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Living in Lyon

Lyon is a city in France, and the figures below are its published values. Residents of Lyon numbered 525,314 at the end of 2023. An unemployment rate of 12.03% was measured at the end of 2022.

Which France-wide rules apply when you move to Lyon?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in FranceNational rates and thresholds that apply in Lyon.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

The number of dwellings in Lyon reached 321,274 at the end of 2023.

How much does it cost to rent in Lyon?

Average net cold rent is 20.7 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 20.7 EUR/m²/month · Bien'ici (study hosted by Immobil-ia)18
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Lyon recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€560
Utilities, 85 m² flat€237
Transport pass€74
Fitness club€39
Internet, 60 Mbps€29
Mobile plan, 10 GB€13

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesLyon highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Lyon highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Paris€26.30
Angers€13.26
Amiens€12.10
Metz€12.08
Besançon€9.40
Limoges€9.06
Show the other 6 cities
Dijon€12.04
Rouen€11.98
Reims€11.80
Le Havre€11.06
Perpignan€10.88
Le Mans€10.47
MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly39 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month102.1 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited29.22 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly560.3 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant15 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB12.95 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass74.1 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home236.9 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings321,274 dwellings31 Dec 2023INSEE6Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings271,968 dwellings31 Dec 2023INSEE6Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)20.7 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2025Bien'ici (study hosted by Immobil-ia)18Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 1,242 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 20.7 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2025

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Lyon?

The unemployment rate is about 12 % (2022).

  • Unemployment rate: 12.03 % · Eurostat4
Unemployment across cities in FranceUnemployment in Lyon is 12.0%. Of 2,240 cities with data, 898 have unemployment of 5 to under 10%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in France per band18 cities: 0% to under 5%180–5898 cities: 5% to under 10%8985–10832 cities: 10% to under 15%83210–15Lyon 12.0%377 cities: 15% to under 20%37715–2097 cities: 20% to under 25%9720–2515 cities: 25% to under 30%1525–303 cities: 30% to under 35%330–35

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fibre-to-the-building availability97.65 %3 Aug 2026Arcep (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse)1Official
Gigabit broadband availability98.61 %3 Aug 2026Arcep (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse)1Official
Unemployment rate12.03 %country median 11.0%31 Dec 2022Eurostat4Official
Unemployment rate over time10 published observations, 2013–2022
Unemployment rate in Lyon by year, %11.8%12.8%13.7%14.7%2013201520172019202212.0%%

Unemployment rate fell 13.9% between 2013 and 2022, from 14.0% to 12.0%.

Public employment offices in Lyon

Exact offices linked to this city from official sources. Check the office page before visiting because hours and appointment rules can change.

Verified locally

Only exact city-linked public offices are listed; this is not a complete directory of private recruiters or every employment provider. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary School Count214 count3 Aug 2026Ministère de l'Éducation nationale (data.education.gouv.fr)9Official
School Count385 count3 Aug 2026Ministère de l'Éducation nationale (data.education.gouv.fr)9Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital Beds Per 100k1,201 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2011DREES / DGOS – Statistique Annuelle des Établissements de Santé (SAE) 20113Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Lyon when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Hospital Beds Per 100k1,201 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-08-03
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Mobility and administration

Lyon's nearest airport was LYS, 19 km away and offered 77 direct destinations. Lyon's fibre-to-home broadband coverage was 97.65%.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count77 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights11Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km19 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports12Official
Nearest Major Airport IataLYS3 Aug 2026OurAirports12Official
Public transport monthly pass74.1 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo19Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Lyon. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR) — Integration course

État français and OFII

For eligible non-EU foreign residents.

FrenchIn Person
Open official information

DIAN language-training offer finder — Other

Réseau des Carif-Oref and DIAN

For people seeking French-language training.

FrenchIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full France section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Lyon.

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperature moved from 4.1°C in January to 22.6°C in July. Lyon's monthly precipitation totalled 49.8 mm in January and 67.4 mm in July. Average monthly sunshine totalled 71 hours in January and 288 hours in July.

Is the air quality good in Lyon?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Collected source2

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Lyon average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND28°1°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Lyon average monthly precipitation, mm02550751005042496981746766831008754JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Lyon average monthly sunshine, hours075150225300711021731972232562882632041317858JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Lyon annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52510.0PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in FranceAnnual PM2.5 in Lyon is 10.0 µg/m³. Of 1,975 cities with data, 626 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in France per band2 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³23–412 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³124–541 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³415–6159 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³1596–7482 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³4827–8626 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³6268–9447 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³4479–10166 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³16610–11Lyon 10.027 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³2711–129 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³912–134 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³413–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean10 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Collected source2Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan 7.1 · Feb 9 · Mar 13.8 · Apr 17.4 · May 21.5 · Jun 25.6 · Jul 28.2 · Aug 28 · Sep 23.1 · Oct 17.7 · Nov 11.4 · Dec 7.7 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 1.1 · Feb 1.4 · Mar 4.2 · Apr 7.2 · May 11.2 · Jun 15 · Jul 17 · Aug 16.6 · Sep 12.8 · Oct 9.6 · Nov 4.9 · Dec 2 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI14Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 4.1 · Feb 5.2 · Mar 9 · Apr 12.3 · May 16.3 · Jun 20.3 · Jul 22.6 · Aug 22.3 · Sep 17.9 · Oct 13.7 · Nov 8.1 · Dec 4.8 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI15Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 49.8 · Feb 41.6 · Mar 49.4 · Apr 68.9 · May 80.9 · Jun 74.1 · Jul 67.4 · Aug 65.5 · Sep 82.5 · Oct 99.8 · Nov 87.2 · Dec 53.7 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI16Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 71 · Feb 102 · Mar 173 · Apr 197 · May 223 · Jun 256 · Jul 288 · Aug 263 · Sep 204 · Oct 131 · Nov 78 · Dec 58 hours31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI17Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in France

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All France cities
Toulouse514,819 residentsNice357,737 residentsNantes327,734 residentsMontpellier310,240 residentsMarseille892,391 residentsStrasbourg293,771 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Lyon?

