Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Besancon Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Besancon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,705 in Paris versus $1,801 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,140 in Paris versus $2,647 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,575 in Paris versus $3,494 in Besancon.

Living in Paris is roughly 50% more expensive than in Besancon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paris 97% above, Besancon 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.53 €15.95

$17.34 €14.92

6.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 €70.4

$58.8 €50.6

39.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €12.01

$11.80 €10.15

18.31%

Cappuccino

$4.98 €4.28

$3.18 €2.74

56.60%

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

$4.73 €4.07

$2.46 €2.12

92.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.66 €1.43

78.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 €7.18

$6.90 €5.94

20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €5.99

$5.65 €4.86

23.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.32 €1.14

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.77 €1.52

41.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.23 €1.92

26.46%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.06

$4.69 €4.04

0.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.28 €20.04

$20.90 €17.98

11.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 €12.85

$11.28 €9.70

32.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.94 €19.74

$19.00 €16.35

20.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 €3.04

$2.75 €2.37

28.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.28 €1.96

0.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$2.92 €2.51

3.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 €3.69

$2.54 €2.19

68.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.67 €2.30

-24.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.52 €2.17

2.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.51 €1.30

33.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$1.23 €1.06

-18.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.94 €12.86

$14.67 €12.62

1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 €8.16

$10.12 €8.71

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.43

$4.89 €4.21

-42.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.22

$3.53 €3.04

5.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.76 €1.52

69.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 €90.5

$45.12 €38.83

133.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 €8.04

$3.33 €2.87

180.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.20 €1.90

-30.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.24 €40.65

$31.53 €27.13

49.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.17 €1.87

7.37%

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

$36.0K €31.0K

$36.5K €31.4K

-1.21%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$36.6K €31.5K

-0.32%

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

$273 €235

$172 €148

58.48%

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

$17.34 €14.92

$15.35 €13.21

12.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.52 €26.26

$35.23 €30.32

-13.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.60 €36.66

$38.27 €32.93

11.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.23 €17.41

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 €13.23

$11.61 €9.99

32.47%

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

$1,893 €1,629

$352 €303

437.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.4K €22.7K

$7,422 €6,387

256.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €98.5

$101 €87.1

13.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.80

$40.97 €35.26

29.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$94.3 €81.1

30.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €142

$129 €111

27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 €1,385

$606 €522

165.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,064

$623 €536

98.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,557 €3,061

$1,017 €875

249.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 €1,951

$851 €732

166.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.8K €12.7K

$2,899 €2,494

409.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K €8,684

$2,346 €2,019

330.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,612 €3,108

$2,248 €1,934

60.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.62

-9.67%

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

Last update for Paris: August 30, 2026

Last update for Besancon: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Paris and $606 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paris pays 61% 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: $82.0 in Paris vs $59.0 in Besancon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $372 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

Paris vs Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Paris. 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 61% higher in Paris, 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: $1,609 in Paris versus $606 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 133% less than in Paris. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,893 in Paris versus $352 in Besancon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,801 in Besancon versus $2,705 in Paris, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Paris. 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 $1,801 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Besancon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Paris 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 Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.