Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Besancon Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Besancon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,979 in Toulouse versus $1,546 in Besancon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,007 in Toulouse versus $2,345 in Besancon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,036 in Toulouse versus $3,145 in Besancon.

Living in Toulouse is roughly 28% more expensive than in Besancon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 49% above, Besancon 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.98

$16.02 €13.88

7.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 €59.7

$51.1 €44.21

35.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.49 €10.82

$9.86 €8.54

26.67%

Cappuccino

$3.53 €3.06

$3.57 €3.09

-1.12%

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

$2.70 €2.34

$2.37 €2.06

13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.14 €0.99

51.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 €7.04

$6.98 €6.04

16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.95

$4.69 €4.06

21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.07 €0.92

32.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.89

$1.68 €1.45

29.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 €2.67

$2.00 €1.73

54.50%

Eggs

$4.15 €3.59

$3.64 €3.15

14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.07 €21.71

$17.46 €15.12

43.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.26 €12.35

$12.17 €10.54

17.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.05 €15.63

$16.23 €14.06

11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.76

$2.81 €2.43

13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 €2.66

$2.12 €1.83

44.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.87

$2.34 €2.03

41.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 €3.05

$2.41 €2.08

46.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 €2.44

$2.18 €1.89

28.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 €2.79

$2.35 €2.04

37.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 €1.60

$1.54 €1.33

20.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.83

$0.82 €0.71

17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.70 €12.73

$14.61 €12.65

0.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 €7.95

$9.51 €8.24

-3.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.05 €3.50

$2.64 €2.29

53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.71

$1.72 €1.49

81.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.84 €1.59

14.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 €56.5

$49.56 €42.92

31.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 €2.57

$3.18 €2.75

-6.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.76 €1.52

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.18 €34.80

$33.46 €28.98

20.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.06 €1.78

1.46%

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

$38.2K €33.0K

$37.9K €32.9K

0.57%

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

$39.5K €34.2K

$38.7K €33.5K

2.09%

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

$187 €162

$114 €99.0

63.82%

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

$21.98 €19.03

$17.40 €15.06

26.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.81 €31.01

$36.71 €31.79

-2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.19 €33.94

$38.14 €33.03

2.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.79 €23.20

$28.61 €24.78

-6.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.78 €11.93

$10.51 €9.10

31.11%

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

$870 €753

$353 €306

146.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K €16.0K

$8,036 €6,959

129.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 €108

$62.1 €53.8

101.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.90 €43.21

$23.20 €20.10

115.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 €110

$91.0 €78.8

39.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €142

$141 €122

16.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 €755

$545 €472

60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 €595

$499 €432

37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,325

$1,011 €875

51.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 €1,025

$850 €736

39.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,378 €5,523

$2,849 €2,468

123.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,296 €2,855

$2,268 €1,964

45.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,919 €2,528

$2,201 €1,906

32.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.35

10.75%

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

Last update for Toulouse: July 26, 2026

Last update for Besancon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $872 in Toulouse and $545 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 33% 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: $69.0 in Toulouse vs $51.0 in Besancon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $323 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

Toulouse vs Besancon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Besancon wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Toulouse. 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 33% higher in Toulouse, 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: $872 in Toulouse versus $545 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 32% less than in Toulouse. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $870 in Toulouse versus $353 in Besancon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,546 in Besancon versus $1,979 in Toulouse, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Besancon but tight or insufficient in Toulouse. 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 $1,546 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Besancon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Toulouse 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 28% less than in Toulouse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.