Paris vs Lyon vs Toulouse is the choice most developers moving to France end up making. The short version: Paris has most of the English-speaking tech jobs and the highest salaries, but rent for a small flat costs about twice as much as in Lyon or Toulouse. Lyon is a much smaller English-speaking market, with rent control and rents close to half of Paris. Toulouse is the cheapest of the three, and its English-speaking tech jobs are mostly in aerospace and space, so it suits engineers in those fields best.
This guide compares the three cities on the things that matter for a tech career: jobs, pay, rent and daily costs. Job numbers are from France Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026. Rent figures are from the French government’s rent map, and salary figures from Apec, the official body that surveys professional pay. Figures change, so check the linked sources before you decide.
The short answer
| Paris | Lyon | Toulouse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English-speaking tech jobs on France Dev Jobs | 969 | 15 | 74 |
| Typical posted salaries on France Dev Jobs | €48k to €142k | €58k to €92k | Too few posted |
| Advertised rent, 37 m² flat, per month | about €1,110 to €1,490 | about €670 to €750 | about €600 |
| Rent control on new leases | Yes | Yes (Lyon and Villeurbanne) | No |
| Main tech employers on our board | AI labs, scale-ups, global tech | Pharma, industry, a few product teams | Airbus and space companies |
Sources: job pages for Paris, Lyon and Toulouse on France Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026; rents from the carte des loyers 2025 (explained below); rent control from Service-Public.
Jobs: Paris dominates
If you need a job that works in English, the numbers are lopsided. In our October 2026 report, 969 of the 1,739 live jobs (56%) on France Dev Jobs were in Paris. Toulouse came second with 74 jobs (4%), and Lyon had 15 jobs (1%). Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Grenoble, Sophia Antipolis, Nantes and Nice each had between 12 and 31.
A third of all jobs on the board (581 of 1,739) were fully remote, so you aren’t always tied to the city where the company is based. See remote jobs.
Paris
Paris is where France’s AI labs, scale-ups and the French offices of global tech companies are. The companies with the most open jobs on France Dev Jobs in October 2026 included Mistral AI, Nebius, Harmattan AI, Voodoo, Datadog and Doctolib, most of them hiring in Paris (October 2026 report). Only 2% of Paris ads mentioned visa sponsorship, but the volume means more of those jobs exist in Paris than anywhere else.
Paris suits you if you want the widest choice of employers, roles in AI, product or developer tooling, or the chance to switch jobs without moving.
Lyon
Lyon is a large city with a broad economy, but few of its tech jobs are advertised in English. The 15 jobs on our Lyon page in October 2026 came from employers such as Sanofi, Volvo Group, Eurofins and Speechify, and the posted salaries ranged from about €58k to €92k a year. With so few English-language ads, the city is easier if you speak some French or bring a remote job.
Toulouse
Toulouse is an aerospace city. On our Toulouse page in October 2026, most of the 74 jobs were at Airbus, with others at space and semiconductor companies such as Exotrail, NXP and Loft Orbital. Many are systems, embedded, safety or DevSecOps roles rather than web development. If you work in embedded software, avionics or space, Toulouse has more English-speaking roles for you than Lyon.
Salaries: Paris pays more
Apec’s 2025 study, the most detailed official source on professional pay, splits salaries only between Île-de-France (Paris and its region) and the other regions. For software development roles, the median is €55,000 in Île-de-France and €46,000 elsewhere. Apec doesn’t publish separate figures for Lyon or Toulouse. Our software engineer salary guide has the full tables.
On France Dev Jobs, the median advertised salary was €75,000 in Paris (150 ads) and €74,667 in Lyon (5 ads) in October 2026. Toulouse had too few ads with a salary to report (October 2026 report). Ads that state a salary are mostly from international companies, so they sit above the national median.
Check what an offer means after tax with the salary after tax calculator. Income tax and social contributions are the same in all three cities, so the difference in your budget comes from pay and rent.
Living in Lyon vs Paris: the rent gap
Rent is the biggest difference between the three cities. The French government’s carte des loyers (rent map) gives the typical advertised rent per m², including charges, for an unfurnished flat let in the third quarter of 2025. For a one- or two-room flat it uses a reference size of 37 m² (user guide).
| Area | Rent per m² (1 to 2 rooms) | 37 m² flat, per month |
|---|---|---|
| Paris 6th arrondissement | €40.17 | about €1,486 |
| Paris 15th arrondissement | €33.49 | about €1,239 |
| Paris 11th arrondissement | €33.28 | about €1,231 |
| Paris 19th arrondissement | €30.02 | about €1,111 |
| Lyon 2nd arrondissement | €20.31 | about €751 |
| Lyon 3rd arrondissement | €18.87 | about €698 |
| Lyon 7th arrondissement | €18.79 | about €695 |
| Villeurbanne (next to Lyon) | €18.07 | about €669 |
| Toulouse | €16.33 | about €604 |
| Blagnac (next to Toulouse) | €15.78 | about €584 |
Source: carte des loyers 2025, apartment 1 or 2 rooms dataset. The monthly amounts are our own calculation (rent per m² × 37). These are predicted advertised rents for unfurnished flats, so furnished flats and very central streets cost more.
