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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,031 in Rome versus $1,801 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,167 in Rome versus $2,647 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,304 in Rome versus $3,494 in Besancon.

Living in Rome is roughly 13% more expensive than in Besancon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 48% above, Besancon 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.02

$17.34 €14.92

0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 €61.0

$58.8 €50.6

20.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 €10.14

$11.80 €10.15

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.94

$3.18 €2.74

-28.93%

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

$3.10 €2.67

$2.46 €2.12

26.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.66 €1.43

-6.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$6.90 €5.94

-15.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 €5.86

$5.65 €4.86

20.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.32 €1.14

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.77 €1.52

28.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.23 €1.92

45.74%

Eggs

$4.74 €4.08

$4.69 €4.04

1.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 €13.18

$20.90 €17.98

-26.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 €10.72

$11.28 €9.70

10.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.09 €16.43

$19.00 €16.35

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.75 €2.37

-2.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.28 €1.96

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.92 €2.51

-12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.10

$2.54 €2.19

-3.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$2.67 €2.30

-45.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.52 €2.17

-36.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.51 €1.30

-4.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.43

$1.23 €1.06

-58.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.07 €6.09

$14.67 €12.62

-51.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$10.12 €8.71

-55.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$4.89 €4.21

-64.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.52

$3.53 €3.04

-17.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.76 €1.52

-3.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.92 €35.22

$45.12 €38.83

-9.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 €6.57

$3.33 €2.87

129.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.20 €1.90

-19.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.61 €29.78

$31.53 €27.13

9.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.17 €1.87

-5.53%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$36.5K €31.4K

1.70%

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

$36.0K €30.9K

$36.6K €31.5K

-1.64%

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

$220 €189

$172 €148

27.59%

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

$12.41 €10.68

$15.35 €13.21

-19.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 €26.98

$35.23 €30.32

-10.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 €58.9

$38.27 €32.93

78.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 €21.81

$20.23 €17.41

25.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 €9.90

$11.61 €9.99

-0.95%

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

$504 €434

$352 €303

43.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$7,422 €6,387

134.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 €64.0

$101 €87.1

-26.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 €32.64

$40.97 €35.26

-7.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 €75.1

$94.3 €81.1

-7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$129 €111

-3.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 €1,071

$606 €522

105.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 €763

$623 €536

42.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,637 €2,269

$1,017 €875

159.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,545

$851 €732

111.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,673 €7,463

$2,899 €2,494

199.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,283 €2,825

$2,346 €2,019

39.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,675

$2,248 €1,934

-13.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.62

-2.76%

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

Last update for Rome: August 31, 2026

Last update for Besancon: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,244 in Rome and $606 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Rome vs $59.0 in Besancon. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $372, with Rome 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

Rome vs Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 13% 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.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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: $1,244 in Rome 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 10% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $504 in Rome 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 $2,031 in Rome, a $2,000 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 $1,801 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Besancon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rome 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 13% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.