Cost of Living: Amsterdam vs Lyon (2026)

Netherlands vs France — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Amsterdam

Lyon

$2,602/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$972/mo

$15k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$13k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

30% Ruling (expatriateregeling)

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—

Freelance setup

ZZP'er

VAT-free under €20k
5.3% social
€1200/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Micro-entrepreneur

VAT-free under €38k
22% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRLyon is 63% cheaper on rent ($972/mo vs $2,602/mo). Amsterdam is safer — homicide rate 0.7 vs 1.6 per 100k. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Lyon edges ahead 76 to 69. Amsterdam isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇫🇷 Lyon

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Paris vs Lyon

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Amsterdam

Metric

Lyon

$937/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$823/mo✓

$10,705

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$4,220✓

✓89 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

76 / 100

✓0.7 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.6 / 100k

✓3.4 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.7 / 100k

✓74 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

41 / 100

68°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

79°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

34°F

122 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

146 Mbps✓

11.2 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

11.4 μg/m³

86 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

✓9.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.0 / 10

✓7.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.5 / 9

59 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

62 / 100

✓76/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

38/100

✓$86k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$63k

3.3% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.0% · Boringly steady✓

94/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

93/100 — Reliable

✓97/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

90/100

A median Software Engineer in Amsterdam takes home $6,417/mo under Standard employee. In Lyon: $3,957/mo under Standard employee.

$2,460/mo more in Amsterdam

🎯 Amsterdam's 30% Ruling (expatriateregeling) isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $8,212/mo instead.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$128k

💰

Gross income

$66k

−$39k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$12k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$6k

✓$77k/yr

$6k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$47k/yr

$4k/mo

−$62k

🏠

Cost of living

−$34k

✓$15k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$13k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Lyon

$1,631/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Amsterdam

0.7 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Amsterdam

9.0/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

68°F vs 79°F summers

🗣️

English

Amsterdam

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

44% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.7h

Shortest day

Dec

8.7h

16.8h

Longest day

Jun

15.7h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

fintechlogisticssemiconductorsagri-food-tech

Industries

life-sciencesbiotechfinancemanufacturing

hub

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Easy

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

geregistreerd partnerschap / samenwonend

Partner pathway

Conditional (1+ yr)

PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

—

Retiree visa

€1,767/mo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

14 wk

On request up to 24 weeks. 5-day reflection period removed in 2023.

On request up to 14 weeks. Enshrined as a constitutional right in March 2024.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Amsterdam vs Lyon — Common Questions

Is Amsterdam cheaper than Lyon?▾

Lyon is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $972/month there vs $2602/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Amsterdam or Lyon?▾

Amsterdam is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Amsterdam has a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 and Lyon has 1.56 per 100,000.

Should I move to Amsterdam or Lyon?▾

Lyon edges ahead 76 to 69. Amsterdam isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Amsterdam or Lyon?▾

Amsterdam: Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant (complex process, Up to 5 years). Lyon: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Amsterdam or Lyon?▾

Lyon is warmer in summer (79°F vs 68°F). Amsterdam has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

Can I live in Amsterdam or Lyon without speaking the local language?▾

Amsterdam is easier for street-level English (76/100) than Lyon (38/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Amsterdam vs Lyon?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $972/month in Lyon, $2602/month in Amsterdam (Numbeo). That's 63% cheaper rent in Lyon.

Is Amsterdam or Lyon better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Amsterdam scores 9.0/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.0/10 for Lyon. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.