Cost of Living in Lyon
Lyon, France: CPI 65.8, rent index 28.0, purchasing power 92.0. 1BR centre rent ~€902 EUR. Net salary ~€5,248 EUR. Data: Real.
Author: CityCost Global · Methodology · Data Sources · Last updated: 2026-07-12
Key metrics
- Country: France
- Currency: EUR
- Avg 1BR rent (centre): €902
- Avg net salary: €5,248
- Cost of living index (CPI): 65.8
- Rent index: 28
- Purchasing power index: 92
- Groceries sample (milk 1L): €1
- Transport ticket: €1
- Utilities (85m²): €52
- Restaurant meal: €14
Lyon overview
Use this Lyon, France knowledge page to inspect verified living-cost signals. Figures are composed from CityCost reference data (Real, ★★★★★ Real surveyed data) and eligibility metadata; optional domains without verified sources are listed as unavailable instead of invented. Population estimate on the eligible-city record: 520,000. Local currency for published prices: EUR (€). Coordinates on record: 45.76, 4.84. Internal tier signal on record: 2. Readers should treat city-centre references as anchors, then validate neighbourhood leases, taxes, and visas independently before relocating. Verified information is currently unavailable for: nearby airports, climate, major industries, education, healthcare, safety. Those topics are omitted rather than estimated.
Population context: roughly 520,000 residents (estimate). Metro definitions vary; treat CBD averages as a starting point and adjust for the district you would actually live in.
Average monthly net salary (after tax) on record is about €5,248 EUR. Purchasing power index 92.0 describes how far a typical local salary stretches against local prices. Stress-test affordability by comparing the €902 EUR 1BR centre reference against €5,248 EUR net pay, then adjusting for your actual housing target. Offers denominated in foreign currency should be converted carefully; published figures on this page stay in EUR. Industry wage premiums are not asserted without verified payroll datasets. Students and new graduates may earn below the average net salary figure — treat €5,248 EUR as a market midpoint signal, not a personal guarantee.
Based on curated surveyed / published cost-of-living reference data for this city.
Housing costs
A reference 1-bedroom apartment in the city centre averages about €902 EUR per month in the published basket. The rent index (28.0) situates that housing pressure relative to the global baseline used by CityCost. On published figures, the centre 1BR reference is about 17% of the average net monthly salary — a stress-test ratio, not a household budget. Neighbourhood choice, building age, and furnishings can move actual leases well above or below the city-centre reference. Outer districts often price differently from the CBD sample. When comparing Lyon to peers, prefer paired rent indices on comparison pages rather than converting foreign rents with informal FX guesses.
Suburban or older stock can undercut CBD averages substantially. Families should model 2–3BR premiums and deposits; students should price shared flats near transit. Cross-check Lyon against nearby peers on this site before locking a budget.
Food & groceries
Lyon's day-to-day living mix depends on district density, dining habits, and transport mode — use the published indices as anchors rather than anecdote. With CPI at 65.8, everyday services and goods sit below the NYC baseline on this methodology. Fixed monthly anchors on record include transport tickets (~€1 EUR one-way) and utilities (~€52 EUR for the 85m² sample). Lifestyle fit also depends on education, healthcare, and safety — verified overviews for those domains are unavailable on this page and are therefore omitted.
Tourist corridors often inflate dining samples. Build a personal basket (home cooking vs eating out) and compare with similar-cost cities linked below. Groceries usually move with CPI more tightly than luxury dining.
Transport
A one-way local transport ticket averages about €1 EUR in the reference basket for Lyon. That single-ticket proxy does not equal a monthly commute budget: passes, ride-hail, fuel, parking, and last-mile costs can dominate for some households. Remote-first workers may underweight transport relative to rent; on-site workers should model peak-hour routes before treating €1 EUR as representative.
Commuters should price monthly passes and last-mile gaps; car ownership adds insurance, parking, and fuel outside this basket. Pair transport with housing: a cheaper suburb can erase savings if every commute is long.
Typical monthly budget
Illustrative single-adult monthly sketch for Lyon using on-page samples (not a quote): rent ~€902, utilities ~€52, transit scaled from ticket samples, and a mixed grocery/dining allowance. Core essentials land near €1,148 EUR; a modest lifestyle buffer ~€1,320; a more comfortable buffer ~€1,664.
Compare essentials with net salary €5,248. If rent alone exceeds ~35–40% of net pay, look at outer districts or similar-cost cities linked below. Utilities notes: Basic utilities for an 85m² apartment average about €52 EUR in the reference basket (electricity, heating/cooling, water, garbage — before internet and mobile). Seasonal heating or cooling can change monthly totals. Verified climate time series are not attached on this page, so weather-driven utility swings are not estimated here. Add broadband and mobile plans separately when building a relocation spreadsheet for Lyon, France..
- CPI 65.8 · Rent index 28 · PP 92
- Currency: EUR
- Confidence: ★★★★★ Real surveyed data
FAQ
How much rent should I expect in Lyon?
A reference 1-bedroom city-centre apartment averages about €902 EUR per month. Outer districts and shared flats can price lower; tourist cores can price higher.
What salary is needed to live in Lyon?
Reference net salary is about €5,248 EUR. Stress-test against the €902 EUR 1BR centre benchmark plus utilities and transport before treating the average as “enough.”
Is Lyon good for students?
Students should prioritize housing: the 1BR centre reference is €902 EUR. Shared housing and campus location can change budgets substantially versus that headline.
Is Lyon good for families?
Families should model 2–3BR rents, schooling, and healthcare separately — those verified datasets are not attached on this page. Use CPI 65.8 and salary/rent as starting anchors only.
Can a remote worker live affordably in Lyon?
Remote workers often optimize for CPI (65.8) and rent while earning elsewhere, but visas, tax residency, and connectivity are not verified facts on this page.
What currency is used in Lyon?
Lyon, France figures on this page are shown in EUR (€).
How reliable is cost data for Lyon?
This page uses Real with confidence label "★★★★★ Real surveyed data". Based on curated surveyed / published cost-of-living reference data for this city. Optional domains without sources are omitted rather than invented.
Is Lyon expensive?
Lyon, France has a CPI of 65.8 (NYC=100). Whether that feels expensive depends on your income (reference net salary ~€5,248 EUR) and whether housing tracks the rent index or a premium micro-market.
What is a realistic monthly budget in Lyon?
Start with centre 1BR rent (€902), add utilities (€52), transit, and groceries/dining. Compare the total with net salary €5,248 and purchasing power 92.
How does Lyon compare on groceries and dining?
Groceries index 65, restaurant index 60. Sample milk €1; inexpensive meal €14 EUR.
Where can I compare Lyon with other cities?
Try Delhi vs Lyon; London vs Lyon; Lyon vs Amsterdam, or use the homepage calculator with any pair.
Planning a move to Lyon
Lyon is best evaluated as rent-to-wage fit first, CPI second. With CPI 65.8, rent index 28, and purchasing power 92, decide which constraint binds your household—shelter, everyday prices, or local wages.
Next steps: open Paris, Macau, Cannes for nearby alternatives, run a side-by-side in the calculator, and read Methodology if confidence is ★★★★★ Real surveyed data. Country context: cost of living in France.
Lyon, France: CPI 65.8, rent index 28.0, purchasing power 92.0. 1BR centre rent ~€902 EUR. Net salary ~€5,248 EUR. Data: Real.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-07-12
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Real
- ★★★★★ Real surveyed data
On-page labels for this view: Real · ★★★★★ Real surveyed data.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.