Living in Lyon, France
Lyon is a mid-sized inland city in Rhône-Alpes, France (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 13°C over the year with about 788 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,767 a month to live centrally, and France sits in our high tax tier. For citizens from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in France is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $1,720 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €3,767
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- High
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 13°C
- 788 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 52/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~230 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Lyon
- Stronger healthcare than 96% of the cities we compare
- Self-funded residency from about $1,720 a month in income
- Pricier than 83% of the cities we compare
Healthcare
France scores 80 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 96% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in France.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Realistic routes are the long-stay visitor visa for those with sufficient passive means (no work permitted), the Talent Passport for skilled workers, founders and investors, and standard employer-sponsored work permits, with permanent residency reachable after five years.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for France:
- Income: about $1,720 a month (France long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur), means benchmarked to net monthly SMIC, EUR 1,477.93/mo as of June 2026; converted at EUR/USD 1.1637; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $349k (France Talent Passport 'Economic Investor' permit, EUR 300,000 in tangible/intangible fixed assets; converted at EUR/USD 1.1637; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €3,767 a month to live centrally in Lyon, 38% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 17% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Safety and stability
France scores 52 out of 100 on safety, safer than 20% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 8.1 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in France. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Climate
Lyon averages 13°C across the year with about 788 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 23% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in France runs at about 230 Mbps, faster than 77% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Taxes
France sits in our high tax tier: high personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at low to medium will not see Lyon in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Language and culture
Main languages: French. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 84 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Questions couples ask about Lyon
Is Lyon a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Lyon scores well on healthcare, internet speed, political stability and social openness. It is weaker on affordability and safety. Expect a mild, moderately wet climate (13°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Lyon and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Lyon?
We estimate about €3,767 a month for a couple living centrally, 38% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Lyon?
France is in our high tax tier (high personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make low or medium tax a must-have will not see Lyon in their results.
Can foreigners live in France long term?
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Realistic routes are the long-stay visitor visa for those with sufficient passive means (no work permitted), the Talent Passport for skilled workers, founders and investors, and standard employer-sponsored work permits, with permanent residency reachable after five years. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $1,720 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $349k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Lyon?
Lyon averages 13°C across the year with about 788 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 23% of the cities we track.
Compare Lyon with
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