Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Besancon and Strasbourg

For one person, living is cheaper in Besancon: $1,754 a month against $2,199 in Strasbourg, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Besancon
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Besancon Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Strasbourg
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Strasbourg Living Index

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Besancon

🇫🇷 France

$1,754

/mo nomad

Strasbourg

🇫🇷 France

$2,199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Besancon and in Strasbourg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,754 in Besancon versus $2,199 in Strasbourg.

Besancon $1,754
Strasbourg $2,199

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,541 in Besancon versus $3,271 in Strasbourg.

Besancon $2,541
Strasbourg $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,328 in Besancon versus $4,343 in Strasbourg.

Besancon $3,328
Strasbourg $4,343

Living in Besancon costs roughly 20% less than in Strasbourg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Besancon 29% above, Strasbourg 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 €15.04

$16.75 €15.01

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 €49.15

$69.1 €61.9

-20.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.91

$14.15 €12.68

-21.84%

Cappuccino

$3.00 €2.69

$4.40 €3.94

-31.82%

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

$2.32 €2.08

$3.37 €3.02

-31.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.41

$2.36 €2.11

-33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 €5.92

$7.94 €7.12

-16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.13

$6.03 €5.40

-5.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.30 €1.17

-2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.94 €1.74

-15.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.81 €2.52

-23.84%

Eggs

$4.54 €4.07

$4.42 €3.96

2.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.49 €18.36

$33.39 €29.92

-38.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.11 €9.96

$17.15 €15.37

-35.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.32 €16.42

$20.90 €18.72

-12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.39

$2.53 €2.27

5.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.51 €2.25

-12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$3.22 €2.88

-11.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.22

$3.63 €3.25

-31.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.20 €1.97

10.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.68 €2.40

-9.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.36 €1.22

1.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$0.73 €0.66

53.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.18 €12.71

$13.58 €12.17

4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.47 €8.49

$9.04 €8.10

4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.27

$2.09 €1.87

127.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$4.54 €4.07

-28.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.57

$2.14 €1.92

-18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.76 €39.21

$62.3 €55.8

-29.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 €2.79

$3.26 €2.92

-4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.10 €1.88

-0.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 €27.23

$26.73 €23.95

13.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.87

$2.17 €1.95

-4.15%

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

$35.3K €31.6K

$35.1K €31.5K

0.49%

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

$38.5K €34.5K

$38.1K €34.2K

0.93%

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

$228 €204

$348 €312

-34.60%

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

$14.33 €12.84

$18.23 €16.34

-21.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.37 €30.80

$33.16 €29.72

3.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.49 €23.74

$34.69 €31.09

-23.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 €17.69

$26.35 €23.61

-25.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.83

$14.77 €13.24

-25.73%

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

$333 €298

$1,062 €952

-68.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,365 €6,600

$15.6K €14.0K

-52.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 €86.5

$101 €90.6

-4.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.88 €34.84

$43.10 €38.62

-9.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €83.3

$103 €92.3

-9.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$144 €129

-14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 €590

$1,002 €898

-34.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 €524

$738 €662

-20.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 €880

$1,907 €1,709

-48.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 €723

$1,239 €1,110

-34.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,858 €2,561

$5,509 €4,936

-48.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,234 €2,002

$3,168 €2,839

-29.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,139 €1,917

$2,949 €2,643

-27.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.76

-3.72%

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

Last update for Besancon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Strasbourg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Besancon

$585 33.4%

Strasbourg

$738 33.6% 26.2% $153

Groceries & Markets

Besancon

$358 20.4%

Strasbourg

$433 19.7% 20.7% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Besancon

$276 15.8%

Strasbourg

$400 18.2% 44.5% $123

Eating Out

Besancon

$264 15%

Strasbourg

$304 13.8% 15.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Besancon

$158 9%

Strasbourg

$176 8% 11.4% $18

Getting Around

Besancon

$64 3.7%

Strasbourg

$85 3.9% 31.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Besancon

$48 2.8%

Strasbourg

$64 2.9% 32.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Besancon and $1,002 in Strasbourg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Strasbourg pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Besancon vs $69 in Strasbourg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $433 per month, with Besancon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Besancon

🇫🇷 Strasbourg

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

Same time as Besancon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,198

291,313

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Strasbourg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Strasbourg. 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 27% lower in Besancon. 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: $658 in Besancon versus $1,002 in Strasbourg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Besancon runs roughly 30% less than in Strasbourg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $333 in Besancon versus $1,062 in Strasbourg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,754 in Besancon versus $2,199 in Strasbourg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Strasbourg. 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 Strasbourg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Besancon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Strasbourg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.