Lyon is renowned for the quality of life enjoyed by its residents, as well as its culture, nature, and gastronomy! Here are 10 reasons why.
COST OF LIVING
Big city, moderate prices
Lyon boasts high-quality housing, transport, and restaurants. Prices are moderate compared to the main European cities. Being able to afford a large living space and high quality food is the basis for the high quality in Lyon. Fact: living in Paris is, on average, 26% more expensive!
Get a clearer idea of the cost of greater Lyon living: www.lecoutdelexpat.com
Mobility
A comprehensive urban transport network
All over Greater Lyon, residents are spoilt for transport choice: four metro lines, six tramway lines, more than 100 bus lines, and two funicular lines. The city also encourages other eco-friendly transport: 4,000 self-service bikes at 348 stations, all-electric river shuttles, and systems for hiring electric bikes, cargo bikes and gyropods. Lastly, Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport is just 25 minutes from Part-Dieu rail station with the Rhônexpress, with shuttles every 15 minutes.
Find out how greater Lyon is making your journeys easier!
![Lyon (69) : parc de la Tête d'or | Lyon (69): park of the Tête d'or [AT]](/fileadmin/user_upload/images/photos/parc-tete-d-or-66357-horiz-andia-1920.jpg "Lyon (69) : parc de la Tête d'or | Lyon (69): park of the Tête d'or [AT]")
Nature
300 green spaces to breathe deep
Having quick access to nature is definitely one of the main reasons why the quality of life is so high in Lyon. Ideally situated between sea and mountains, and less than half an hour from the Beaujolais and Rhone Valley vineyards, Lyon is a decidedly green city. It has 12,000 hectares of natural spaces, 90,000 trees, 300 green spaces, and landscaped embankments along the rivers Rhône and Saône. Tête d’Or Park – the city’s green lung and the largest urban park in Europe – is a superb setting for jogging and family walks.
Pick your next spot for a walk from among the city’s many parks!
Culture
Art and history accessible for all
Live in Lyon and you have 2,000 years of history on your doorstep – from the Roman theatre complex to the mould-breaking Orange Cube. This city of great monument builders, awarded Unesco World Heritage status in 1998, is also a cultural and creative hub where renowned festivals are held all year round. The richly diverse offerings of the city’s opera house, theatres and many museums also fuel the vitality of its cultural scene.
Head off to discover Lyon’s culture and arts in its array of museums!
Eating out
Over 4,800 restaurants for a memorable meal
It is a local conversational cornerstone: the Lyonnais are proud of their culinary traditions, and incorrigible gastronomes too! To sate their appetite for good food, they can frequent the city’s markets, which are packed with quality regional products; or choose from among 4,840 restaurants, from hearty traditional bistros (bouchons) to Michelin-starred eateries. Being the Capital of Gastronomy, it was a natural step for Lyon to inaugurate, in 2019, a venue devoted to the subject: the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie, housed in the Grand Hôtel Dieu.
Don’t wait: familiarise yourself with Lyon’s culinary traditions!
Schools
Where learning is child’s play
For Lyon, education is a priority: there are 9,500 places in public crèches, more than 250 primary schools, 50 secondary schools and four universities (source: Choose Lyon presentation, ONLYLYON). But not just in French! Some 7,000 pupils are enrolled in international study programmes, primarily dispensed in the area’s 48 lower and upper secondary schools with European sections, eight crèches, and eight bilingual nursery schools – not to mention the 10 primary schools, 10 lower and upper secondary schools and five international lycées where 10 languages are taught.
Contact us to find out more about international learning in our schools
Sport and leisure
Ideas for relaxing and letting off steam
Sport plays a key role in Lyon’s civic sector and social fabric. Residents can do sport in more than 2,000 clubs, three of which compete in Europe: OL (football), ASVEL (basketball) and LOU (rugby). With three high-capacity stadiums, two ice rinks, 10 golf courses (within 40 km) and facilities for karting, climbing and indoor skydiving, Greater Lyon offers sports activities to satisfy everyone.
Healthcare
A local specialty
Lyon and health? It’s a long story! Lyon hosts 14 facilities across the metropolitan area, plus leading-edge research and care hubs. Hospices Civils de Lyon, the second-largest hospitals trust in France, delivers diverse and high-quality care for all. The Lyon area, a pioneer in public health and scientific research, is home to the leading pharma-industry players. It is also the world’s top centre for vaccine production and employs 60,000 people in the healthcare sector.
Solidarity
Togetherness takes work
Always reaching out, Lyon advocates the inclusive and responsible development of its metropolitan area. The city is home to a World Health Organisation office, the HQ of Handicap International, the Triangle Génération Humanitaire charity, and even a humanitarian aid training institute, BioForce. In March 2019, it was awarded the Territoire French Impact label, for social innovation across the metropolitan area and for developing its social economy.
Tourism
The joy of strolls, discoveries and amazement
What could be nicer than living in a place that each year invites 6.5 million tourists on a journey of discovery? Lyon has excellent road and rail links and is less than two hours by air from Europe’s main cities. But travellers come from much further afield to delight in its historic treasures, its reputation for gourmet cuisine and its 18,000 hotel rooms.
Take a themed guided tour and diScover some of Lyon’s secrets
Want proof? The prestigious New York Times named Lyon the top French city to visit in 2019
(Source: NY Times, 52 Places to Go in 2019)