✦ Compare
Lyon vs
Mexico City
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Lyon, FR vs Mexico City, MX at a glance — Mexico City, MX is 35% cheaper than Lyon, FR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $800/mo versus $900/mo. Top income tax: 35% vs 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in Mexico City, MX, you'd need
$48,557 / year
Mexico City, MX is 35% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Mexico City, MX vs Lyon, FR)
- Housing-39%
- Food & groceries-39%
- Transport-36%
- Utilities-29%
- Healthcare-21%
- Goods & services-35%
◎ How Lyon, FR and Mexico City, MX compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Lyon, FR | Mexico City, MX | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 99 | 64 |
| Housing | 98 | 60 |
| Food | 107 | 65 |
| Transport | 78 | 50 |
| Utilities | 112 | 80 |
| Healthcare | 82 | 65 |
| Goods & services | 107 | 70 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $900/mo | $800/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $680/mo | $550/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,800/mo | $1,600/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $6,000 | $3,200 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,005 | $1,553 |
| Inexpensive meal | $15 | $5 |
| Monthly transit pass | $70 | $20 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 35% |
| VAT / sales tax | 20% | 16% |
| Social security (employee) | 22% | — |
| Corporate tax | 25% | 30% |
| Capital gains | 30% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,600/mo | $700/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $60,483✓ | $24,463✓ |
| Minimum wage | $2,164/mo✓ | $420/mo |
| GDP per capita | $48,986✓ | $13,889✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 0.9%✓ | 3.8%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Low |
| Coworking spaces | 30 | 70 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC-6 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 74 | 56 |
| Safety index | 66 | 40 |
| Healthcare index | 85 | 68 |
| Pollution index | 45 | 75 |
| Internet speed | 160 Mbps | 80 Mbps |
| Walkability | 82 | 68 |
| Public transport | 80 | 70 |
| Family-friendly | 74 | 60 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Health insurance | — | $80/mo |
| Life expectancy | 83 yr✓ | 75 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +4 °C | +14 °C |
| July avg | +22 °C | +17 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | 240 |
| Rainfall / year | 830 mm | 850 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: France vs Mexico. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Lyon vs Mexico City — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Lyon
A UNESCO-listed city where two rivers meet — France's food capital, a two-hour TGV from Paris at a fraction of its rents. Renaissance streets, a strong tech and biotech scene and easy weekend access to the Alps make it a favourite softer landing than the capital.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- French
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 160 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 66/100
- Climate
- ❄ 4°C · ☀ 22°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- E · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Presqu'île · Croix-Rousse · Confluence · Vieux Lyon
Good to know before you move to Mexico City
A vast, vibrant capital with a perfect spring-like climate — a top nomad pick, though air and traffic bite.
- Currency
- Mexican peso ($ MXN)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Time zone
- UTC-6
- Internet
- 80 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 40/100
- Climate
- ❄ 14°C · ☀ 17°C · 240 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- A/B · 127V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Roma · Condesa · Polanco
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
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Plan your move to Mexico City
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
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? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Lyon to Mexico City: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Lyon to Mexico City, your cost of living will be roughly 35% cheaper. Mexico City’s cost-of-living index is 64 versus 99 for Lyon (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Lyon cheaper than Mexico City?
Mexico City is about 35% cheaper than Lyon overall — its cost-of-living index is 64 versus 99 for Lyon.
Which is more expensive, Lyon or Mexico City?
Lyon is more expensive than Mexico City. Its cost-of-living index is 99 vs 64 (US = 100) — about 55% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Lyon or Mexico City?
Rent is cheaper in Mexico City — about $800/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $900 in Lyon.
How much do you need to earn in Mexico City to live like in Lyon?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Lyon is worth about $48,557 in Mexico City. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Lyon or Mexico City?
Mexico has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 45% in France.
◷ More comparisons from Lyon
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.