✦ Compare
Amsterdam vs
Lyon
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Amsterdam, NL vs Lyon, FR at a glance — Lyon, FR is 22% cheaper than Amsterdam, NL overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $900/mo versus $2,100/mo. Top income tax: 45% vs 49.5%.
To keep the same standard of living in Lyon, FR, you'd need
$58,733 / year
Lyon, FR is 22% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Lyon, FR vs Amsterdam, NL)
- Housing-41%
- Food & groceries-4%
- Transport-18%
- Utilities-8%
- Healthcare-18%
- Goods & services-8%
◎ How Amsterdam, NL and Lyon, FR compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Amsterdam, NL | Lyon, FR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 127 | 99 |
| Housing | 165 | 98 |
| Food | 112 | 107 |
| Transport | 95 | 78 |
| Utilities | 122 | 112 |
| Healthcare | 100 | 82 |
| Goods & services | 116 | 107 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,100/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,500/mo | $680/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,000/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $9,000 | $6,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $787 | $1,005 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | $15 |
| Monthly transit pass | $100 | $70 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 49.5% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 21% | 20% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 22% |
| Corporate tax | 25.8% | 25% |
| Capital gains | — | 30% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $3,100/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $80,136✓ | $60,483✓ |
| Minimum wage | $2,710/mo✓ | $2,164/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $73,684✓ | $48,986✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.3%✓ | 0.9%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | High | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 90 | 30 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 75 | 74 |
| Safety index | 68 | 66 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 85 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 45 |
| Internet speed | 160 Mbps | 160 Mbps |
| Walkability | 90 | 82 |
| Public transport | 88 | 80 |
| Family-friendly | 70 | 74 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 82 yr✓ | 83 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +4 °C | +4 °C |
| July avg | +18 °C | +22 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 60 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 840 mm | 830 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Netherlands vs France. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Amsterdam vs Lyon — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Amsterdam
Compact, bike-first and very English-friendly — a favourite expat landing pad, if you can win the tight housing lottery.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- Dutch
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 160 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 68/100
- Climate
- ❄ 4°C · ☀ 18°C · 60 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Jordaan · De Pijp · Oost
Good to know before you move to Lyon
A UNESCO-listed city where two rivers meet — France's food capital, a two-hour TGV from Paris at a fraction of its rents. Renaissance streets, a strong tech and biotech scene and easy weekend access to the Alps make it a favourite softer landing than the capital.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- French
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 160 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 66/100
- Climate
- ❄ 4°C · ☀ 22°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- E · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Presqu'île · Croix-Rousse · Confluence · Vieux Lyon
Plan your move to Amsterdam
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
Plan your move to Lyon
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Amsterdam to Lyon: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Amsterdam to Lyon, your cost of living will be roughly 22% cheaper. Lyon’s cost-of-living index is 99 versus 127 for Amsterdam (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Amsterdam cheaper than Lyon?
Lyon is about 22% cheaper than Amsterdam overall — its cost-of-living index is 99 versus 127 for Amsterdam.
Which is more expensive, Amsterdam or Lyon?
Amsterdam is more expensive than Lyon. Its cost-of-living index is 127 vs 99 (US = 100) — about 28% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Amsterdam or Lyon?
Rent is cheaper in Lyon — about $900/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,100 in Amsterdam.
How much do you need to earn in Lyon to live like in Amsterdam?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Amsterdam is worth about $58,733 in Lyon. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Amsterdam or Lyon?
France has the lower top income-tax rate — 45% versus 49.5% in Netherlands.
◷ More comparisons from Amsterdam
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.