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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,167 in Lyon versus $1,510 in Besancon.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,463 in Lyon versus $3,219 in Besancon.

Living in Lyon is roughly 44% more expensive than Besancon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lyon 61% above, Besancon 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 €14.87

$16.36 €14.09

5.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 €64.1

$50.2 €43.26

48.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 €10.92

$9.55 €8.23

32.67%

Cappuccino

$3.88 €3.34

$3.46 €2.98

12.14%

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

$2.93 €2.52

$2.29 €1.97

27.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.13 €0.98

58.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 €6.81

$6.77 €5.83

16.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 €5.88

$4.49 €3.87

51.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.06 €0.91

39.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 €2.28

$1.67 €1.44

58.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$1.99 €1.72

28.14%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.62

$3.73 €3.21

12.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.38 €21.00

$17.60 €15.16

38.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.08 €13.86

$12.07 €10.40

33.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.41 €21.89

$16.48 €14.20

54.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.86 €2.47

-6.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.03 €1.75

24.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.25 €1.93

59.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.36

$2.50 €2.15

56.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.49

$2.18 €1.88

32.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.33 €2.01

21.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.50 €1.29

-5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 €11.91

$14.57 €12.56

-5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.94

$9.70 €8.36

-17.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.70

$2.65 €2.28

18.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.67

$1.72 €1.48

80.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.84 €1.58

30.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.7 €72.9

$50.2 €43.29

68.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €4.92

$3.27 €2.82

74.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 €1.66

$1.86 €1.60

3.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.9 €50.8

$34.70 €29.90

69.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.02 €1.74

-0.99%

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

$37.4K €32.3K

$37.2K €32.0K

0.77%

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

$36.8K €31.7K

$39.8K €34.3K

-7.36%

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

$286 €246

$116 €99.6

147.43%

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

$22.19 €19.12

$17.28 €14.89

28.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €31.69

$37.83 €32.59

-2.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 €38.84

$37.08 €31.95

21.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.61 €20.34

$28.83 €24.84

-18.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.63 €11.75

$10.26 €8.84

32.85%

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

$741 €639

$341 €294

117.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.1K

$7,985 €6,880

47.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.5

$63.0 €54.3

76.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 €43.98

$23.44 €20.20

117.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €105

$88.0 €75.8

37.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €140

$137 €118

18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 €834

$542 €467

78.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 €613

$499 €430

42.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 €1,648

$993 €855

92.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 €1,075

$851 €734

46.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,765 €5,828

$3,012 €2,595

124.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,078 €3,514

$2,500 €2,154

63.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,269 €2,817

$2,156 €1,858

51.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

3.35

12.24%

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

Last update for Lyon: June 9, 2026

Last update for Besancon: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $968 in Lyon and $542 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lyon pays 52% 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: $74.0 in Lyon vs $50.0 in Besancon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $324 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

Lyon vs Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 44% 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.

Lyon pays 52% more on average, 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: $968 in Lyon 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 68% less than in Lyon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $741 in Lyon 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 $2,167 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 $1,510 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Besancon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lyon 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 44% less than in Lyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.