Should you visit Marseille or Lyon?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Marseille or Lyon, this travel cost comparison can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Marseille
Marseille is the second largest city in France and is the largest Mediterranean port in the region. For visitors, Marseille offers an authentic glimpse at France. It has many colorful markets, natural beauty such as the Calanques with its large, beautiful cliffs, and the old harbor area, which offers a glimpse at the areas working class history.
Lyon
Lyon, located within the region of Southeastern France, is France's third largest city in terms of population, with just over 500,000 inhabitants. This makes the city large, yet still small and personable enough to be explored properly in a short visit. Known as the gastronomic capital of Europe, your culinary needs are exceptionally well catered to here, and for those with historical and cultural interests, you will never be at a loss for new things to do and see.
Which city is cheaper, Lyon or Marseille?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Marseille is €117, while the average daily cost in Lyon is €100. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Marseille and Lyon in more detail.
Accommodation
The prices for places to stay in Marseille can vary by date, location, and type. Generally, the average cost for accommodation per person is €56, while a typical double-occupancy hotel room for two people will cost around €112.
A hotel room in Lyon is about €84 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
The average traveler spends about €34 per day in Marseille for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
On average, meal and food prices in Lyon cost around €33 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €13.
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Food
Meals for one day
Marseille €34
Lyon €33
Typical Food prices in Marseille
For Marseille, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Marseille
For Marseille, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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2.5-Hour Food Tour:
$61
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From Sunset Dinner Cruise:
$61
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Cool Food Tour and Street art Marseille:
$106
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Great Marseille Food Tour Experience:
$107
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Food Tour Excursion in Provence !:
$771
Typical Food prices in Lyon
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lyon are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lyon
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lyon.
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Lyon 2.5-Hour Dinner Cruise:
$67
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Presqu'île Food Tour with a Local Guide:
$68
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Lyon Old Town Walking Guided Food Tour:
$68
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Half-Day Gourmet Food Tour with Tastings:
$78
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Lyon Old Town Half-Day Walking Food Tour with Local Specialties Tasting & Lunch:
$93
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Old Town Food Tour:
$102
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Secret Food Tour:
$107
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Lyon Old Town Five Tasting Stops Walking Food Tour with Lunch:
$108
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Lyon Quais Saint Antoine Private Gastronomic Food Tour:
$111
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Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Lyon:
$137
-
Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse Food Tour:
$217
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Food tour in Lyon:
$258
Local Transportation
Marseille's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €23 per person, per day on transportation in Marseille.
The average price of local transportation around Lyon is €14 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Marseille
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Marseille:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Marseille
Also for Marseille, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Ultra - Marseille Private Transfer from City Centre to Marseille Cruise Port:
$9.41
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Ultra - Marseille Private Transfer from Marseille Cruise Port to City Centre:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Marseille Private Airport Transfer from Cruise Port to Marseille Airport:
$9.41
-
Ultra - Marseille Private Airport Transfer from City Centre to Marseille Airport:
$9.41
-
Private Arrival Transfer from Marseille Cruise Port to Marseille City Center:
$29
-
Private Departure Transfer from Marseille City Center to Marseille Cruise Port:
$29
-
Private Business Car Arrival Transfer: Marseille Cruise Port to Marseille city:
$41
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Private Business Car Departure Transfer: Marseille city Marseille Cruise Port:
$41
-
Private Airport Transfer: from Marseille to Marseille Airport (MRS):
$50
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Private Transfer from Marseille Cruise Port Terminal to Marseille Airport (MRS):
$51
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Private Business Van Departure Transfer: Marseille city to Marseille Cruise Port:
$55
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Private Business Car Transfer: Marseille city or Port to Marseille Airport MRS:
$60
Typical Local Transportation prices in Lyon
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Lyon:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lyon
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lyon:
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Superior Private Transfer From Lyon City to Geneva City:
$156
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Shared Departure Transfer: Lyon Hotel to Lyon-Saint Exupery:
$128
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Shared Departure Transfer: Lyon Hotel to Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupéry:
$128
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Shared Arrival Transfer: Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport to Lyon Hotel:
$128
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Shared Arrival Transfer: Gare de Lyon Saint-Exupery to Lyon Hotel:
$128
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Round Trip Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS) Transfer to Lyon City Center:
$115
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Private transfer: Lyon–Bron Airport (LYN) to Meribel:
$765
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Private transfer: Lyon–Bron Airport (LYN) to Les Deux Alpes:
$744
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Private transfer: Lyon–Bron Airport (LYN) to Chamrousse:
$532
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Private arrival OR departure transfer in Lyon (hotel OR airport pick-up):
$75
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Private Transfer: Lyon to Lyon–Bron Airport (LYN):
$622
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Private Departure Transfer: Lyon Hotel to Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport:
$91
Is it cheaper to fly into Marseille or Lyon?
