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: $1,922 in Split versus $1,776 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,928 in Split versus $2,563 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,934 in Split versus $3,350 in Besancon.

Living in Split is roughly 8% more expensive than in Besancon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Split 40% above, Besancon 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 €15.23

$17.16 €14.96

1.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 €67.5

$57.5 €50.1

34.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.95

$11.45 €9.98

-0.35%

Cappuccino

$2.90 €2.52

$3.18 €2.77

-8.81%

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

$4.08 €3.56

$2.36 €2.06

72.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.73

$1.66 €1.45

88.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 €4.38

$6.76 €5.90

-25.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 €4.22

$5.94 €5.18

-18.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.37 €1.20

-1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.69 €1.48

31.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 €3.38

$2.18 €1.90

77.98%

Eggs

$4.28 €3.73

$4.61 €4.02

-7.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.59 €12.72

$20.99 €18.29

-30.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 €8.15

$11.38 €9.92

-17.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 €12.93

$18.54 €16.16

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.91

$2.75 €2.39

-20.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.63

$2.26 €1.97

-17.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.63

$2.85 €2.48

-34.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.42

$2.68 €2.33

3.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.54 €2.22

-35.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.07

$2.47 €2.15

-50.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.42 €1.24

-4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.20 €1.05

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 €5.15

$14.24 €12.41

-58.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.36 €8.16

$10.06 €8.77

-6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.63

$5.04 €4.40

-62.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.11

$3.40 €2.96

-28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.27

$1.74 €1.52

-16.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.77 €34.67

$45.60 €39.75

-12.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 €3.31

$3.16 €2.76

20.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 €1.89

$2.18 €1.90

-0.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 €26.67

$30.81 €26.86

-0.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.63

$2.05 €1.79

-8.78%

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

$29.2K €25.5K

$36.4K €31.7K

-19.63%

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

$25.1K €21.9K

$36.4K €31.7K

-31.03%

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

$218 €190

$174 €152

25.12%

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

$20.85 €18.17

$14.93 €13.01

39.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 €36.64

$35.32 €30.79

19.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.5 €56.2

$36.79 €32.07

75.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 €12.18

$19.83 €17.28

-29.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 €7.97

$11.62 €10.13

-21.26%

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

$643 €560

$342 €298

87.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.4K

$7,365 €6,420

61.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €83.0

$100 €87.4

-5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 €34.54

$41.00 €35.74

-3.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €103

$94.2 €82.1

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €88.3

$126 €110

-19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 €894

$624 €544

64.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 €635

$621 €541

17.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 €1,754

$1,020 €889

97.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 €1,194

$848 €739

61.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,463 €6,505

$2,913 €2,539

156.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,022 €4,378

$2,374 €2,070

111.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,635 €1,425

$2,242 €1,954

-27.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

3.62

-4.97%

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

Last update for Split: September 14, 2026

Last update for Besancon: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Split and $624 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Split vs $57.0 in Besancon. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $370, 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 8% 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, salaries run 37% 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: $1,026 in Split versus $624 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 15% less than in Split. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $643 in Split versus $342 in Besancon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,776 in Besancon versus $1,922 in Split, a $2,000 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 $1,776 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 8% less than in Split. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.