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Lyon vs Strasbourg

France flagLyonFrance flagStrasbourg

Lyon and Strasbourg are compared across affordability, safety, healthcare, career, culture and food, and public life. Strasbourg has the broader all-round edge, while Lyon leads on career. The better fit depends on which of those relocation priorities matters most.

How they compare

AffordabilitySafetyHealthcareCareerCulturePublic life
  • Lyon
  • Strasbourg
Affordability
69
70
Safety
66
69
Healthcare
68
68
Career
62
56
Culture & food
69
67
Public life & spaces
70
74
Overall
65
66

Objective 0–100 scores from source-backed CrossBorders data. Green marks the category leader; gold is the overall leader.

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Category by category

Is Lyon or Strasbourg cheaper to live in?

Lyon 69Strasbourg 70

Strasbourg has the lower open-market one-bedroom rent on a new lease, at about €575 per month, compared with €670 in Lyon. Against one typical employee's mean net pay, Lyon is manageable solo at roughly 26%, while Strasbourg is manageable solo at roughly 23%.

Is Lyon or Strasbourg safer?

Lyon 66Strasbourg 69

Strasbourg leads. Both keep serious violence rare, but Strasbourg's day-and-night security reads as reassuring, with petty crime the main caveat typical of a busy border city.

Does Lyon or Strasbourg have better healthcare?

Lyon 68Strasbourg 68

Dead level. Both draw on France's strong public system with low out-of-pocket costs; access rather than quality is the shared friction in either city.

Is Lyon or Strasbourg better for your career?

Lyon 62Strasbourg 56

Lyon's advantage. Its pharma, biotech and banking depth outweighs Strasbourg's more modest market, even with Strasbourg's EU-institution and cross-border openings.

Does Lyon or Strasbourg have a better food and culture scene?

Lyon 69Strasbourg 67

Lyon narrowly ahead. Its bouchons and fine dining edge out Strasbourg's distinctive Alsatian table, though Strasbourg's French-German blend is genuinely unlike anywhere else.

Does Lyon or Strasbourg have better public spaces and street life?

Lyon 70Strasbourg 74

Level. Lyon's riverside quais and Strasbourg's Petite France canals both offer walkable, largely free public space, each with its own festival calendar.

The verdict

Choose Strasbourg for the broader all-round balance, especially if affordability matters most. Choose Lyon if career matters more. Compare their rent burden and day-to-day strengths before deciding.

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