✦ Compare
Boston 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.
To keep the same standard of living in Lyon, FR, you'd need
$66,920 / year
Lyon, FR is 11% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Lyon, FR vs Boston, MA)
- Housing-36%
- Food & groceries+19%
- Transport-14%
- Utilities+18%
- Healthcare-16%
- Goods & services+11%
◎ How Boston, MA and Lyon, FR compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Boston, MA | Lyon, FR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 111 | 99 |
| Housing | 152 | 98 |
| Food | 90 | 107 |
| Transport | 91 | 78 |
| Utilities | 95 | 112 |
| Healthcare | 98 | 82 |
| Goods & services | 96 | 107 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $3,000/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $2,300/mo | $680/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $5,500/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $11,000 | $6,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $897 | $1,005 |
| Inexpensive meal | $22 | $15 |
| Monthly transit pass | $90 | $70 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 20% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | 22% |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 25% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 30% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $1,600/mo |
| GDP per capita | $90,027 | $48,986 |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 0.9% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 80 | 30 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 62 | 66 |
| Healthcare index | 85 | 85 |
| Pollution index | 35 | 45 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 160 Mbps |
| Walkability | 83 | 82 |
| Public transport | 75 | 80 |
| Family-friendly | 65 | 74 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $460/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 83 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -1 °C | +4 °C |
| July avg | +23 °C | +22 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,100 mm | 830 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs France. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Boston
Historic, walkable and a global university and biotech hub — winters are long and rents are steep.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 62/100
- Climate
- ❄ -1°C · ☀ 23°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Back Bay · Cambridge · South End
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 Boston
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
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Plan your move to Lyon
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Boston to Lyon: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Boston to Lyon, your cost of living will be roughly 11% cheaper. Lyon’s cost-of-living index is 99 versus 111 for Boston (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Boston cheaper than Lyon?
Lyon is about 11% cheaper than Boston overall — its cost-of-living index is 99 versus 111 for Boston.
How much do you need to earn in Lyon to live like in Boston?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Boston is worth about $66,920 in Lyon. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Boston or Lyon?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 45% in France.
◷ More comparisons from Boston
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.