Cost of Living: Florence vs Lyon (2026)

Italy vs France — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Florence

Lyon

$1,316/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$972/mo

−$12k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$13k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

Impatriati Regime, Regime Forfettario, New Residents Flat Tax, 7% Retiree Flat Tax

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

—

Freelance setup

Regime Forfettario

VAT-free under €85k
26% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Micro-entrepreneur

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

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRLyon is 26% cheaper on rent ($972/mo vs $1,316/mo). Florence is safer — homicide rate 0.5 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. Florence isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Florence

Lyon

16.2/25

💰 Affordability

19.5/25

14.5/15

🔒 Violent Crime

13.4/15

5.8/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

4.1/10

3.5/15

⚡ Internet

10.9/15

11.4/15

🗳️ Democracy

12/15

5.4/10

🗣️ English

6.3/10

7.5/10

☀️ Climate

9.5/10

9/10

📊 Stability

8/10

8.8/10

🚗 Road Safety

9/10

7.4/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

6.1/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇫🇷 Lyon

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇮🇹 Florence

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Paris vs Lyon

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Florence

Metric

Lyon

✓$712/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$823/mo

$7,759

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$4,220✓

✓81 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

76 / 100

✓0.5 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.6 / 100k

5.0 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.7 / 100k✓

✓58 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

41 / 100

86°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

79°F

37°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

34°F

46 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

146 Mbps✓

10.9 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

11.4 μg/m³

83 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

7.6 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.0 / 10✓

6.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.5 / 9

25 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

62 / 100✓

29/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

38/100✓

$62k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$63k

✓1.0% · Practically frozen

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.0% · Boringly steady

89/100 — Mostly stable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

93/100 — Reliable

87/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

90/100

A median Software Engineer in Florence takes home $2,342/mo under Standard employee. In Lyon: $3,957/mo under Standard employee.

$1,615/mo more in Lyon

🎯 Florence's Impatriati Regime isn't modelled above — if you qualify, take-home would be $2,950/mo instead.

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

$45k

💰

Gross income

$66k

−$13k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$12k

−$4k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$6k

$28k/yr

$2k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$47k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$40k

🏠

Cost of living

−$34k

−$12k/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

$344/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Florence

0.5 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Lyon

8.0/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

86°F vs 79°F summers

🗣️

English

Lyon

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

55% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.9h

Shortest day

Dec

8.7h

15.5h

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 ↑

fashion-leathertourismfood-winefintech

Industries

life-sciencesbiotechfinancemanufacturing

nascent

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

Not recognized

unione civile / convivenza di fatto (no immigration rights)

Partner pathway

Conditional (1+ yr)

PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

€2,583/mo

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

12 wk

Gestational limit

14 wk

On request up to 90 days. 7-day waiting period. High rates of conscientious objection limit practical access.

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

Civil union

Marriage

Legal

Step-child only

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Florence vs Lyon — Common Questions

Is Florence cheaper than Lyon?▾

Lyon is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $972/month there vs $1316/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Florence or Lyon?▾

Florence is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Florence has a rate of 0.55 per 100,000 and Lyon has 1.56 per 100,000.

Should I move to Florence or Lyon?▾

Lyon edges ahead 76 to 69. Florence 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 Florence or Lyon?▾

Florence: Italy Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable)). Lyon: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Florence or Lyon?▾

Florence is warmer in summer (86°F vs 79°F). Lyon 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 Florence or Lyon without speaking the local language?▾

Lyon is easier for street-level English (38/100) than Florence (29/100). 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 Florence vs Lyon?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $972/month in Lyon, $1316/month in Florence (Numbeo). That's 26% cheaper rent in Lyon.