Cost of Living: Lyon vs Tenerife (2026)

France vs Spain — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

🇫🇷 Lyon

France

Full profile

Livability Score

🇪🇸 Tenerife

Spain

Full profile

Lyon

Tenerife

$972/mo

Rent

$1217/mo

76/100

Livability

72/100

76/100

Safety

89/100

84/100

Healthcare

79/100

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

146 Mbps

Internet

—

Micro-entrepreneur

Freelance setup

Wise ✓ · Wise ✓

Autónomo

—

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Beckham Law (Régimen Especial)

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRLyon is 20% cheaper on rent ($972/mo vs $1217/mo). Tenerife is safer — homicide rate 0.9 vs 1.6 per 100k. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Too close to call — 76 vs 72. Lyon has a slight edge, but Tenerife might suit you better depending on your priorities.

Household

Lyon

Metric

Tenerife

✓$972/mo

🏠

Rent (1BR centre)

$1217/mo

$823/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

$575/mo✓

✓$4,220

🧳

Cost to land

$5,941

1.6 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

0.9 / 100k✓

59 / 100

🚨

Crime perception

lower is better

—

26°C

☀️

Summer high

27°C

1°C

❄️

Winter low

15°C

146 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

—

11.4 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

8.1 μg/m³✓

8.0 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

8.1 / 10

38/100

🗣️

Street English

38/100

✓$63k

💼

GDP per capita

$58k

✓2.0% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

2.8% · Boringly steady

✓76 / 100

🏅

Livability Score

72 / 100

93/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

—

90/100

🗽

Freedom House

—

5 years

📋

Time to PR

5 years

Set salary to see annual savings →

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

💰

Cost of Living

Lyon

$245/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Tenerife

0.9 homicides per 100k

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

life-sciencesbiotechfinancemanufacturing

Industries

—

active

Startup ecosystem

—

93/100

Grid reliability

—

5 yrs

Time to PR

5 yrs

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

€1,767/mo

Retiree visa

€2,400/mo

—

Tax breaks

Beckham Law (Régimen Especial)

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

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · IEA · 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.

On request up to 14 weeks. 2023 reform removed mandatory waiting period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

The Short Version

•Rent is 20% cheaper in Lyon ($972/mo vs $1217/mo for a 1BR city centre).
•Summers are slightly warmer in Tenerife (27°C vs 26°C).
•Tenerife is safer by homicide rate (0.9 vs 1.6 per 100k).

Lyon vs Tenerife — Common Questions

Is Lyon cheaper than Tenerife?▾

Lyon is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $972/month in Lyon vs $1217/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Lyon or Tenerife?▾

Tenerife is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Lyon has a rate of 1.56 per 100,000 and Tenerife has 0.95 per 100,000.

Should I move to Lyon or Tenerife?▾

Too close to call — 76 vs 72. Lyon has a slight edge, but Tenerife might suit you better depending on your priorities. 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 Tenerife?▾

Lyon: France Talent Passport (complex process, Up to 4 years). Tenerife: Spain Digital Nomad Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable to 5)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $972/month in Lyon, $1217/month in Tenerife (Numbeo). That's 20% cheaper rent in Lyon.