady, NY, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Schenectady, NY
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Schenectady, NY Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Schenectady, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,516

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,516 per month in Schenectady, NY vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

Schenectady, NY $2,516
Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $3,503 per month in Schenectady, NY vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

Schenectady, NY $3,503
Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $4,491 per month in Schenectady, NY vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

Schenectady, NY $4,491
Lyon $4,315

Schenectady, NY costs about 23% more than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Schenectady, NY and Lyon sit above the global median – Schenectady, NY by 85%, Lyon by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$16.86 €15.15

17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 $74.4

$67.5 €60.6

10.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$13.67 €12.28

-4.61%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$4.12 €3.70

29.13%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$2.76 €2.48

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.65 €1.49

29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$7.60 €6.83

-21.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$6.08 €5.46

46.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.57 €1.41

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.72 €1.55

153.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.45 €2.20

83.27%

Eggs

$5.13 $5.13

$4.74 €4.26

8.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$22.95 €20.62

-71.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$12.21 €10.97

24.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 $18.49

$22.99 €20.65

-19.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.41 €2.17

105.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.51 €2.25

-64.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.43 €3.08

56.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.19 €2.86

49.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.50 €2.24

31.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.94 €2.64

-63.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.41 €1.27

58.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.07 €0.96

85.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.43 $13.43

$13.89 €12.47

-3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 $13.90

$7.77 €6.98

78.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.66 €2.39

-27.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.25 €2.92

-12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.42 €2.17

-37.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 $55.1

$82.3 €73.9

-33.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$8.39 €7.54

-41.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.20 €1.98

-35.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$41.20 €37.01

-27.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.21 €1.98

-52.94%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.4K €30.9K

-20.27%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$37.6K €33.7K

-29.10%

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

$212 $212

$268 €241

-20.89%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$14.01 €12.58

406.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.4 $88.4

$29.09 €26.14

203.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.6 $70.6

$36.88 €33.13

91.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.38 €25.49

Cinema Ticket

$12.40 $12.40

$15.33 €13.77

-19.11%

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

$1,497 $1,497

$628 €564

138.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$11.2K €10.1K

50.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.80 $39.80

$108 €96.8

-63.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 $40.47

$43.36 €38.95

-6.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$122 €110

-7.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$127 €114

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 $1,296

$891 €800

45.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 $1,106

$702 €631

57.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 $2,194

$1,879 €1,688

16.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$1,369 €1,229

5.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,585 $2,585

$6,425 €5,772

-59.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 $2,610

$4,317 €3,878

-39.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,782 $3,782

$3,069 €2,757

23.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.68

76.90%

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

Last update for Schenectady, NY: 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

Schenectady, NY

$1.1K 44%

Lyon

$702 34.3% 36.5% $404

Groceries & Markets

Schenectady, NY

$407 16.2%

Lyon

$385 18.8% 5.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schenectady, NY

$371 14.8%

Lyon

$311 15.2% 16.3% $60

Eating Out

Schenectady, NY

$328 13.1%

Lyon

$293 14.3% 10.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Schenectady, NY

$135 5.4%

Lyon

$180 8.8% 33.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Schenectady, NY

$95 3.8%

Lyon

$68 3.3% 29.2% $28

Getting Around

Schenectady, NY

$73 2.9%

Lyon

$111 5.4% 52.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,296 in Schenectady, NY 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 23% higher in Schenectady, NY. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Schenectady, NY versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $385 – making Lyon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Schenectady, NY

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

15:20 3:20 PM

5 h ahead of Schenectady, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,047

522,250

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Schenectady, NY Lyon 6,010 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Schenectady, NY
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

Schenectady, NY vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Schenectady, NY costs about 23% more than Lyon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,774 per month in Schenectady, NY 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 Lyon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $891 there versus $1,296 in Schenectady, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,516 in Schenectady, NY and $2,050 in Lyon. That’s a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Schenectady, NY. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,516 in Schenectady, NY and $2,050 in Lyon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lyon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lyon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Schenectady, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.