Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thonon-les-Bains and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Thonon-les-Bains: $1,795 a month against $2,050 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Thonon-les-Bains, France
Lyon, France
Thonon-les-Bains
🇫🇷 France
$1,795
/mo nomad
Lyon
🇫🇷 France
$2,050
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,795 per month in Thonon-les-Bains vs $2,050 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Thonon-les-Bains $1,795
  • Lyon $2,050

A couple spends around $2,733 per month in Thonon-les-Bains vs $3,182 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Thonon-les-Bains $2,733
  • Lyon $3,182

A family of three spends $3,671 per month in Thonon-les-Bains vs $4,315 in Lyon, rent included.

  • Thonon-les-Bains $3,671
  • Lyon $4,315

Thonon-les-Bains is about 12% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Thonon-les-Bains and Lyon sit above the global median – Thonon-les-Bains by 32%, Lyon by 51%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.87 €15.16
$16.86 €15.15
0.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.8 €51.0
$67.5 €60.6
-15.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.15 €11.82
$13.67 €12.28
-3.80%
Cappuccino
$4.14 €3.72
$4.12 €3.70
0.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 €2.46
$2.76 €2.48
-1.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.51
$1.65 €1.49
1.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 €7.23
$7.60 €6.83
5.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.10 €5.48
$6.08 €5.46
0.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 €1.37
$1.57 €1.41
-3.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.70 €1.53
$1.72 €1.55
-1.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.56 €2.30
$2.45 €2.20
4.49%
Eggs
$4.57 €4.11
$4.74 €4.26
-3.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.20 €10.06
$22.95 €20.62
-51.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.32 €11.07
$12.21 €10.97
0.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.13 €20.78
$22.99 €20.65
0.61%
Apples (1kg)
$2.41 €2.17
$2.41 €2.17
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 €0.98
$2.51 €2.25
-56.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 €1.97
$3.43 €3.08
-36.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.98
$3.19 €2.86
-31.03%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 €2.24
$2.50 €2.24
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.27 €2.04
$2.94 €2.64
-22.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.41 €1.27
-3.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.07 €0.96
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.99 €12.57
$13.89 €12.47
0.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.15 €7.32
$7.77 €6.98
4.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.46
$2.66 €2.39
3.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 €2.98
$3.25 €2.92
2.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.26 €1.14
$2.42 €2.17
-47.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.62 €43.68
$82.3 €73.9
-40.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.61 €5.04
$8.39 €7.54
-33.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.25 €2.02
$2.20 €1.98
2.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.08 €36.90
$41.20 €37.01
-0.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.97 €1.77
$2.21 €1.98
-10.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.7K €31.2K
$34.4K €30.9K
0.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K €33.2K
$37.6K €33.7K
-1.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 €193
$268 €241
-19.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.79
$14.01 €12.58
1.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.66 €26.64
$29.09 €26.14
1.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.54 €31.92
$36.88 €33.13
-3.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.38 €25.49
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.52 €13.04
$15.33 €13.77
-5.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 €564
$628 €564
-0.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.2K €10.1K
$11.2K €10.1K
-0.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 €60.9
$108 €96.8
-37.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.65 €39.21
$43.36 €38.95
0.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 €81.2
$122 €110
-26.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 €114
$127 €114
-0.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$763 €686
$891 €800
-14.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$628 €564
$702 €631
-10.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,473 €1,323
$1,879 €1,688
-21.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,151 €1,034
$1,369 €1,229
-15.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,207 €3,780
$6,425 €5,772
-34.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,102 €2,787
$4,317 €3,878
-28.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thonon-les-Bains
Lyon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,069 €2,757
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.68
3.68
-

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

Last update for Thonon-les-Bains: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Thonon-les-Bains
$628
Lyon
$702 11.8% $74
Groceries & Markets
Thonon-les-Bains
$331
Lyon
$385 16.3% $54
Eating Out
Thonon-les-Bains
$294
Lyon
$293 0.3% $1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thonon-les-Bains
$259
Lyon
$311 20% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Thonon-les-Bains
$148
Lyon
$180 21.7% $32
Getting Around
Thonon-les-Bains
$71
Lyon
$111 57.9% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Thonon-les-Bains
$65
Lyon
$68 4.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Thonon-les-Bains 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 $57 in Thonon-les-Bains versus $68 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $385 – making Thonon-les-Bains the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Thonon-les-Bains
🇫🇷 Lyon
🕒 Local time
02:03 2:03 AM
02:03 2:03 AM
Same time as Thonon-les-Bains
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,027
522,250
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thonon-les-Bains Lyon 140 km
From you
  • Thonon-les-Bains
  • 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
Thonon-les-Bains vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Thonon-les-Bains or Lyon?
Lyon costs about 14% more than Thonon-les-Bains, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Thonon-les-Bains and in Lyon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,693 per month in Thonon-les-Bains and $3,075 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Thonon-les-Bains or Lyon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Thonon-les-Bains, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $763 there versus $891 in Lyon.
How much does it cost to live in Thonon-les-Bains compared to Lyon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,795 in Thonon-les-Bains and $2,050 in Lyon. That makes Thonon-les-Bains about 12% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Thonon-les-Bains compared to Lyon?
Public transport costs about 41% less in Thonon-les-Bains. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Thonon-les-Bains or in Lyon?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,795 in Thonon-les-Bains and $2,050 in Lyon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Thonon-les-Bains or Lyon?
It depends on your priorities. Lyon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,795 in Thonon-les-Bains to $2,050 in Lyon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Thonon-les-Bains compared to Lyon?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Thonon-les-Bains is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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