✦ Compare
Cologne 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.
Cologne, DE vs Lyon, FR at a glance — Lyon, FR is 6% cheaper than Cologne, DE overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $900/mo versus $1,050/mo. Top income tax: 45% vs 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in Lyon, FR, you'd need
$70,673 / year
Lyon, FR is 6% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Lyon, FR vs Cologne, DE)
- Housing-13%
- Food & groceries+2%
- Transport-7%
- Utilities-11%
- Healthcare-14%
- Goods & services+2%
◎ How Cologne, DE and Lyon, FR compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Cologne, DE | Lyon, FR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 106 | 99 |
| Housing | 112 | 98 |
| Food | 105 | 107 |
| Transport | 84 | 78 |
| Utilities | 126 | 112 |
| Healthcare | 95 | 82 |
| Goods & services | 105 | 107 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,050/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $780/mo | $680/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,000/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $6,500 | $6,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $947 | $1,005 |
| Inexpensive meal | $14 | $15 |
| Monthly transit pass | $115 | $70 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 19% | 20% |
| Social security (employee) | 20% | 22% |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 25% |
| Capital gains | 26.4% | 30% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,900/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Minimum wage | $2,200/mo | $1,600/mo |
| GDP per capita | $60,496 | $48,986 |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.2% | 0.9% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | High | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 35 | 30 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+1 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 66 | 66 |
| Healthcare index | 84 | 85 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 45 |
| Internet speed | 150 Mbps | 160 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 82 |
| Public transport | 80 | 80 |
| Family-friendly | 72 | 74 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 81 yr | 83 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +3 °C | +4 °C |
| July avg | +19 °C | +22 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 105 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 800 mm | 830 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Germany 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 Cologne
An easy-going media and culture city on the Rhine, crowned by its Gothic cathedral and famous for carnival and a warm, open crowd. More affordable and less corporate than Munich or Frankfurt, with a lively creative and startup scene.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- German
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 150 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 66/100
- Climate
- ❄ 3°C · ☀ 19°C · 105 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Ehrenfeld · Belgisches Viertel · Südstadt · Nippes
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 Cologne
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- 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
- 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 Cologne to Lyon: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Cologne to Lyon, your cost of living will be roughly 6% cheaper. Lyon’s cost-of-living index is 99 versus 106 for Cologne (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Cologne cheaper than Lyon?
Lyon is about 6% cheaper than Cologne overall — its cost-of-living index is 99 versus 106 for Cologne.
How much do you need to earn in Lyon to live like in Cologne?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Cologne is worth about $70,673 in Lyon. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Cologne or Lyon?
Germany has the lower top income-tax rate — 45% versus 45% in France.
◷ More comparisons from Cologne
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.