Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, NC and Caen Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, NC and Caen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,881 in Fayetteville, NC versus $1,656 in Caen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,432 in Fayetteville, NC versus $2,572 in Caen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Fayetteville, NC versus $3,488 in Caen.

Living in Fayetteville, NC is roughly 74% more expensive than Caen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fayetteville, NC 115% above, Caen 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 $15.15

$15.34 €13.08

-1.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 $60.6

$57.1 €48.74

6.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$11.62 €9.91

-5.59%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$2.60 €2.22

91.15%

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

$2.17 $2.17

$3.75 €3.20

-42.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.47 €1.26

14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.02 $4.02

$7.88 €6.72

-48.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 $6.43

$6.25 €5.33

2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.21 €1.04

-22.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.34 €1.15

142.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.25 €1.92

34.67%

Eggs

$3.50 $3.50

$3.50 €2.98

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 $7.91

$10.58 €9.02

-25.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$11.35 €9.68

-26.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$19.94 €17.01

-38.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.29 €1.96

83.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.08 €1.77

5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.32 €1.98

109.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.53 €2.16

83.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.85 €1.57

32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.24 €1.91

28.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.30 €1.11

39.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.61 €0.52

198.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.68 $7.68

$12.64 €10.78

-39.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 $12.42

$6.60 €5.63

88.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.42 €2.07

-30.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.55 €1.32

-5.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.82 €1.55

12.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.7 €44.07

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.99 €2.55

-33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.76 €1.51

7.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.6 $50.6

$37.30 €31.81

35.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.03 €1.73

-61.58%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$25.8K €22.0K

14.52%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$35.0K €29.8K

-27.72%

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

$145 $145

$168 €143

-13.35%

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

$74.3 $74.3

$23.80 €20.31

212.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 $72.7

$27.09 €23.11

168.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.13 $23.13

$32.38 €27.62

-28.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.38 $40.38

$20.27 €17.29

99.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 $12.03

$15.47 €13.20

-22.24%

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

$901 $901

$173 €148

420.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$8,746 €7,461

189.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$110 €93.4

-50.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.01 $40.01

$36.58 €31.20

9.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 $63.7

$90.5 €77.2

-29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 $87.8

$149 €127

-41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 $1,487

$649 €554

129.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,820 $1,820

$547 €467

232.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 $1,778

$1,365 €1,164

30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 $1,640

$1,070 €913

53.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,671 $1,671

$4,519 €3,855

-63.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,717 $1,717

$2,695 €2,299

-36.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,982 $2,982

$2,519 €2,149

18.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

3.62

78.18%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, NC: April 20, 2026

Last update for Caen: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,487 in Fayetteville, NC and $649 in Caen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fayetteville, NC pays 18% 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: $61 in Fayetteville, NC vs $57 in Caen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $294 per month, with Caen 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

Fayetteville, NC vs Caen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fayetteville, NC and Caen differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($2,881 vs $1,656 including rent). Caen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Fayetteville, NC pays 18% 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: $1,487 in Fayetteville, NC versus $649 in Caen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $901 in Fayetteville, NC versus $173 in Caen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Caen – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $61.0 in Fayetteville, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,656 in Caen versus $2,881 in Fayetteville, NC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Caen but tight or insufficient in Fayetteville, NC. 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, Fayetteville, NC 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 74% less than in Fayetteville, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.