Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, NC and Caen

For one person, living is cheaper in Caen: $1,671 a month against $2,452 in Fayetteville, NC, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fayetteville, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,452
/mo nomad
Caen
🇫🇷 France
$1,671
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fayetteville, NC and in Caen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,452 in Fayetteville, NC versus $1,671 in Caen.

  • Fayetteville, NC $2,452
  • Caen $1,671

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,217 in Fayetteville, NC versus $2,568 in Caen.

  • Fayetteville, NC $3,217
  • Caen $2,568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,983 in Fayetteville, NC versus $3,466 in Caen.

  • Fayetteville, NC $3,983
  • Caen $3,466

Living in Fayetteville, NC is roughly 47% more expensive than in Caen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fayetteville, NC 81% above, Caen 23% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.48 $18.48
$16.56 €14.73
11.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.7 $60.7
$55.2 €49.11
10.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.90 $11.90
$13.50 €12.01
-11.85%
Cappuccino
$5.02 $5.02
$2.84 €2.53
76.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$3.05 €2.71
-27.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 $1.64
$2.05 €1.82
-20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.85 $4.85
$8.38 €7.46
-42.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.47 $6.47
$5.49 €4.88
17.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$1.35 €1.20
-40.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.68 $3.68
$1.78 €1.59
106.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.29 $3.29
$1.98 €1.76
66.16%
Eggs
$3.72 $3.72
$3.81 €3.39
-2.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.16 $10.16
$9.96 €8.86
2.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.72 $8.72
$11.74 €10.44
-25.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.32 $17.32
$16.28 €14.48
6.39%
Apples (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$3.10 €2.76
35.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$3.01 €2.68
-26.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$1.51 €1.34
168.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$4.17 €3.71
9.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 $2.30
$1.80 €1.60
27.78%
Onion (1kg)
$3.24 $3.24
$1.97 €1.76
64.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.65 €1.47
9.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$0.15 €0.13
1226.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.71 $8.71
$13.15 €11.70
-33.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.67 $12.67
$5.59 €4.98
126.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.48 €1.32
13.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 $2.99
$1.65 €1.47
81.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.78 €1.58
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$49.59 €44.11
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.25 €2.00
-10.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.12 €0.99
102.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.83 $49.83
$32.41 €28.83
53.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$2.10 €1.86
-51.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$34.3K €30.5K
-22.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$36.4K €32.4K
-29.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 $182
$138 €123
32.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.1 $71.1
$32.70 €29.08
117.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.9 $62.9
$31.85 €28.33
97.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.15 $33.15
$31.94 €28.41
3.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.29 $40.29
$22.48 €20.00
79.23%
Cinema Ticket
$13.25 $13.25
$10.13 €9.01
30.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$774 $774
$879 €782
-12.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.1K $25.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$108 €96.3
-52.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.58 $36.58
$38.80 €34.52
-5.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.4 $70.4
$101 €89.8
-30.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 $116
$151 €135
-23.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 $1,198
$760 €676
57.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,286 $1,286
$600 €534
114.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,609 $1,609
$1,566 €1,393
2.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 $1,407
$1,042 €927
35.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,876 $1,876
$4,496 €3,999
-58.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,521 $1,521
$2,553 €2,270
-40.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fayetteville, NC
Caen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,982 $2,982
$2,379 €2,116
25.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.32
3.79
66.75%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, NC: October 17, 2026

Last update for Caen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fayetteville, NC
$1.3K
Caen
$600 53.4% $687
Groceries & Markets
Fayetteville, NC
$356
Caen
$292 18.1% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fayetteville, NC
$316
Caen
$203 36% $114
Eating Out
Fayetteville, NC
$296
Caen
$280 5.4% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Fayetteville, NC
$123
Caen
$180 45.5% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Fayetteville, NC
$60
Caen
$52 12.5% $7.4
Getting Around
Fayetteville, NC
$13 *
Caen
$65 383% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,198 in Fayetteville, NC and $760 in Caen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fayetteville, NC pays 25% 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: $61.0 in Fayetteville, NC vs $55.0 in Caen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $292 per month, with Caen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fayetteville, NC
🇫🇷 Caen
🕒 Local time
23:56 11:56 PM
05:56 5:56 AM
6 h ahead of Fayetteville, NC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
93,949
108,200
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fayetteville, NC Caen 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fayetteville, NC
  • Caen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Fayetteville, NC and in Caen?
Fayetteville, NC and Caen differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($2,452 vs $1,671 including rent). Caen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Fayetteville, NC or Caen?
Average pay runs 25% higher in Fayetteville, NC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Fayetteville, NC and in Caen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,198 in Fayetteville, NC versus $760 in Caen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Fayetteville, NC and Caen?
Childcare runs $774 in Fayetteville, NC versus $879 in Caen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Caen – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $61.0 in Fayetteville, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,671 in Caen versus $2,452 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.
How does quality of life compare between Fayetteville, NC and Caen?
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.
Is Fayetteville, NC or Caen safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Fayetteville, NC or Caen?
Expats usually find Caen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Fayetteville, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Fayetteville, NC vs other spots: cost of living compared

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