Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caen and Paris

For one person, living is cheaper in Caen: $1,671 a month against $2,657 in Paris, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Caen
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Caen Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Paris
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Paris Living Index

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Caen

🇫🇷 France

$1,671

/mo nomad

Paris

🇫🇷 France

$2,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caen and in Paris

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,671 in Caen versus $2,657 in Paris.

Caen $1,671
Paris $2,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,568 in Caen versus $4,063 in Paris.

Caen $2,568
Paris $4,063

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,466 in Caen versus $5,469 in Paris.

Caen $3,466
Paris $5,469

Living in Caen costs roughly 37% less than in Paris, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Caen 23% above, Paris 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 €14.73

$18.71 €16.64

-11.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 €49.11

$79.2 €70.4

-30.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.50 €12.01

$13.68 €12.17

-1.32%

Cappuccino

$2.84 €2.53

$5.03 €4.47

-43.54%

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

$3.05 €2.71

$4.48 €3.98

-31.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.72 €2.42

-24.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 €7.46

$7.90 €7.03

6.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 €4.88

$6.56 €5.84

-16.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.53 €1.36

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.59

$2.44 €2.17

-27.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.80 €2.49

-29.29%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.39

$4.38 €3.90

-13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 €8.86

$22.01 €19.58

-54.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 €10.44

$13.93 €12.39

-15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 €14.48

$22.35 €19.88

-27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.76

$3.19 €2.84

-2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.20 €1.96

36.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$2.97 €2.64

-49.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 €3.71

$4.34 €3.86

-3.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.87 €1.66

-3.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.51 €2.24

-21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.80 €1.60

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.15 €0.13

$0.90 €0.80

-83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.15 €11.70

$14.64 €13.02

-10.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.59 €4.98

$8.78 €7.81

-36.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.76 €2.46

-46.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.47

$3.68 €3.27

-55.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.58

$2.75 €2.45

-35.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.59 €44.11

$103 €91.4

-51.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 €2.00

$9.13 €8.12

-75.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.99

$1.49 €1.33

-24.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.41 €28.83

$45.36 €40.35

-28.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.86

$2.22 €1.98

-5.41%

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

$34.3K €30.5K

$34.9K €31.1K

-1.88%

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

$36.4K €32.4K

$37.3K €33.2K

-2.47%

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

$138 €123

$248 €220

-44.26%

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

$32.70 €29.08

$15.62 €13.90

109.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.85 €28.33

$30.16 €26.83

5.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.94 €28.41

$39.08 €34.76

-18.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.48 €20.00

$18.80 €16.73

19.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 €9.01

$15.93 €14.17

-36.41%

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

$879 €782

$1,822 €1,620

-51.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.5K €23.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.3

$111 €98.6

-2.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.80 €34.52

$51.9 €46.18

-25.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.8

$122 €108

-16.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €135

$157 €140

-3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 €676

$1,579 €1,405

-51.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 €534

$1,230 €1,094

-51.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,393

$3,384 €3,010

-53.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 €927

$2,294 €2,040

-54.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,496 €3,999

$14.7K €13.1K

-69.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,553 €2,270

$9,770 €8,690

-73.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,379 €2,116

$3,574 €3,179

-33.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.4

11.47%

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

Last update for Caen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Paris: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caen

$600 35.9%

Paris

$1.2K 46.3% 105% $630

Groceries & Markets

Caen

$292 17.5%

Paris

$401 15.1% 37.4% $109

Eating Out

Caen

$280 16.8%

Paris

$333 12.5% 18.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caen

$203 12.1%

Paris

$293 11.1% 44.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Caen

$180 10.8%

Paris

$199 7.5% 10.5% $19

Getting Around

Caen

$65 3.9%

Paris

$130 4.9% 102% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Caen

$52 3.1%

Paris

$71 2.7% 35.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $760 in Caen and $1,579 in Paris. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paris pays 50% 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: $55.0 in Caen vs $79.0 in Paris for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $401 per month, with Caen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Caen

🇫🇷 Paris

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

Same time as Caen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,200

2,133,111 Capital

💱 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

Caen vs Paris: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caen and Paris differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,671 vs $2,657 including rent). Caen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Paris. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $760 in Caen versus $1,579 in Paris. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Caen runs roughly 107% less than in Paris. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $879 in Caen versus $1,822 in Paris. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,671 in Caen versus $2,657 in Paris, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Caen but tight or insufficient in Paris. 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, Caen and Paris 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 59% less than in Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.