Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,553 in Besancon versus $1,986 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,372 in Besancon versus $3,073 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Besancon versus $4,159 in Rome.

Living in Besancon costs roughly 22% less than in Rome, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Besancon 16% above, Rome 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.10 €14.07

$17.54 €15.33

-8.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.79 €43.50

$76.0 €66.4

-34.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 €8.80

$11.67 €10.20

-13.71%

Cappuccino

$3.48 €3.04

$1.77 €1.55

96.61%

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

$2.35 €2.05

$2.45 €2.14

-4.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.26 €1.10

-10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.01 €6.12

$5.75 €5.02

21.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.14

$5.06 €4.42

-6.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 €0.89

$1.70 €1.49

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.45

$2.07 €1.81

-19.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.99 €2.61

-35.12%

Eggs

$3.66 €3.20

$4.52 €3.95

-19.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 €15.74

$17.69 €15.45

1.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.06 €10.54

$11.75 €10.26

2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 €13.93

$20.56 €17.96

-22.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.43 €2.12

14.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.36 €2.06

-11.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.02 €1.77

15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.18

$2.67 €2.34

-6.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.76 €1.54

26.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.85 €1.62

21.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.27 €1.11

15.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.56 €0.49

48.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.28 €12.48

$6.81 €5.95

109.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.75 €8.52

$3.96 €3.46

146.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.94 €1.69

30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$2.76 €2.41

-38.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.72 €1.50

6.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 €44.70

$41.16 €35.97

24.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 €2.91

$5.23 €4.57

-36.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.58 €1.38

15.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 €29.21

$34.86 €30.46

-4.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.81

$2.03 €1.77

2.46%

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

$37.8K €33.1K

$29.0K €25.3K

30.48%

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

$39.8K €34.7K

$29.9K €26.1K

33.18%

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

$115 €100

$222 €194

-48.46%

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

$17.41 €15.21

$10.96 €9.58

58.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.81 €33.03

$30.99 €27.07

22.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 €33.10

$64.2 €56.1

-40.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.88 €25.23

$23.99 €20.96

20.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.24 €8.94

$11.63 €10.16

-11.95%

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

$349 €305

$539 €471

-35.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,220 €7,182

$10.7K €9,341

-23.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 €54.2

$73.1 €63.9

-15.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.88 €19.99

$34.58 €30.22

-33.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 €78.0

$86.6 €75.7

3.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €120

$119 €104

15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 €484

$1,328 €1,160

-58.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 €448

$866 €757

-40.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 €894

$2,596 €2,268

-60.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 €749

$1,602 €1,400

-46.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,504

$8,434 €7,369

-66.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,263 €1,977

$3,464 €3,026

-34.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,188 €1,911

$1,947 €1,701

12.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.95

-15.19%

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

Last update for Besancon: July 12, 2026

Last update for Rome: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Besancon and $1,328 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Besancon vs $76.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $333 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 Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Rome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Besancon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Besancon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $554 in Besancon versus $1,328 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Besancon runs roughly 24% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $349 in Besancon versus $539 in Rome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,553 in Besancon versus $1,986 in Rome, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Rome. 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 $1,553 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Besancon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Besancon and Rome 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 28% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.