Cost of Living Comparison Between Strasbourg and Besancon Cost of Living Comparison Between Strasbourg and Besancon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,214 in Strasbourg versus $1,776 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,344 in Strasbourg versus $2,563 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,473 in Strasbourg versus $3,350 in Besancon.

Living in Strasbourg is roughly 25% more expensive than in Besancon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Strasbourg 62% above, Besancon 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.13 €14.94

$17.16 €14.96

-0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 €65.2

$57.5 €50.1

30.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.32

$11.45 €9.98

23.41%

Cappuccino

$4.66 €4.06

$3.18 €2.77

46.54%

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

$3.29 €2.87

$2.36 €2.06

39.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$1.66 €1.45

59.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 €6.94

$6.76 €5.90

17.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.00

$5.94 €5.18

-3.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.37 €1.20

-1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.69 €1.48

19.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.54

$2.18 €1.90

33.94%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.65

$4.61 €4.02

-9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.98 €29.62

$20.99 €18.29

61.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.09 €15.77

$11.38 €9.92

58.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.34 €20.34

$18.54 €16.16

25.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.75 €2.39

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.18

$2.26 €1.97

10.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.85 €2.48

14.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.41

$2.68 €2.33

45.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 €1.98

$2.54 €2.22

-10.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 €2.32

$2.47 €2.15

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.42 €1.24

0.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.66

$1.20 €1.05

-36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 €12.39

$14.24 €12.41

-0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 €7.92

$10.06 €8.77

-9.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.96

$5.04 €4.40

-55.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.01

$3.40 €2.96

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.74 €1.52

27.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 €56.7

$45.60 €39.75

42.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 €2.97

$3.16 €2.76

7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.18 €1.90

-2.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.36 €23.85

$30.81 €26.86

-11.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.05 €1.79

7.32%

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

$36.2K €31.6K

$36.4K €31.7K

-0.33%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$36.4K €31.7K

-1.81%

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

$336 €293

$174 €152

93.49%

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

$16.63 €14.49

$14.93 €13.01

11.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 €29.58

$35.32 €30.79

-3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 €31.21

$36.79 €32.07

-2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.85 €23.40

$19.83 €17.28

35.40%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 €12.24

$11.62 €10.13

20.83%

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

$1,116 €972

$342 €298

225.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.1K

$7,365 €6,420

120.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €103

$100 €87.4

17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 €43.96

$41.00 €35.74

23.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €102

$94.2 €82.1

24.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €127

$126 €110

15.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 €887

$624 €544

63.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 €655

$621 €541

21.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 €1,638

$1,020 €889

84.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 €1,016

$848 €739

37.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,537 €4,826

$2,913 €2,539

90.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,140 €2,738

$2,374 €2,070

32.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,137 €2,735

$2,242 €1,954

39.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

3.62

3.87%

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

Last update for Strasbourg: September 12, 2026

Last update for Besancon: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,017 in Strasbourg and $624 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Strasbourg pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Strasbourg vs $57.0 in Besancon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $370 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

Strasbourg vs Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Strasbourg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Besancon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Strasbourg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,017 in Strasbourg 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 43% less than in Strasbourg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,116 in Strasbourg 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 $2,214 in Strasbourg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Strasbourg. 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, Strasbourg 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 25% less than in Strasbourg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.