Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valenciennes and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Valenciennes: $1,644 a month against $2,025 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Valenciennes
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Valenciennes Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
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Lyon Living Index

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Valenciennes

🇫🇷 France

$1,644

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,025

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,644 per month in Valenciennes vs $2,025 in Lyon, rent included.

Valenciennes $1,644
Lyon $2,025

A couple spends around $2,052 per month in Valenciennes vs $3,130 in Lyon, rent included.

Valenciennes $2,052
Lyon $3,130

A family of three spends $2,460 per month in Valenciennes vs $4,236 in Lyon, rent included.

Valenciennes $2,460
Lyon $4,236

Valenciennes is about 19% cheaper than Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Valenciennes and Lyon sit above the global median – Valenciennes by 22%, Lyon by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 €16.10

$16.87 €15.00

7.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 €49.47

$67.0 €59.6

-16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.16 €11.70

$13.32 €11.85

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$3.45 €3.07

$4.11 €3.66

-16.06%

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

$2.56 €2.27

$2.87 €2.55

-10.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 €6.01

$8.00 €7.12

-15.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 €4.90

$6.31 €5.61

-12.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.51 €1.34

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.72 €1.53

-6.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.49 €2.21

-18.88%

Eggs

$3.33 €2.96

$4.63 €4.12

-28.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 €12.30

$22.54 €20.05

-38.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.55 €11.16

$12.38 €11.01

1.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.49 €20.89

$23.55 €20.95

-0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.40 €2.13

9.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.41 €2.14

-12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 €1.95

$3.54 €3.15

-37.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$3.07 €2.73

1.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.54 €2.26

-28.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$3.08 €2.74

-34.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.35 €1.20

8.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 €0.16

$1.06 €0.94

-83.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.69 €12.17

$13.90 €12.36

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.37 €3.89

$8.04 €7.15

-45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.17

$2.75 €2.45

-11.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.52

$3.32 €2.95

-14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.29 €2.03

-23.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.20 €38.43

$83.6 €74.4

-48.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 €2.02

$7.92 €7.04

-71.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$2.17 €1.93

-50.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.14 €21.47

$41.68 €37.08

-42.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.23 €1.99

-4.48%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$34.8K €31.0K

-0.64%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$34.9K €31.0K

-0.73%

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

$210 €187

$270 €240

-22.05%

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

$15.46 €13.75

$14.35 €12.76

7.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.63 €25.46

$28.64 €25.48

-0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.35 €31.45

$39.31 €34.96

-10.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.36 €24.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 €12.23

$14.64 €13.02

-6.08%

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

$333 €296

$619 €550

-46.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,125 €7,227

$11.3K €10.0K

-27.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €78.4

$109 €96.8

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €35.99

$43.48 €38.67

-6.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.0

$123 €109

-18.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €90.6

$124 €111

-18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 €461

$886 €788

-41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 €458

$672 €598

-23.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 €929

$1,804 €1,604

-42.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 €1,143

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,705 €2,406

$6,364 €5,661

-57.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,144 €1,907

$3,953 €3,516

-45.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,062 €2,723

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

3.68

6.52%

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

Last update for Valenciennes: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valenciennes

$515 31.3%

Lyon

$672 33.2% 30.6% $158

Groceries & Markets

Valenciennes

$318 19.3%

Lyon

$385 19% 21.2% $67

Eating Out

Valenciennes

$288 17.5%

Lyon

$295 14.6% 2.7% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valenciennes

$254 15.5%

Lyon

$313 15.5% 23% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Valenciennes

$149 9.1%

Lyon

$180 8.9% 20.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Valenciennes

$63 3.8%

Lyon

$69 3.4% 9.1% $5.7

Getting Around

Valenciennes

$58 3.5%

Lyon

$112 5.5% 92.8% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $518 in Valenciennes 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Valenciennes versus $67.0 in Lyon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $385 – making Valenciennes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Valenciennes

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

Same time as Valenciennes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,991

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Valenciennes Lyon 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Valenciennes
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

Valenciennes vs Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lyon costs about 23% more than Valenciennes, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,466 per month in Valenciennes and $3,038 in Lyon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valenciennes, 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 $1,644 in Valenciennes and $2,025 in Lyon. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 94% less in Valenciennes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Valenciennes, where all-in costs run around $1,644, than in Lyon at $2,025. In Valenciennes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lyon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Valenciennes costs $1,644 versus $2,025 in Lyon. 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 Valenciennes. 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.