How much do you need to earn to live here, after France takes its share?
Here's the gross monthly salary that covers rent, food, transport, and utilities once France's tax system has taken its cut. (2026)
The floor in Lyon is roughly €1,637/month gross, on a lean budget.
For something that feels comfortable, think €1,997/month gross (€1,493 net after ~25% tax).
| Expense | Budget | Comfortable | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent (1BR) | €500 Cheapest neighborhood (La Duchère (9th)) | €650 Median neighborhood | €1,000 Premium neighborhood (Brotteaux (6th)) |
| Groceries | €320 | €384 | €480 |
| Transport | €74 | €74 | €74 |
| Utilities | €169 | €169 | €169 |
| Dining & Entertainment | €180 | €216 | €270 |
| Total Monthly Expenses | €1,243 | €1,493 | €1,993 |
€1,637/month gross
€1,997/month gross
€2,742/month gross
Second-hand 1BR rents across 14 neighborhoods in Lyon.
La Duchère (9th)
25 min by tram
€500 - €600
Saint-Fons
20 min by metro
€500 - €600
Jean Macé (7th)
10 min by metro
€600 - €700
Brotteaux (6th)
12 min by metro
€900 - €1,100
Presqu'île (2nd)
5 min by walk
€900 - €1,000
Confluence (2nd)
12 min by tram
€800 - €900
All 14 neighborhoods, the full expense sheet, and what you could save.
Explore LyonPlug in what you'd really earn. Get your take-home pay, neighborhoods within reach, and monthly savings.
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We add up monthly expenses (rent, groceries, transport, utilities, dining out) for each lifestyle tier, then work backwards to find the gross salary that lands on that number after France's income tax and social contributions. Rent data reflects second-hand listings, which is what expats actually pay. All figures come from 2026 official government statistics. Full attribution lives on our data sources page.
On a budget lifestyle, you need at least €1,637/month gross salary to cover basic expenses in Lyon. For a comfortable lifestyle, aim for €1,997/month gross. These figures include rent, food, transport, utilities, and dining out, with taxes calculated for France.
The average 1-bedroom rent across 14 neighborhoods in Lyon is approximately €725/month. Rents range from €500 in La Duchère (9th) to €1,100 in Brotteaux (6th).
Monthly groceries for a single person in Lyon cost approximately €320. This covers basic home cooking. Dining out and premium food will add to this budget.
Tax rates in France are progressive. At the budget salary level of €1,637/month, the effective tax rate is approximately 24%. At the comfortable level of €1,997/month, it rises to approximately 25%. This includes income tax and social contributions.