

Photos: Lyon by Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Oaxaca by Öskr Rck, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped.
Lyon or Oaxaca?
Our verdict in twelve categories, each scored against the same fixed benchmark cities, and the climate month by month, so you can choose for your trip.
Choose Lyon for
- live music and the arts
- families
- getting around
What lies behind each score is written up on Lyon’s own page.
Choose Oaxaca for
- prices
- wellness
- shopping
What lies behind each score is written up on Oaxaca’s own page.
Scoreboard
Twelve categories on one fixed scale from 0 to 100. The shaded stretch is the gap between the two.
What lies behind each score is written up on the two cities’ own pages: Lyon and Oaxaca.
Your match
Pick a travel style or drag the sliders, and both match scores follow your weighting.
Wins on live music and the arts and families with your weighting.
Wins on prices and wellness with your weighting.
What matters to you?
When should you go?
Pick your month. The climate figures are measured averages, not a forecast.
Lyon in July
Oaxaca in July
Daytime high, °C
Rainfall in the month, mm
Temperature and rainfall are climate normals, averaged over the years shown. Lyon: 1991-2020 normals, Lyon / Bron (10.6 km from centre). Oaxaca: 1961-1990 normals, Oaxaca, Oax. (1.1 km from centre).
Before you go
| Measure | Lyon | Oaxaca |
|---|---|---|
| Official language | French | Spanish, Nahuatl, Yucatec Maya |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Mexican Peso (MXN) |
| Sockets | CE230 V, 50 Hz | AB127 V, 60 Hz |
| Driving side | Right | Right |
| Time zone | UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer | UTC-6 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 911 |
| Elevation | 160 m | 1,555 m |
| Main airport | Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS)20 km from centre141 non-stop destinations | Xoxocotlán International Airport (OAX)7 km from centre14 non-stop destinations |
| Public holidays this year | 11 days | 9 days |
By the numbers
| Measure | Lyon | Oaxaca |
|---|---|---|
| City population | 519,127 | 258,913 |
| People per km² | 10,838 | 3,028 |
| Museums within 10 km | 43 | 10 |
| UNESCO World Heritage sites within 50 km | 2 | 2 |
Where else could you go?
Every comparison below shares a destination with this one, so you can follow Lyon or Oaxaca somewhere new.