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: $1,629 in Caen versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,546 in Caen versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,464 in Caen versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Caen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caen is 22% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 €12.96

$4.55 ฿153

225.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 €50.4

$46.18 ฿1,550

24.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €10.01

$8.84 ฿297

29.52%

Cappuccino

$2.64 €2.31

$3.06 ฿103

-13.73%

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

$3.74 €3.27

$0.73 ฿24.36

412.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.40 ฿13.37

257.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 €7.03

$2.43 ฿81.6

231.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 €5.59

$3.78 ฿127

69.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.02

$2.26 ฿75.8

-48.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.81 ฿60.8

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €1.99

$2.25 ฿75.7

0.89%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.96

$2.25 ฿75.4

50.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 €9.18

$19.51 ฿655

-46.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 €9.97

$3.65 ฿122

212.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.64

$13.05 ฿438

54.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.23 ฿109

-26.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.62 ฿54.3

24.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.38 ฿80.0

-1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.11

$2.03 ฿68.0

19.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.53 ฿51.5

23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.50 ฿50.4

49.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.98 ฿32.85

33.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$0.52 ฿17.36

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.72 €11.11

$4.44 ฿149

186.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 €5.39

$18.32 ฿615

-66.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.86 ฿62.6

28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$2.68 ฿90.0

-40.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.41 ฿47.37

29.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 €44.00

$11.70 ฿393

330.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.58

$3.11 ฿104

-5.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.04 ฿35.00

76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.81 €33.04

$14.11 ฿474

167.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.31 ฿44.02

58.02%

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

$26.3K €23.0K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-5.27%

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

$35.5K €31.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

6.86%

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

$173 €151

$122 ฿4,110

41.42%

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

$23.06 €20.15

$13.59 ฿456

69.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.23 €23.79

$18.70 ฿628

45.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.28 €28.21

$60.5 ฿2,031

-46.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 €17.66

$16.98 ฿570

19.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 €13.35

$9.07 ฿305

68.47%

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

$173 €151

$706 ฿23.7K

-75.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,779 €7,670

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-44.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €97.1

$58.6 ฿1,965

89.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 €31.09

$35.36 ฿1,187

0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 €78.6

$115 ฿3,876

-22.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €128

$83.7 ฿2,811

74.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 €571

$626 ฿21.0K

4.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$558 €488

$445 ฿14.9K

25.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 €1,225

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-31.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 €913

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-29.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,593 €4,012

$3,483 ฿116.9K

31.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,551 €2,229

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-1.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,447 €2,138

$500 ฿16.8K

389.49%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $653 in Caen and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caen pays 389% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $289 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,629 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 389% 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: $653 in Caen versus $626 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 330% less than in Caen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $173 in Caen versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,629 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 30% less than in Caen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.