Cost of Living Comparison Between Caen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Caen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,610 in Caen versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,575 in Caen versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,539 in Caen versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Caen is roughly 27% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caen is 20% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 €12.96

$4.70 ฿153

220.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 €49.75

$45.37 ฿1,482

27.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 €9.78

$8.43 ฿275

34.88%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.30

$2.93 ฿95.6

-8.53%

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

$3.65 €3.14

$0.69 ฿22.40

428.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.37 ฿11.99

286.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 €7.01

$2.41 ฿78.6

238.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 €5.63

$3.72 ฿122

76.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.23 ฿72.9

-44.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.83 ฿59.8

-26.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.17 ฿70.8

5.07%

Eggs

$3.40 €2.92

$2.21 ฿72.3

53.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 €8.97

$19.74 ฿645

-47.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 €9.75

$3.63 ฿119

212.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.01 €17.21

$13.53 ฿442

47.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$3.28 ฿107

-30.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.61 ฿52.6

27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.41 ฿78.6

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.08 ฿68.1

16.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.53 ฿49.93

21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$1.48 ฿48.36

52.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.16

$0.99 ฿32.29

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.51 ฿16.67

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 €10.96

$4.41 ฿144

189.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.66

$19.38 ฿633

-66.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.78 ฿58.1

34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.71 ฿88.6

-42.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.37 ฿44.79

33.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 €43.10

$11.39 ฿372

339.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 €2.54

$3.02 ฿98.6

-1.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.55

$0.99 ฿32.48

82.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.44 €31.34

$14.10 ฿461

158.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.36 ฿44.51

52.21%

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

$26.4K €22.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-6.37%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

5.18%

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

$172 €148

$122 ฿3,975

41.51%

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

$23.41 €20.14

$13.57 ฿443

72.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.48 €23.63

$18.31 ฿598

50.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.20 €26.84

$60.2 ฿1,967

-48.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 €17.58

$17.14 ฿560

19.19%

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 €13.39

$8.69 ฿284

79.17%

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

$171 €147

$693 ฿22.6K

-75.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,661 €7,450

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-44.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.3

$59.5 ฿1,944

86.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.42 €31.33

$34.77 ฿1,136

4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 €77.5

$115 ฿3,743

-21.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €125

$83.3 ฿2,720

74.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 €560

$613 ฿20.0K

6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 €478

$437 ฿14.3K

27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 €1,183

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-34.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 €908

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-30.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,640 €3,991

$3,749 ฿122.5K

23.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,601 €2,237

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-0.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,582 €2,221

$508 ฿16.6K

408.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

5.33

-32.08%

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

Last update for Caen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $651 in Caen and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caen pays 408% 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: $58.0 in Caen vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $293, with Caen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caen and Phuket differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,610 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Caen pays 408% more on average, 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: $651 in Caen versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 340% less than in Caen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $171 in Caen versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,610 in Caen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Caen. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Caen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.