TL;DRLyon is 47% cheaper on rent ($972/mo vs $1,816/mo). Stockholm scores 9.4 vs 8.0 on democracy. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

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

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇸🇪 Stockholm

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

Stockholm

✓$823/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$908/mo

$4,220

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$3,990✓

76 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

85 / 100✓

1.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.1 / 100k✓

4.7 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

2.1 / 100k✓

41 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

54 / 100✓

79°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

68°F

34°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

25°F

146 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

190 Mbps✓

11.4 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

4.7 μg/m³✓

84 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

83 / 100

8.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

9.4 / 10✓

6.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

7.9 / 9✓

62 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

64 / 100

38/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

71/100✓

$63k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$72k✓

✓2.0% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.8% · Boringly steady

93/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

93/100 — Reliable

90/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

99/100✓

A median Software Engineer in Lyon takes home $3,957/mo under Standard employee. In Stockholm: $3,882/mo under Standard employee.

$75/mo more in Lyon

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

$83k

−$12k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$31k

−$6k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$6k

✓$47k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$47k/yr

$4k/mo

−$34k

🏠

Cost of living

−$50k

✓$13k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

−$3k/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

$845/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Stockholm

1.1 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Stockholm

9.4/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

79°F vs 68°F summers

🗣️

English

Stockholm

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

40% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

8.7h

Shortest day

Dec

6.1h

15.7h

Longest day

Jun

18.6h

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

fintechgamingictlife-sciences

active

Startup ecosystem

hub

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Easy

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Conditional (1+ yr)

PACS (pacte civil de solidarité) / concubinage

Partner pathway

Recognized

sambo

€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

18 wk

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

On request up to 18 weeks. Between 18-22 weeks requires board approval.

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 Stockholm — Common Questions

Is Lyon cheaper than Stockholm?▾

Lyon is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $972/month there vs $1816/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Lyon or Stockholm?▾

Stockholm is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Lyon has a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 and Stockholm has 1.10 per 100,000.

Should I move to Lyon or Stockholm?▾

Lyon and Stockholm 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 Stockholm?▾

Lyon: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). Stockholm: Sweden Self-Employment Permit (complex process, 2 years (renewable)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Lyon or Stockholm?▾

Lyon is warmer in summer (79°F vs 68°F). Stockholm 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 Stockholm without speaking the local language?▾

Stockholm is easier for street-level English (71/100) 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 Stockholm?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $972/month in Lyon, $1816/month in Stockholm (Numbeo). That's 47% cheaper rent in Lyon.

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

Stockholm scores 9.4/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.0/10 for Lyon. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.