The published population was 525,314 people in 2023. Source: Insee5

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population525,314 people31 Dec 2023Insee5Official
Population over time9 published observations, 1968–2023
Population in Lyon by year, residents403,919448,271492,624536,97619681982199920122023525,314residents

Population was 527,800 in 1968 and 525,314 in 2023.

International community in Lyon

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Immigrant population only (IMMI=1); INSEE RP2023; total age and sex · 2023 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total78,222.585100.0%
Algérie15,322.22619.6%
Maroc5,912.6497.6%
Tunisie5,596.5577.2%
Autres pays d'Afrique4,838.9546.2%
Autres pays d’Asie4,814.4646.2%
Italie3,378.3054.3%
Portugal3,116.774.0%
Autres pays d’Europe2,428.0723.1%
Autres pays d'Amérique2,064.7732.6%
Espagne1,876.4442.4%
Show 37 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Cameroon1,636.2932.1%
Sénégal1,592.3812.0%
Chine1,549.4372.0%
Autres pays de l'Union européenne1,498.371.9%
Côte d'Ivoire1,437.4771.8%
République Démocratique du Congo1,433.3241.8%
Brésil1,185.641.5%
Roumanie1,084.9961.4%
Guinée1,061.5841.4%
Congo1,057.0731.4%
Russie1,054.0751.3%
Comorres1,034.4461.3%
Serbie986.2241.3%
Liban926.6761.2%
Viet Nam912.2981.2%
Turquie905.2071.2%
Angola855.6341.1%
Etats-Unis d'Amérique794.4261.0%
Allemagne792.6811.0%
Colombie790.5481.0%
Royaume-Uni763.0321.0%
Madagascar719.1920.9%
Pologne677.9070.9%
Inde627.6290.8%
Belgique580.3080.7%
Cambodge404.3590.5%
Japon403.9230.5%
Suisse393.2970.5%
Canada328.4240.4%
Mali299.1450.4%
Haïti212.530.3%
Ile Maurice207.5680.3%
Pays-Bas170.8820.2%
Pakistan161.9920.2%
Sri Lanka129.4230.2%
Australie-Océanie121.5030.2%
Mauritanie83.4680.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source8

Citizenship

Population resident in France excluding Mayotte; INSEE RP2023 NAT; total age and sex · 2023 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total519,127100.0%
Français460,232.05688.7%
Etranger58,894.94411.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source7

Is Lyon a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 51–71%
Skilled employee68%strong on work, weak on safety · range 59–77%
Student57%strong on education, weak on safety · range 48–66%
Family68%strong on family, weak on safety · range 58–78%
Retirement60%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 47–73%
Population525,314 people31 Dec 2023Official source · Insee
Average net rent (nettokalt)20.7 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2025Independent source · Bien'ici (study hosted by Immobil-ia)
Dwellings321,274 dwellings31 Dec 2023Official source · INSEE
Fibre-to-the-building availability97.65 %3 Aug 2026Official source · Arcep (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse)
Gigabit broadband availability98.61 %3 Aug 2026Official source · Arcep (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse)
Unemployment rate12.03 %31 Dec 2022Official source · Eurostat
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-07

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Universities2 count3 Aug 2026Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (data.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr)10Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Lyon?

The published population was 525,314 people in 2023. Source: Insee.

How much does it cost to rent in Lyon?

Average net cold rent is 20.7 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 1,449 EUR a month before utilities. Source: Bien'ici (study hosted by Immobil-ia).

Is the air quality good in Lyon?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Collected source.

What is the unemployment rate in Lyon?

The unemployment rate is about 12 % (2022). Source: Eurostat.

How much is public transport in Lyon?

A monthly transport pass is 74.1 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo.

Is Lyon a good place to live?

Lyon may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Total live in Lyon?

The official country of birth distribution records 78,222.585 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2023 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Lyon, France: rent, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fr/lyon/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_lyon-france-rent-cost-of-living-jobs_4584af33aac8,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Lyon, France: rent, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fr/lyon/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Lyon, France: rent, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fr/lyon/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Arcep (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse) data.arcep.fr · checked 2026-08-03
  2. Collected source air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  3. DREES / DGOS – Statistique Annuelle des Établissements de Santé (SAE) 2011 data.gouv.fr · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
  5. Insee insee.fr · checked 2026-08-05
  6. INSEE insee.fr · checked 2026-08-07
  7. Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE), France api.insee.fr · checked 2026-08-30
  8. Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE), France country_of_birth distribution api.insee.fr · checked 2026-08-28
  9. Ministère de l'Éducation nationale (data.education.gouv.fr) data.education.gouv.fr · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (data.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr) data.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr · checked 2026-08-03
Show 9 more sources
  1. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  2. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  3. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  4. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  5. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  6. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  7. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
  8. Bien'ici (study hosted by Immobil-ia) immobil-ia.fr · checked 2026-08-04
  9. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.