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: $1,734 in Caen versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,647 in Caen versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,560 in Caen versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Caen is roughly 38% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caen is 26% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.53 €15.09

$4.56 ฿150

284.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €50.1

$32.62 ฿1,072

78.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.89 €11.95

$8.90 ฿293

56.07%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.63

$2.80 ฿92.2

9.29%

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

$3.32 €2.85

$0.88 ฿28.93

277.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.49 ฿16.08

340.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 €7.66

$2.39 ฿78.5

272.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.89

$3.71 ฿122

53.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.79 ฿58.7

-21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.44 ฿47.38

21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.58 ฿52.1

29.75%

Eggs

$4.08 €3.51

$2.13 ฿69.9

91.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 €9.01

$19.92 ฿655

-47.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.31 €9.73

$3.43 ฿113

229.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.36 €14.08

$11.33 ฿372

44.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.95 ฿96.9

9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.72 ฿56.6

87.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.32 ฿76.4

-34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 €3.77

$2.08 ฿68.4

110.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.47 ฿48.33

27.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.36 ฿44.64

47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.10 ฿36.12

48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.15 €0.13

$0.57 ฿18.89

-73.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.56 €11.67

$4.27 ฿140

217.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 €5.12

$18.42 ฿605

-67.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.87 ฿61.5

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.92 ฿96.0

-43.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 €1.58

$2.22 ฿72.9

-17.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.1 €44.85

$22.90 ฿753

127.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.03 ฿99.6

-23.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.07 ฿35.31

12.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.34

$3.93 ฿129

767.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.49 ฿49.04

43.62%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

33.98%

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

$33.3K €28.6K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

21.18%

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

$140 €121

$103 ฿3,379

36.63%

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

$15.58 €13.41

$10.99 ฿361

41.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.26 €28.62

$17.51 ฿576

89.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.14 €28.51

$53.5 ฿1,760

-38.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.34 €20.09

$11.20 ฿368

108.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.39 €8.94

$7.48 ฿246

38.90%

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

$928 €799

$557 ฿18.3K

66.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.3

$64.1 ฿2,106

74.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.96 €35.25

$29.07 ฿956

40.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.7

$96.0 ฿3,154

7.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €131

$90.3 ฿2,970

69.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 €654

$730 ฿24.0K

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 €542

$500 ฿16.4K

26.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 €1,381

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-23.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 €934

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-10.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,655 €4,006

$3,596 ฿118.2K

29.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,652 €2,282

$2,512 ฿82.6K

5.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,442 €2,101

$503 ฿16.5K

385.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Caen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $760 in Caen and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caen pays 385% 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 $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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

Caen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caen and Phuket differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,734 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 385% higher in Caen, 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: $760 in Caen versus $730 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 128% less than in Caen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $928 in Caen versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,734 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 38% less than in Caen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.