Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Besancon

For one person, living is cheaper in Besancon: $1,754 a month against $2,004 in Toulouse, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Toulouse
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Toulouse Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Besancon
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Besancon Living Index

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Toulouse

🇫🇷 France

$2,004

/mo nomad

Besancon

🇫🇷 France

$1,754

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toulouse 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 Toulouse and in Besancon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,004 in Toulouse versus $1,754 in Besancon.

Toulouse $2,004
Besancon $1,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,072 in Toulouse versus $2,541 in Besancon.

Toulouse $3,072
Besancon $2,541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,140 in Toulouse versus $3,328 in Besancon.

Toulouse $4,140
Besancon $3,328

Living in Toulouse is roughly 14% more expensive than in Besancon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 47% above, Besancon 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 €15.06

$16.79 €14.98

0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 €70.9

$54.9 €48.94

44.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 €12.00

$11.06 €9.87

21.52%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €4.01

$3.00 €2.68

50.00%

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

$3.95 €3.52

$2.32 €2.07

70.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.63

$1.58 €1.41

86.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 €6.54

$6.60 €5.89

11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.12

$5.72 €5.10

19.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.27 €1.13

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.64 €1.47

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.14 €1.91

21.03%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.12

$4.54 €4.05

1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.00 €20.52

$20.49 €18.28

12.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.66 €13.08

$11.11 €9.91

31.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.29 €19.00

$18.32 €16.35

16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €2.98

$2.67 €2.38

25.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.19 €1.95

18.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$2.84 €2.54

16.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.18

$2.48 €2.21

43.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.44 €2.17

1.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 €2.49

$2.42 €2.16

15.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.38 €1.23

8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.12 €1.00

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.91 €12.41

$14.18 €12.65

-1.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.80 €7.85

$9.47 €8.45

-7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.13

$4.76 €4.25

-26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.06

$3.25 €2.90

5.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.75 €1.56

26.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 €57.3

$43.76 €39.04

46.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.19 €7.31

$3.12 €2.78

162.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.09 €1.87

11.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 €33.88

$30.39 €27.11

24.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.08 €1.86

7.21%

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

$35.2K €31.4K

$35.3K €31.5K

-0.25%

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

$35.7K €31.8K

$38.5K €34.3K

-7.33%

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

$217 €194

$228 €203

-4.63%

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

$13.92 €12.42

$14.33 €12.79

-2.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.90

$34.37 €30.66

-2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.27 €31.47

$26.49 €23.64

33.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 €19.48

$19.74 €17.61

10.59%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 €11.80

$10.97 €9.78

20.60%

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

$1,002 €894

$333 €297

201.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,903 €8,835

$7,365 €6,571

34.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €101

$96.6 €86.2

17.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €46.80

$38.88 €34.69

34.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €105

$93.0 €83.0

26.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €147

$123 €110

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 €790

$658 €587

34.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 €599

$585 €522

14.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,507 €1,344

$982 €876

53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €1,003

$807 €720

39.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 €5,300

$2,858 €2,550

107.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,403 €3,037

$2,234 €1,993

52.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 €2,602

$2,139 €1,908

36.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.62

4.70%

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

Last update for Toulouse: October 26, 2026

Last update for Besancon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toulouse

$672 33.5%

Besancon

$585 33.4% 12.9% $87

Groceries & Markets

Toulouse

$405 20.2%

Besancon

$358 20.4% 11.4% $46

Eating Out

Toulouse

$307 15.3%

Besancon

$264 15% 14.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toulouse

$265 13.2%

Besancon

$276 15.8% 4.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Toulouse

$202 10.1%

Besancon

$158 9% 21.6% $44

Getting Around

Toulouse

$93 4.6%

Besancon

$64 3.7% 30.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Toulouse

$62 3.1%

Besancon

$48 2.8% 21.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Toulouse and $658 in Besancon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Toulouse vs $55 in Besancon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $358 per month, with Besancon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Toulouse

🇫🇷 Besancon

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

Same time as Toulouse

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

504,078

119,198

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Toulouse Besancon 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 12% 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 36% 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: $885 in Toulouse 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 32% less than in Toulouse. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,002 in Toulouse 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 $2,004 in Toulouse, a $2,000 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 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, Toulouse 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 12% less than in Toulouse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.