Prices for flights to both Lyon and Marseille change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Marseille can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €30 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Lyon's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €16 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Tours and Activities in Marseille
For Marseille, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Marseille Walking Tour - The Other Side:
$1.24
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Marseille Walking Tour - La Panier:
$1.24
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Le Panier - Walking Tour of Marseille's Historic Neighborhood:
$15
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Colorbus Marseille Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$24
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Panier Neighborhood 1-Hour Segway Tour:
$25
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1-Hour Sightseeing Tour by Trikke:
$25
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City Segway Tour - Explore the Panier neighborhood in an unexpected way:
$25
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Marseille Segway Tour - Explore the Panier neighborhood in an unexpected way:
$25
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Small Group E-Scooter Guided Tour of Marseille:
$37
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City Segway Tour - Discover the beauty of the Pharo Palace and its neighborhood:
$37
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Marseille Segway Tour - Discover the beauty of the Pharo Palace and its neighborhood:
$37
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Marseille Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$39
Typical Entertainment prices in Lyon
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lyon are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Lyon
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lyon are as follows:
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1 or 2-Hour Pedicab tour of Lyon:
$31
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1-Hour Essential Lyon Segway Tour:
$47
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2-Hour Highlights of Lyon Segway Tour:
$68
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Beaujolais & Perouges Medieval Town - Full Day - Small Group Tour from Lyon:
$134
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Beaujolais & Perouges Medieval Town - Private Day Tour:
$858
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Beaujolais Crus Wines & Castles - Afternoon - Small Group Tour from Lyon:
$114
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Beaujolais Crus Wines & Castles - Morning - Small Group Tour from Lyon:
$114
-
Beaujolais Wine Discovery - Morning - Small Group Tours from Lyon:
$108
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Beaujolais Wine Discovery - Private Tour - Half Day:
$280
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Beaujolais Wine Route Private Tour:
$641
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Beaujolais Wine Route Small-Group Tour with Tasting from Lyon:
$123
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Beaujolais Wines & Castles - Private Tour - Half Day:
$299
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Marseille spend on average €22 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about €19 on alcoholic beverages in Lyon per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Marseille
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Marseille:
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Aix en Provence Full-Day Wine Tour from Marseille:
$137
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Full-Day Wine Tour around Luberon from Marseille:
$137
-
Full-day Wine Tour around Bandol & Cassis from Marseille:
$137
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Marseille Shore Excursion - Full Day Wine Tour in Provence:
$137
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From Bandol and Cassis Wine Tasting Tour:
$161
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Marseille Shore Excursion - Private Full Day Wine Tour in Provence:
$348
-
Provence wine tour of vineyards & the best foods & wine of Provence private tour:
$404
-
Provence Private Wine Tasting Tour from Marseille:
$435
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Wine tour of Châteauneuf du Pape, gastronomy, wines & joie de vivre private tour:
$435
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Aix en Povence Private Half Day Tour including Wine Tasting from Marseille:
$523
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Bandol Wine Tour - 4 hour Private tour:
$650
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Coteaux D'Aix : Half Day Wine Tour:
$650
Typical Alcohol prices in Lyon
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Lyon from other travelers:
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Drinks for 2
€6.80
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Bottle of Wine
€15
Sample the Local Flavors in Lyon
Also in Lyon, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Beaujolais Segway Tour With Wine Tasting:
$52
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Golden Stones Beaujolais Wine Tasting Trip from Lyon:
$101
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Half-Day Vienne & Côte-Rotie Wine Tasting Tour:
$101
-
Half-Day Beaujolais Wine Tour from Lyon:
$101
-
Northern Rhône Valley Cheese & Wine Tasting Half Day Tour from Lyon:
$111
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Lyon Old Town Food & Wine Tasting Tour including a Bouchon Lyonnais:
$112
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The Original Syrah Wine Tour - Afternoon - Small Group Tour from Lyon:
$114
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The Original Syrah Wine Tour - Morning - Small Group Tours from Lyon:
$114
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Beaujolais Gourmet Wine Tour with Tastings from Lyon:
$123
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Macon & Beaujolais Wine Tour - Full Day - Small Group Tour from Lyon:
$147
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Cotes du Rhone Wine Tour - Full Day - Small Group Tour from Lyon:
$153
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Beaujolais Region Vineyard Day Tour with Wine Tasting from Lyon:
$160
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Marseille and Lyon, we can see that Marseille is more expensive. And not only is Lyon much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lyon would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lyon and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Marseille would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Marseille than you might in Lyon.
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