Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Besancon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Besancon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,510 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,364 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,219 in Besancon.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 50% more expensive than Besancon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Besancon 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$16.36 €14.09

-2.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$50.2 €43.26

26.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$9.55 €8.23

8.69%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.46 €2.98

-19.36%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.29 €1.97

2.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.13 €0.98

38.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$6.77 €5.83

-49.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.49 €3.87

-12.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.06 €0.91

1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.67 €1.44

5.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.99 €1.72

-14.07%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.73 €3.21

-15.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$17.60 €15.16

-22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$12.07 €10.40

-33.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$16.48 €14.20

-5.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.86 €2.47

-19.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.03 €1.75

-19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.25 €1.93

-13.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.50 €2.15

0.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.18 €1.88

-17.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.33 €2.01

-13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.50 €1.29

31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.84 €0.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$14.57 €12.56

-53.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$9.70 €8.36

-41.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.65 €2.28

-47.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.72 €1.48

75.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.84 €1.58

23.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$50.2 €43.29

-9.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.27 €2.82

31.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.86 €1.60

-54.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$34.70 €29.90

-47.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.02 €1.74

-1.49%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$37.2K €32.0K

-5.69%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$39.8K €34.3K

-0.55%

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

$146 €126

$116 €99.6

26.44%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$17.28 €14.89

18.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$37.83 €32.59

3.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$37.08 €31.95

32.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$28.83 €24.84

-34.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$10.26 €8.84

-7.21%

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

$608 €524

$341 €294

78.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$7,985 €6,880

106.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$63.0 €54.3

64.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$23.44 €20.20

79.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$88.0 €75.8

4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$137 €118

-12.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$542 €467

199.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$499 €430

154.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$993 €855

207.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$851 €734

135.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$3,012 €2,595

154.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,500 €2,154

73.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$2,156 €1,858

-26.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.35

13.73%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Besancon: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $542 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $50.0 in Besancon. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $324, with Lisbon 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

Lisbon vs Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Besancon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Besancon earns 36% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $542 in Besancon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Besancon runs roughly 11% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $341 in Besancon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,510 in Besancon versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 $1,510 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Besancon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Besancon 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 50% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.