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: $1,986 in Rome versus $1,553 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,073 in Rome versus $2,372 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,159 in Rome versus $3,190 in Besancon.

Living in Rome is roughly 28% more expensive than in Besancon, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 49% above, Besancon 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €15.33

$16.10 €14.07

8.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 €66.4

$49.79 €43.50

52.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 €10.20

$10.07 €8.80

15.89%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.55

$3.48 €3.04

-49.14%

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

$2.45 €2.14

$2.35 €2.05

4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.13 €0.98

11.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €5.02

$7.01 €6.12

-17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.42

$4.74 €4.14

6.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.02 €0.89

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.66 €1.45

24.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.61

$1.94 €1.69

54.12%

Eggs

$4.52 €3.95

$3.66 €3.20

23.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 €15.45

$18.02 €15.74

-1.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 €10.26

$12.06 €10.54

-2.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 €17.96

$15.94 €13.93

28.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$2.79 €2.43

-12.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$2.09 €1.83

12.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$2.33 €2.04

-13.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.34

$2.49 €2.18

7.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.23 €1.94

-21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.25 €1.96

-17.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.47 €1.28

-13.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.83 €0.73

-32.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 €5.95

$14.28 €12.48

-52.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$9.75 €8.52

-59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.53 €2.21

-23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.41

$1.71 €1.50

61.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.84 €1.61

-6.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 €35.97

$51.2 €44.70

-19.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.57

$3.33 €2.91

57.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.82 €1.59

-13.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.86 €30.46

$33.43 €29.21

4.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.77

$2.08 €1.81

-2.40%

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

$29.0K €25.3K

$37.8K €33.1K

-23.36%

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

$29.9K €26.1K

$39.8K €34.7K

-24.91%

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

$222 €194

$115 €100

94.04%

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

$10.96 €9.58

$17.41 €15.21

-37.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.99 €27.07

$37.81 €33.03

-18.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 €56.1

$37.88 €33.10

69.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 €20.96

$28.88 €25.23

-16.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 €10.16

$10.24 €8.94

13.57%

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

$539 €471

$349 €305

54.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,341

$8,220 €7,182

30.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 €63.9

$62.1 €54.2

17.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.58 €30.22

$22.88 €19.99

51.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €75.7

$89.2 €78.0

-2.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$137 €120

-13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 €1,160

$554 €484

139.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 €757

$512 €448

69.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,268

$1,024 €894

153.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 €1,400

$857 €749

86.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,434 €7,369

$2,866 €2,504

194.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,464 €3,026

$2,263 €1,977

53.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 €1,701

$2,188 €1,911

-11.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.35

17.91%

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

Last update for Rome: July 11, 2026

Last update for Besancon: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,328 in Rome and $554 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Rome vs $50.0 in Besancon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $322 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

Rome vs Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 28% 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 12% 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: $1,328 in Rome versus $554 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 24% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $539 in Rome versus $349 in Besancon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,553 in Besancon versus $1,986 in Rome, a $1,000 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 $1,553 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 28% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.