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Lyon vs Madrid cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ซ๐ท Lyon
๐ช๐ธ Madrid
At a glance
- Where Madrid is clearly cheaper: Beer (38%โ), Coffee (34%โ), Street food (29%โ)
- Where Lyon is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (49%โ), Studio rent (month) (36%โ), Entry ticket (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Lyon 1 vs Madrid 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lyon | Madrid | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Madrid โ12% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Madrid โ29% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 30$34.9 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 3.8$4.42 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Madrid โ34% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 6.5$7.56 | โฌ 4$4.65 | Madrid โ38% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Madrid โ18% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1$1.16 | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | Lyon โ17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 2$2.33 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Madrid โ10% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 11$12.8 | Madrid โ8% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 7$8.14 | Madrid โ12% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2.1$2.44 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Madrid โ29% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 18$20.9 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Lyon โ49% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 110$128 | โฌ 120$140 | Lyon โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 800$930 | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | Lyon โ36% |
| Laundry | โฌ 2.9$3.37 | โฌ 3$3.49 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Lyon โ7% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 22$25.6 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Madrid โ18% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 60$69.8 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Madrid โ17% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Lyon โ14% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Lyon โ20% |
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, Lyon or Madrid?
Lyon is 10% cheaper than Madrid. Daily budget $266 vs $267; a month $4,256 vs $5,187.
Which is easier to travel, Lyon or Madrid?
About the same: Lyon 1.8/5, Madrid 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lyon and Madrid?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lyon is about $4,256 and Madrid about $5,187 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.