TL;DRLyon and Marseille are surprisingly similar on the numbers. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Lyon and Marseille are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇫🇷 Marseille

Full profile, in case the coin says so.

Tails

🇫🇷 Lyon

Full profile, in case it says otherwise.

Plot twist

Paris vs Lyon

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Lyon

Metric

Marseille

$823/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$700/mo✓

$4,220

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$3,775✓

76 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

75 / 100

1.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.6 / 100k

4.7 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.7 / 100k

✓41 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

33 / 100

79°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

81°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

39°F

146 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

169 Mbps✓

11.4 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

7.7 μg/m³✓

84 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

85 / 100

8.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.0 / 10

62 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

62 / 100

38/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

38/100

$63k

💼

GDP per capita

higher is better

$63k

2.0% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.0% · Boringly steady

93/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

93/100 — Reliable

90/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

90/100

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

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

$66k

💰

Gross income

$66k

−$12k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$12k

−$6k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$6k

$47k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$47k/yr

$4k/mo

−$34k

🏠

Cost of living

−$33k

$13k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$15k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

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

💰

Cost of Living

Marseille

$69/mo cheaper on rent alone

Sun

How much sky you actually get

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

62% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.7h

Shortest day

Dec

9.0h

15.7h

Longest day

Jun

15.4h

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 ↑

life-sciencesbiotechfinancemanufacturing

Industries

logisticstourismmaritimetech

active

Startup ecosystem

nascent

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

Conditional (1+ yr)

PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

Partner pathway

Conditional (1+ yr)

PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

€1,767/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

14 wk

Gestational limit

14 wk

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

Lyon vs Marseille — Common Questions

Is Lyon cheaper than Marseille?▾

Marseille is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $902/month there vs $972/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Lyon or Marseille?▾

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

Should I move to Lyon or Marseille?▾

Lyon and Marseille are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. 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 Lyon or Marseille?▾

Lyon: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). Marseille: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $902/month in Marseille, $972/month in Lyon (Numbeo). That's 7% cheaper rent in Marseille.