TL;DRLyon is 21% cheaper on rent ($972/mo vs $1,228/mo). English is much more widely spoken in Prague. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

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

How the livability score breaks down

Lyon

Prague

19.5/25

💰 Affordability

17/25

13.4/15

🔒 Violent Crime

13/15

4.1/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7.5/10

10.9/15

⚡ Internet

10.3/15

12/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.1/15

6.3/10

🗣️ English

7.7/10

9.5/10

☀️ Climate

9.2/10

8/10

📊 Stability

7.6/10

9/10

🚗 Road Safety

8.7/10

6.1/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8.3/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇨🇿 Prague

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

Prague

$823/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$722/mo✓

✓$4,220

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$6,230

76 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

83 / 100✓

✓1.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

2.0 / 100k

✓4.7 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

5.2 / 100k

41 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

75 / 100✓

79°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

73°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

28°F

✓146 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

137 Mbps

✓11.4 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

12.1 μg/m³

84 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

81 / 100

8.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.1 / 10

✓6.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

2.3 / 9

✓62 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

30 / 100

38/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

57/100✓

✓$63k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$57k

✓2.0% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.4% · Boringly steady

✓93/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

72/100 — Mostly stable

90/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

95/100✓

A median Software Engineer in Lyon takes home $3,957/mo under Standard employee. In Prague: $4,147/mo under Standard employee.

$190/mo more in Prague

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

$68k

−$12k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$10k

−$6k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$8k

$47k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$50k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$34k

🏠

Cost of living

−$36k

$13k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$14k/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

$256/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Lyon

1.6 homicides per 100k

☀️

Weather

—

79°F vs 73°F summers

🗣️

English

Prague

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

46% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.7h

Shortest day

Dec

8.1h

15.7h

Longest day

Jun

16.4h

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

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

life-sciencesbiotechfinancemanufacturing

Industries

cybersecuritytravel-techenterprise-softwareai

active

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

Conditional (1+ yr)

PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

Partner pathway

Not recognized

registrované partnerství

€1,767/mo

Retiree visa

—

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

12 wk

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

On request up to 12 weeks. For medical reasons up to 24 weeks.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Civil union

Joint adoption

Adoption

Step-child only

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Lyon vs Prague — Common Questions

Is Lyon cheaper than Prague?▾

Lyon is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $972/month there vs $1228/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Lyon or Prague?▾

Lyon is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Lyon has a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 and Prague has 1.99 per 100,000.

Should I move to Lyon or Prague?▾

Lyon and Prague 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 Prague?▾

Lyon: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). Prague: Czech Trade License (Živnostenský list) (moderate requirements, Ongoing). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Lyon or Prague?▾

Lyon is warmer in summer (79°F vs 73°F). Prague 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 Lyon or Prague without speaking the local language?▾

Prague is easier for street-level English (57/100) 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 Lyon vs Prague?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $972/month in Lyon, $1228/month in Prague (Numbeo). That's 21% cheaper rent in Lyon.