So is Lyon cheaper than Paris? For housing, yes, clearly: a small flat in central Lyon costs a bit over half of a similar one in most Paris arrondissements. Toulouse is a little cheaper again. For a fuller Paris budget, see cost of living in Paris for tech workers.
Rent control
In Paris and in Lyon and Villeurbanne, the landlord can’t set the rent freely for a new lease: it is capped by reference rents. Toulouse is not on the list, so only the general rules apply there (Service-Public). Grenoble, Bordeaux, Lille and Montpellier also have rent control.
Agency fees
When you rent through an agency, your share of the fees is capped per m². For leases from 1 January 2026, the caps are €12.10 per m² in “very tight” housing zones such as Paris, €10.09 in “tight” zones and €8.07 elsewhere, plus up to €3.03 per m² for the move-in inspection (Service-Public). Your local housing information office (ADIL) can tell you which zone your town is in.
Transport and daily life
- Paris: a monthly Navigo pass for all zones costs €90.80 in 2026 (Île-de-France Mobilités). The metro and RER reach most offices, and many people live without a car.
- Lyon and Toulouse: both have metro and tram networks run by their local transport authorities (TCL in Lyon, Tisséo in Toulouse). Check current prices on their websites. Some Toulouse aerospace sites, such as those around Blagnac and Colomiers, are on the edge of the city, so check the commute before you sign a lease.
- Everywhere: your employer pays at least half of your public transport pass (Service-Public).
Paris has the most English-speaking employers, so English gets you furthest there. In Lyon and Toulouse you are likely to need French sooner for things like the bank, the doctor and your landlord. Our guide to tech jobs in France without French covers this.
Which city is best for you?
Choose Paris if:
- you need an English-speaking job and want the most choice;
- you work in AI, machine learning, product or developer tools;
- you want to change jobs later without moving.
Choose Lyon if:
- you already have a job there or a remote job;
- you speak some French or are ready to learn;
- you want lower rent than Paris with rent control and a big-city feel.
Choose Toulouse if:
- you work in aerospace, space, embedded or safety-critical software;
- you want the lowest rent of the three;
- you are happy with a smaller English-speaking job market.
Not sure? Many developers start in Paris for the job market, then move once they have a remote role. Bordeaux, Grenoble, Nantes and Sophia Antipolis (near Nice) are other options with smaller tech scenes. Browse all cities on France Dev Jobs.
If you need a work permit, the salary thresholds are the same in every city: see Talent Passport salary thresholds. To compare offers, read French job offers explained.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lyon cheaper than Paris?
Yes, mostly because of rent. The government’s 2025 rent map gives about €18 to €20 per m² for a small flat in central Lyon, against €30 to €40 in Paris. For a 37 m² flat that is roughly €700 a month in Lyon and €1,100 to €1,500 in Paris. Salaries in Paris are also higher, which narrows the gap.
Is Lyon better than Paris for developers?
It depends on the job. Paris has far more English-speaking tech jobs: 969 against 15 for Lyon on France Dev Jobs in October 2026. Lyon offers lower rent and a quieter life, but most local tech teams work in French. Lyon works best if you speak French or bring a remote job with you.
What is the best city in France for expats working in tech?
For English-speaking tech jobs, Paris, because 56% of the jobs on France Dev Jobs are there. Toulouse is a strong second for aerospace and embedded roles. For remote workers, cities such as Lyon, Bordeaux or Nantes offer much lower rent than Paris.
How much is rent in Toulouse compared with Paris?
The 2025 rent map gives about €16.33 per m² for a small flat in Toulouse, including charges, against about €30 to €40 per m² in Paris. That is around €600 a month for a 37 m² flat in Toulouse, against €1,100 to €1,500 in Paris. Toulouse has no rent control.
Do developers earn less in Lyon and Toulouse?
On average, yes. Apec’s 2025 median for software development roles is €55,000 in Île-de-France and €46,000 in the other regions. It doesn’t publish figures for individual cities. International companies and remote employers may pay Paris rates wherever you live.
Is rent controlled in Lyon and Toulouse?
Lyon and Villeurbanne have rent control, like Paris: the landlord must respect reference rents on a new lease. Toulouse doesn’t, so only the general rules on rent increases apply. Check the current list on Service-Public before you sign.
Related guides and jobs
- Software engineer salaries in France
- Cost of living in Paris for tech workers
- Relocation checklist for France
- Jobs in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse and remote
Rents, salaries and job counts change. This guide is general information; check the official sources linked above before you sign a lease or accept an offer.