Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Lohja Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Lohja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,511 in Besancon versus $1,593 in Lohja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,347 in Besancon versus $2,454 in Lohja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,182 in Besancon versus $3,315 in Lohja.

Living in Besancon costs roughly 5% less than in Lohja, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Besancon 13% above, Lohja 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.23 €13.96

$14.10 €12.12

15.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.58 €42.65

$62.8 €54.0

-21.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 €8.59

$11.67 €10.04

-14.48%

Cappuccino

$3.47 €2.98

$5.01 €4.31

-30.74%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.17 €1.86

8.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.87 €1.61

-38.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.84

$8.26 €7.10

-17.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.91

$6.75 €5.80

-32.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.23 €1.06

-14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.39 €2.06

-29.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$2.02 €1.73

-5.45%

Eggs

$3.78 €3.25

$2.55 €2.20

48.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.54 €15.08

$6.98 €6.01

151.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 €10.31

$13.35 €11.48

-10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.13 €13.88

$17.43 €14.99

-7.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.48

$1.61 €1.38

79.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.90 €1.64

9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.26 €1.08

81.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.39 €2.05

0.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.13 €0.97

90.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.45 €1.25

57.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$2.00 €1.72

-26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.26 €1.08

-34.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 €12.38

$10.79 €9.29

33.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 €8.59

$16.37 €14.08

-38.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.29 €1.97

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.44 €2.96

-48.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 €1.56

$4.23 €3.64

-56.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 €44.14

$62.9 €54.1

-18.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 €2.71

$7.16 €6.16

-56.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.05 €0.90

74.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.51 €28.82

$53.0 €45.61

-36.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.14 €1.84

-2.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.1K €31.9K

$37.9K €32.6K

-2.12%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.8K €33.4K

$37.7K €32.4K

3.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$116 €99.6

$82.2 €70.7

40.87%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.58 €15.12

$25.68 €22.09

-31.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.46 €32.22

$23.24 €19.99

61.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.02 €32.71

$39.92 €34.34

-4.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 €24.83

$11.12 €9.56

159.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.29 €8.85

$13.96 €12.01

-26.29%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$348 €299

$314 €270

10.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,989 €6,872

$4,097 €3,525

94.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 €52.4

$68.1 €58.6

-10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.43 €20.15

$35.06 €30.16

-33.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 €76.9

$72.3 €62.2

23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €120

$107 €92.3

30.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 €476

$674 €580

-17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 €428

$593 €510

-16.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €869

$1,308 €1,125

-22.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 €728

$976 €840

-13.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,057 €2,630

$1,384 €1,191

120.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,565 €2,206

$1,153 €992

122.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,191 €1,885

$3,545 €3,050

-38.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

2.62

27.86%

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

Last update for Besancon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lohja: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Besancon and $674 in Lohja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lohja pays 62% 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: $50.0 in Besancon vs $63.0 in Lohja. Groceries flip the comparison at $322 vs $311, with Lohja cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lohja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Lohja. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Besancon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lohja earns 62% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $554 in Besancon versus $674 in Lohja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Besancon runs roughly 23% less than in Lohja. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $348 in Besancon versus $314 in Lohja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,511 in Besancon versus $1,593 in Lohja, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Lohja. The gap between the two cities makes Besancon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Besancon and Lohja are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Besancon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lohja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.