Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Lyon Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Lyon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,551 in Besancon versus $2,134 in Lyon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Besancon versus $3,259 in Lyon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,117 in Besancon versus $4,384 in Lyon.

Living in Besancon costs roughly 27% less than in Lyon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Besancon 16% above, Lyon 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.36 €13.97

$17.56 €15.00

-6.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.54 €42.31

$74.4 €63.5

-33.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 €8.43

$12.76 €10.90

-22.65%

Cappuccino

$3.59 €3.06

$3.89 €3.32

-7.71%

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

$2.34 €2.00

$2.84 €2.43

-17.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.01

$1.80 €1.54

-33.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 €5.84

$8.11 €6.93

-15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €3.84

$7.09 €6.06

-36.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.91

$1.55 €1.32

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.44

$2.61 €2.23

-35.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.55 €2.18

-22.35%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.07

$4.14 €3.54

-13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.62 €15.05

$24.95 €21.31

-29.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 €10.07

$16.19 €13.82

-27.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 €13.66

$25.43 €21.72

-37.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.41

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.49 €2.13

-15.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €1.98

$3.54 €3.03

-34.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.05

$3.91 €3.34

-38.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$2.90 €2.47

-25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.70 €2.31

-12.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.26

$1.43 €1.22

3.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.91 €0.78

-9.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 €12.15

$13.78 €11.77

3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.54

$8.51 €7.26

17.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.20

$3.09 €2.64

-16.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.47

$3.21 €2.74

-46.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.50

$2.44 €2.09

-27.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.84 €42.56

$84.7 €72.3

-41.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 €2.81

$5.89 €5.03

-44.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 €1.51

$1.90 €1.62

-6.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.39 €28.51

$58.1 €49.62

-42.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.01 €1.72

-0.50%

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

$37.6K €32.1K

$37.4K €31.9K

0.65%

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

$38.9K €33.2K

$36.8K €31.4K

5.75%

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

$116 €99.4

$286 €244

-59.32%

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

$17.26 €14.74

$22.54 €19.25

-23.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.62 €32.13

$37.86 €32.33

-0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.10 €32.54

$44.73 €38.20

-14.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.77 €24.57

$22.78 €19.45

26.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 €9.01

$13.83 €11.81

-23.72%

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

$342 €292

$737 €630

-53.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,016 €6,845

$11.8K €10.1K

-31.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 €52.5

$113 €96.5

-45.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 €19.94

$51.3 €43.79

-54.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 €75.4

$123 €105

-28.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €118

$166 €142

-16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 €464

$990 €845

-45.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 €435

$702 €600

-27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 €842

$1,920 €1,639

-48.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 €724

$1,263 €1,078

-32.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,078 €2,628

$6,821 €5,825

-54.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,574 €2,198

$4,231 €3,613

-39.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,200 €1,879

$3,245 €2,771

-32.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.76

-10.90%

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

Last update for Besancon: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lyon: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $544 in Besancon and $990 in Lyon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 47% 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 $74.0 in Lyon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $433 per month, with Besancon cheaper across the board.

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 38% 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, Lyon earns 47% 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: $544 in Besancon versus $990 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 70% 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 $737 in Lyon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,551 in Besancon versus $2,134 in Lyon, a $1,000 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 $1,551 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 38% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.