Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Caen

For one person, living is cheaper in Caen: $1,669 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Caen
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Caen Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Caen

🇫🇷 France

$1,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Caen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,669 in Caen.

Austin, TX $2,663
Caen $1,669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,558 in Caen.

Austin, TX $4,133
Caen $2,558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,447 in Caen.

Austin, TX $5,603
Caen $3,447

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 60% more expensive than in Caen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Caen 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.49 €14.67

25.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.1 €49.04

53.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.17 €11.72

-6.45%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.82 €2.51

99.65%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.10 €2.76

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.14 €1.90

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.56 €7.61

-5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.73 €5.10

57.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.32 €1.18

-15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.78 €1.58

110.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.94 €1.72

68.04%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.75 €3.33

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.04 €8.93

28.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.49 €10.22

23.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.98 €14.21

1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.97 €2.64

45.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.08 €2.74

-52.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.44 €1.28

213.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.25 €3.78

2.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.78 €1.58

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.95 €1.74

20.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.63 €1.45

9.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.13 €0.11

1607.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.58 €11.19

-21.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.67 €5.04

165.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.42 €1.26

105.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.59 €1.42

117.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.75 €1.56

-14.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$48.77 €43.38

-14.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.30 €2.04

18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.11 €0.99

49.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$32.86 €29.23

7.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.15 €1.91

-55.81%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.6K €30.8K

4.24%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.1K €28.6K

-15.76%

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

$229 $229

$138 €123

66.04%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$32.99 €29.34

80.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.71 €28.20

120.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$32.67 €29.06

75.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$22.06 €19.62

-25.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.98 €7.98

59.02%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$903 €803

66.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$107 €95.5

-50.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.27 €34.04

14.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$102 €90.3

-16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$148 €132

-30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$769 €684

147.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$605 €539

110.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,501 €1,335

144.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,041 €926

143.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,428 €3,939

71.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,484 €2,210

27.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,373 €2,111

115.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.79

79.16%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Caen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Caen

$606 36.3% 52.5% $669

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Caen

$289 17.3% 28.7% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Caen

$203 12.1% 43.5% $156

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Caen

$281 16.8% 20.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Caen

$178 10.7% 39% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Caen

$51 3% 41% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Caen

$64 3.8% 8.4% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $769 in Caen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 116% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $55.0 in Caen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $289 per month, with Caen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇫🇷 Caen

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

18:25 6:25 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

108,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Caen 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Caen

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

Austin, TX vs Caen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caen wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Caen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 116% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $769 in Caen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,669 in Caen – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Caen runs roughly 17% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,669 in Caen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Caen but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Caen 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, Austin, TX and Caen 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 Caen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.