Lyon offers an appealing alternative to Paris for people planning a move to France. But how much should you budget for rent?
Using published 2025 rental data, we compare what a 50 m² apartment might cost in Lyon, explain why different sources give different estimates, and show how Lyon compares with Paris, Nice and Toulouse. The aim is simple: help you make a more informed decision before starting your property search.
The short answer (2025 data)
About EUR 1,023 a month for 50 m² on LocService’s 2025 data, or about EUR 829 a month on a second source, ANIL’s rent map, which is a modeled estimate based on advertisements. The 50 m² amounts are illustrative: a rent per m² multiplied by 50, not listings. The two sources measure different things and should not be read as one range.
Two sources, two methods
- LocService (2025): an average rent of EUR 20.46 per m² a month, charges included, for cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants. For 50 m² that is about EUR 1,023 a month, or about EUR 12,280 a year.
- ANIL rent map (2025): modeled rental estimates based on advertisements, not directly observed asking rents: a statistical model built from rental ads of leboncoin and the SeLoger Group gives an estimate of advertised rents, charges included, for an unfurnished reference apartment of 52 m², for an ad posted in the third quarter of 2025. It covers new lettings only and is not an average or a median. For Lyon the map publishes nine arrondissements, not one city figure, so we calculated one by weighting each arrondissement by the number of observations behind its estimate: EUR 16.57 per m², about EUR 829 for 50 m². (Source credit asked by ANIL: “Estimations ANIL, à partir des données du Groupe SeLoger et de leboncoin”.)
The first measures average rents in the market, the second estimates what newly advertised flats ask. That is why the figures differ, and why we show both instead of picking one.
How Lyon compares
LocService 2025, 50 m² a month:
| City | Rent per m² a month | Estimated 50 m² a month |
|---|---|---|
| Toulouse | EUR 17.60 | EUR 880 |
| Montpellier | EUR 19.68 | EUR 984 |
| Bordeaux | EUR 20.12 | EUR 1,006 |
| Lyon | EUR 20.46 | EUR 1,023 |
| Nice | EUR 24.01 | EUR 1,201 |
| Paris | EUR 39.26 | EUR 1,963 |
On these figures Lyon costs about EUR 940 a month less than Paris for 50 m², about EUR 140 more than Toulouse and about EUR 180 less than Nice (differences rounded to the nearest EUR 10).
Before you rent: what newcomers should think about
- Location. An average for the whole city hides differences between arrondissements: in the ANIL data the estimates range from about EUR 15.78 to EUR 17.66 per m² across Lyon’s nine arrondissements. Look at the actual streets and how you will get to work or school.
- Documents. Landlords and agencies usually want to see who you are and that you can pay the rent. Ask early which documents are required, and have them ready, because requirements differ from one landlord to another.
- Extra costs. The figures above are rent, not your total housing cost. Ask what is included (charges), whether there is a deposit, and whether there are agency fees. The rules on deposits and fees are set by French law and depend on the type of lease: check the official guidance on service-public.fr or ask a professional before you sign.
- Averages are not listings. A particular flat can cost more or less than any figure here. Check current listings before you decide.
Planning a move to France?
CLIF helps people plan a move to France, including finding a place to live. A free 15-minute introductory call is the simplest way to see what would fit your plans: book your free intro call. To compare more cities, see our 14-city rent comparison and our cost of living guide.
Sources and calculations
| Figure | Value | Source and date | Calculation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon, LocService | EUR 20.46 per m² a month, charges included | LocService, 2025 average, cities above 100,000 inhabitants (as in our published 14-city comparison) | n/a |
| Lyon 50 m² a month and a year | about EUR 1,023; about EUR 12,280 | our estimate | 50 × 20.46 = 1,023; × 12 = 12,276, rounded |
| Lyon, ANIL (weighted) | EUR 16.57 per m² | ANIL “Carte des loyers”, indicateurs de loyers d’annonce par commune 2025, apartments, data.gouv.fr dataset 693aa2fe… table “Indicateurs de loyer appartement”, read through the data.gouv.fr tabular API on 4 Nov 2026; our weighting of the nine arrondissements by the number of advertisements behind each estimate (144,607 in total) | weighted mean = 16.5741 |
| Lyon ANIL 50 m² a month | about EUR 829 | our estimate | 50 × 16.5741 = 828.7 |
| ANIL reference apartment and nature | 52 m², advertised rents, new lettings, statistical model, not an average or a median | ANIL user guide (Dec 2025) as summarised in our published comparison | n/a |
| Other cities | Toulouse 17.60 / 880; Montpellier 19.68 / 984; Bordeaux 20.12 / 1,006; Nice 24.01 / 1,201; Paris 39.26 / 1,963 | LocService 2025 via our published comparison | 50 × rate |
| Differences | Lyon vs Paris about EUR 940 less; vs Toulouse about EUR 140 more; vs Nice about EUR 180 less | derived, nearest EUR 10 | 1,963 − 1,023 = 940; 1,023 − 880 = 143; 1,201 − 1,023 = 178 |
| Arrondissement range | EUR 15.78 to EUR 17.66 per m² | ANIL data above (5th arrondissement lowest, 6th highest) | min and max of the nine values |