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Brussels vs Lyon cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ง๐ช Brussels
๐ซ๐ท Lyon
At a glance
- Where Lyon is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (33%โ), Entry ticket (25%โ), Restaurant dinner (19%โ)
- Where Brussels is clearly cheaper: Street food (29%โ), Beer (26%โ), Scooter rental (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Brussels 2 vs Lyon 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Brussels | Lyon | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 19$22.1 | โฌ 16$18.6 | Lyon โ16% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 7$8.14 | Brussels โ29% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 37$43 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Lyon โ19% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 3.6$4.19 | โฌ 3.8$4.42 | Brussels โ5% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 4.8$5.58 | โฌ 6.5$7.56 | Brussels โ26% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 11$12.8 | similar |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | โฌ 1$1.16 | Lyon โ17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Lyon โ9% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 12$14 | Lyon โ14% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 9$10.5 | โฌ 8$9.3 | Lyon โ11% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2.1$2.44 | โฌ 2.1$2.44 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Brussels โ17% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 120$140 | โฌ 110$128 | Lyon โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,200$1,395 | โฌ 800$930 | Lyon โ33% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | โฌ 2.9$3.37 | Lyon โ17% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Lyon โ7% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 22$25.6 | Lyon โ12% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 60$69.8 | โฌ 60$69.8 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Lyon โ14% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 12$14 | Lyon โ25% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Brussels or Lyon?
Lyon is 18% cheaper than Brussels. Daily budget $303 vs $266; a month $5,628 vs $4,256.
Which is easier to travel, Brussels or Lyon?
About the same: Brussels 2.0/5, Lyon 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Brussels and Lyon?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Brussels is about $5,628 and Lyon about $4,256 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.