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: $2,027 in Rome versus $1,511 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Rome versus $2,347 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,260 in Rome versus $3,182 in Besancon.

Living in Rome is roughly 34% more expensive than Besancon, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 51% above, Besancon 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €14.82

$16.23 €13.96

6.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 €63.6

$49.58 €42.65

49.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.10

$9.98 €8.59

17.64%

Cappuccino

$1.83 €1.58

$3.47 €2.98

-47.26%

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

$2.51 €2.16

$2.35 €2.02

6.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.15 €0.99

10.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$6.79 €5.84

-13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 €4.50

$4.55 €3.91

14.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.05 €0.90

60.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.69 €1.45

26.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$1.91 €1.64

54.45%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$3.78 €3.25

19.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.42 €14.99

$17.54 €15.08

-0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 €10.32

$11.98 €10.31

0.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.37

$16.13 €13.88

25.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.89 €2.48

-15.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.08 €1.79

7.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.29 €1.97

-14.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.40 €2.07

7.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.15 €1.85

-17.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.29 €1.97

-18.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.48 €1.27

-14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.82 €0.71

-32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.13

$14.39 €12.38

-50.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$9.99 €8.59

-53.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.58 €2.22

-24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.76 €1.51

55.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.82 €1.56

-1.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.00 €35.27

$51.3 €44.14

-20.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 €4.41

$3.15 €2.71

62.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.83 €1.58

-12.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.08 €30.18

$33.51 €28.82

4.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.09 €1.80

-6.70%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$37.1K €31.9K

-20.94%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$38.8K €33.4K

-22.29%

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

$219 €189

$116 €99.6

89.44%

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

$11.01 €9.47

$17.58 €15.12

-37.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.31 €26.93

$37.46 €32.22

-16.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.1

$38.02 €32.71

68.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.81 €20.48

$28.87 €24.83

-17.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 €10.09

$10.29 €8.85

13.99%

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

$528 €454

$348 €299

51.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K €8,966

$7,989 €6,872

30.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.0

$61.0 €52.4

20.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.74

$23.43 €20.15

47.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €74.8

$89.4 €76.9

-2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$140 €120

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,139

$554 €476

139.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €761

$497 €428

77.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 €2,289

$1,011 €869

163.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 €1,407

$846 €728

93.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,730 €7,510

$3,057 €2,630

185.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €2,970

$2,565 €2,206

34.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,058 €1,770

$2,191 €1,885

-6.08%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Besancon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,325 in Rome and $554 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 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 34% 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, Besancon earns 6% 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: $1,325 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 25% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $528 in Rome versus $348 in Besancon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,511 in Besancon versus $2,027 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 $1,511 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 34% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.