Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Besancon Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Besancon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,800 in Split versus $1,511 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,790 in Split versus $2,347 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,780 in Split versus $3,182 in Besancon.

Living in Split is roughly 19% more expensive than Besancon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Split 34% above, Besancon 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 €14.97

$16.23 €14.08

6.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 €70.5

$49.58 €43.02

63.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 €8.01

$9.98 €8.66

-7.52%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.46

$3.47 €3.01

-18.44%

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

$3.54 €3.07

$2.35 €2.04

50.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.51

$1.15 €1.00

151.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 €4.75

$6.79 €5.89

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.32

$4.55 €3.94

9.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.05 €0.91

35.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.69 €1.46

15.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 €3.25

$1.91 €1.65

95.81%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.38

$3.78 €3.28

3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 €10.91

$17.54 €15.21

-28.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$11.98 €10.40

-20.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 €11.74

$16.13 €13.99

-16.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.89 €2.50

-32.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.08 €1.80

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.29 €1.99

0.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.40 €2.09

-5.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.15 €1.87

-30.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.29 €1.98

-40.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.48 €1.28

-4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.11

$0.82 €0.71

56.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 €5.12

$14.39 €12.48

-59.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 €7.89

$9.99 €8.67

-9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.58 €2.24

-34.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.10

$1.76 €1.53

38.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.82 €1.58

-6.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.12 €33.07

$51.3 €44.52

-25.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.93

$3.15 €2.74

6.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.83 €1.59

15.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.48 €8.22

$33.51 €29.07

-71.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.09 €1.81

-15.31%

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

$37.5K €32.5K

$37.1K €32.2K

1.11%

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

$26.3K €22.9K

$38.8K €33.7K

-32.16%

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

$215 €187

$116 €100

85.93%

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

$23.99 €20.82

$17.58 €15.25

36.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.09 €30.44

$37.46 €32.50

-6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 €52.8

$38.02 €32.99

60.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 €12.80

$28.87 €25.04

-48.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.98

$10.29 €8.92

-10.59%

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

$192 €166

$348 €302

-44.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,077 €7,875

$7,989 €6,931

13.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €71.3

$61.0 €52.9

34.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 €34.39

$23.43 €20.33

69.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.4

$89.4 €77.6

20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €92.8

$140 €121

-23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 €837

$554 €480

74.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 €618

$497 €432

43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 €1,656

$1,011 €877

88.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 €1,086

$846 €734

47.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,437 €6,452

$3,057 €2,653

143.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,150 €4,469

$2,565 €2,225

100.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,464

$2,191 €1,901

-23.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

3.35

27.46%

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

Last update for Split: June 1, 2026

Last update for Besancon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $965 in Split and $554 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Split vs $50.0 in Besancon. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $322, with Split 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

Split vs Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Split. 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 30% 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: $965 in Split 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 35% less than in Split. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $192 in Split 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 $1,800 in Split, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Split. 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, Split 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 19% less than in Split. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.