Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Besancon: $1,755 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Besancon
🇫🇷 France
$1,755
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Besancon and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Besancon and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,755 in Besancon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Besancon $1,755
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,536 in Besancon versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Besancon $2,536
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,318 in Besancon versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Besancon $3,318
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Besancon costs roughly 34% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Besancon 30% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.89
$20.77 $20.77
-19.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.2 €49.19
$84.6 $84.6
-34.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.94 €9.76
$12.32 $12.32
-11.20%
Cappuccino
$3.03 €2.71
$5.63 $5.63
-46.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 €2.10
$3.72 $3.72
-36.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 €1.38
$2.50 $2.50
-38.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.58 €5.87
$8.05 $8.05
-18.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 €4.96
$9.01 $9.01
-38.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.12 $1.12
14.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 €1.52
$3.75 $3.75
-54.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.26 $3.26
-34.36%
Eggs
$4.41 €3.94
$4.17 $4.17
5.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.97 €17.81
$12.90 $12.90
54.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.95 €9.77
$14.16 $14.16
-22.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.96
$16.22 $16.22
10.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 €2.36
$4.33 $4.33
-38.80%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.46 $1.46
54.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.72 €2.43
$4.51 $4.51
-39.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.46 €2.19
$4.34 $4.34
-43.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.54 €2.27
$2.58 $2.58
-1.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 €2.16
$2.35 $2.35
2.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 €1.28
$1.78 $1.78
-19.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 €1.04
$2.22 $2.22
-47.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.78 €12.29
$9.88 $9.88
39.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.39 €8.37
$15.08 $15.08
-37.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.85 €4.32
$2.92 $2.92
66.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 €2.90
$3.46 $3.46
-6.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.49 $1.49
12.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.17 €39.40
$41.72 $41.72
5.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 €2.71
$2.73 $2.73
11.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.66 $1.66
27.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.05 €26.80
$35.30 $35.30
-14.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.90
$0.95 $0.95
124.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K €30.7K
$36.0K $36.0K
-4.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.3K €30.6K
$27.1K $27.1K
26.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 €200
$229 $229
-1.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.65 €13.07
$59.4 $59.4
-75.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.19 €30.50
$69.9 $69.9
-51.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.44 €23.58
$57.2 $57.2
-53.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.68 €17.55
$16.33 $16.33
20.51%
Cinema Ticket
$11.32 €10.10
$14.28 $14.28
-20.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$339 €302
$1,506 $1,506
-77.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,309 €6,520
$21.5K $21.5K
-65.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.0 €88.3
$52.8 $52.8
87.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.58 €34.41
$43.82 $43.82
-11.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.0 €83.0
$84.8 $84.8
9.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$103 $103
20.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$635 €566
$1,907 $1,907
-66.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$590 €527
$1,274 $1,274
-53.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$991 €884
$3,664 $3,664
-72.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$803 €717
$2,538 $2,538
-68.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,822 €2,517
$7,614 $7,614
-62.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,245 €2,002
$3,157 $3,157
-28.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Besancon
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,181 €1,945
$5,121 $5,121
-57.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.62
6.79
-46.69%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Besancon: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Besancon
$590
Austin, TX
$1.3K 116% $684
Groceries & Markets
Besancon
$356
Austin, TX
$405 13.6% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Besancon
$273
Austin, TX
$358 31% $85
Eating Out
Besancon
$262
Austin, TX
$354 34.9% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Besancon
$159
Austin, TX
$128 19.7% $31
Getting Around
Besancon
$65
Austin, TX
$59 9.1% $5.9
Sport & Entertainment
Besancon
$49
Austin, TX
$86 74.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $635 in Besancon and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 135% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Besancon vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $405 per month, with Besancon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Besancon
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
01:35 1:35 AM
18:35 6:35 PM
7 h behind Besancon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,198
974,447
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Besancon Austin, TX 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Besancon
  • Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Besancon vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Besancon or Austin, TX?
Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Besancon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Besancon or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 135% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Besancon compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $635 in Besancon versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Besancon compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $1,755 per month in Besancon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Besancon compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Besancon runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Besancon or in Austin, TX?
At $1,755 in Besancon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Besancon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Besancon or Austin, TX?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Besancon compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Besancon and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Besancon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Besancon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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