Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Strasbourg and Besancon

For one person, living is cheaper in Besancon: $1,754 a month against $2,199 in Strasbourg, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Strasbourg
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Strasbourg Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Besancon
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Besancon Living Index

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Strasbourg

🇫🇷 France

$2,199

/mo nomad

Besancon

🇫🇷 France

$1,754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Strasbourg and in Besancon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Strasbourg and in Besancon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,199 in Strasbourg versus $1,754 in Besancon.

Strasbourg $2,199
Besancon $1,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Strasbourg versus $2,541 in Besancon.

Strasbourg $3,271
Besancon $2,541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,343 in Strasbourg versus $3,328 in Besancon.

Strasbourg $4,343
Besancon $3,328

Living in Strasbourg is roughly 25% more expensive than in Besancon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Strasbourg 62% above, Besancon 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.75 €15.00

$16.79 €15.03

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €61.9

$54.9 €49.12

26.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.15 €12.68

$11.06 €9.91

27.94%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.94

$3.00 €2.69

46.67%

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

$3.37 €3.02

$2.32 €2.08

45.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.11

$1.58 €1.41

49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 €7.11

$6.60 €5.92

20.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 €5.40

$5.72 €5.12

5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.17

$1.27 €1.14

2.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.64 €1.47

18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.14 €1.91

31.31%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.95

$4.54 €4.07

-2.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.39 €29.90

$20.49 €18.35

62.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.15 €15.36

$11.11 €9.95

54.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.90 €18.71

$18.32 €16.41

14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.67 €2.39

-5.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.19 €1.96

14.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 €2.88

$2.84 €2.55

13.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 €3.25

$2.48 €2.22

46.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.44 €2.18

-9.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$2.42 €2.16

10.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.38 €1.23

-1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.66

$1.12 €1.00

-34.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.58 €12.16

$14.18 €12.70

-4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 €8.10

$9.47 €8.49

-4.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.87

$4.76 €4.27

-56.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.07

$3.25 €2.91

39.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.75 €1.57

22.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 €55.8

$43.76 €39.19

42.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 €2.92

$3.12 €2.79

4.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.09 €1.87

0.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.73 €23.94

$30.39 €27.22

-12.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.08 €1.87

4.33%

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

$35.1K €31.4K

$35.3K €31.6K

-0.48%

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

$38.1K €34.2K

$38.5K €34.5K

-0.92%

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

$348 €312

$228 €204

52.89%

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

$18.23 €16.33

$14.33 €12.84

27.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.16 €29.70

$34.37 €30.78

-3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.69 €31.07

$26.49 €23.73

30.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 €23.60

$19.74 €17.68

33.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 €13.23

$10.97 €9.82

34.64%

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

$1,062 €951

$333 €298

219.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K €14.0K

$7,365 €6,596

112.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.6

$96.6 €86.5

4.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.10 €38.60

$38.88 €34.82

10.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$93.0 €83.3

10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €129

$123 €110

17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €897

$658 €590

52.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 €661

$585 €524

26.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 €1,708

$982 €880

94.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,109

$807 €723

53.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 €4,934

$2,858 €2,559

92.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,168 €2,837

$2,234 €2,001

41.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,949 €2,641

$2,139 €1,915

37.90%

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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Besancon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Strasbourg

$738 33.6%

Besancon

$585 33.4% 20.8% $153

Groceries & Markets

Strasbourg

$433 19.7%

Besancon

$358 20.4% 17.1% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Strasbourg

$400 18.2%

Besancon

$276 15.8% 30.8% $123

Eating Out

Strasbourg

$304 13.8%

Besancon

$264 15% 13.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Strasbourg

$176 8%

Besancon

$158 9% 10.3% $18

Getting Around

Strasbourg

$85 3.9%

Besancon

$64 3.7% 23.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Strasbourg

$64 2.9%

Besancon

$48 2.8% 24.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Strasbourg and $658 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Strasbourg pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Strasbourg vs $55 in Besancon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $358 per month, with Besancon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Strasbourg

🇫🇷 Besancon

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

Same time as Strasbourg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

291,313

119,198

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 20% 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 38% 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: $1,002 in Strasbourg versus $658 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 30% less than in Strasbourg. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,062 in Strasbourg versus $333 in Besancon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,754 in Besancon versus $2,199 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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Strasbourg and Besancon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Besancon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Strasbourg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.