Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Lyon

For one person, living is cheaper in Besancon: $1,775 a month against $2,028 in Lyon, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Besancon
Learn more

Besancon Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Lyon
Learn more

Lyon Living Index

Jump to prices

Besancon

🇫🇷 France

$1,775

/mo nomad

Lyon

🇫🇷 France

$2,028

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Besancon and in Lyon

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 Lyon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Besancon versus $2,028 in Lyon.

Besancon $1,775
Lyon $2,028

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,568 in Besancon versus $3,130 in Lyon.

Besancon $2,568
Lyon $3,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,361 in Besancon versus $4,232 in Lyon.

Besancon $3,361
Lyon $4,232

Living in Besancon costs roughly 12% less than in Lyon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Besancon 31% above, Lyon 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €15.21

$16.52 €14.70

3.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 €50.8

$68.2 €60.7

-16.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 €9.78

$13.22 €11.76

-16.79%

Cappuccino

$3.07 €2.73

$4.02 €3.57

-23.63%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.66 €2.37

-14.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.44

$1.73 €1.54

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 €6.09

$7.62 €6.78

-10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.91

$6.33 €5.63

-12.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.56 €1.39

-14.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.72 €1.53

-1.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.48 €2.20

-12.50%

Eggs

$4.60 €4.09

$4.73 €4.21

-2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.47 €18.20

$22.97 €20.43

-10.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 €9.83

$12.54 €11.16

-11.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 €16.03

$23.68 €21.07

-23.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.42 €2.15

15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.44 €2.17

-11.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$3.49 €3.11

-21.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$3.17 €2.82

-18.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.51 €2.23

1.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$3.09 €2.75

-22.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.35 €1.20

2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.12 €0.99

0.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.15 €12.59

$13.89 €12.35

1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.44 €8.40

$8.16 €7.26

15.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.84 €4.30

$2.66 €2.37

81.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.94

$3.27 €2.91

0.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.32 €2.07

-23.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.91 €39.06

$82.7 €73.6

-46.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.74

$8.38 €7.46

-63.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.17 €1.93

-1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.79 €27.39

$42.11 €37.46

-26.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.32 €2.06

-9.48%

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

$34.6K €30.8K

$35.3K €31.4K

-1.90%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$37.5K €33.4K

2.32%

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

$226 €201

$267 €238

-15.49%

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

$14.43 €12.84

$14.02 €12.47

2.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.38 €30.58

$29.85 €26.55

15.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.07 €24.08

$38.65 €34.38

-29.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 €17.55

$27.56 €24.51

-28.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €10.12

$15.29 €13.60

-25.57%

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

$342 €304

$637 €566

-46.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,267 €6,464

$11.6K €10.3K

-37.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €89.0

$109 €97.0

-8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 €34.29

$44.77 €39.83

-13.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 €81.0

$123 €110

-26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$127 €113

-4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 €583

$901 €802

-27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 €533

$676 €602

-11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 €884

$1,819 €1,618

-45.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 €726

$1,274 €1,133

-35.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,827 €2,515

$6,353 €5,651

-55.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 €2,030

$3,982 €3,542

-42.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,133 €1,898

$3,066 €2,727

-30.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.68

-1.63%

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

Last update for Besancon: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lyon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Besancon

$600 33.8%

Lyon

$676 33.4% 12.8% $77

Groceries & Markets

Besancon

$360 20.3%

Lyon

$389 19.2% 8.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Besancon

$275 15.5%

Lyon

$311 15.4% 13.3% $36

Eating Out

Besancon

$267 15.1%

Lyon

$288 14.2% 7.8% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Besancon

$158 8.9%

Lyon

$182 9% 15.4% $24

Getting Around

Besancon

$65 3.7%

Lyon

$111 5.5% 71.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Besancon

$50 2.8%

Lyon

$69 3.4% 38.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in Besancon and $901 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 44% 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: $57.0 in Besancon vs $68.0 in Lyon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $389 per month, with Besancon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Besancon

🇫🇷 Lyon

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

Same time as Besancon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,198

522,250

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Besancon Lyon 190 km

From you

Besancon
Lyon

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 Lyon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Lyon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Besancon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Lyon. 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: $655 in Besancon versus $901 in Lyon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Besancon runs roughly 88% less than in Lyon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $342 in Besancon versus $637 in Lyon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,775 in Besancon versus $2,028 in Lyon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Lyon. The gap between the two cities makes Besancon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Besancon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,775 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Besancon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Besancon and Lyon 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 14% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.