Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paris and Caen

For one person, living is cheaper in Caen: $1,671 a month against $2,657 in Paris, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Paris
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Paris Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Caen
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Caen Living Index

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Paris

🇫🇷 France

$2,657

/mo nomad

Caen

🇫🇷 France

$1,671

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paris 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 Paris and in Caen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,657 in Paris versus $1,671 in Caen.

Paris $2,657
Caen $1,671

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,063 in Paris versus $2,568 in Caen.

Paris $4,063
Caen $2,568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,469 in Paris versus $3,466 in Caen.

Paris $5,469
Caen $3,466

Living in Paris is roughly 59% more expensive than in Caen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paris 96% above, Caen 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.71 €16.64

$16.56 €14.73

12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 €70.4

$55.2 €49.11

43.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.68 €12.17

$13.50 €12.01

1.33%

Cappuccino

$5.03 €4.47

$2.84 €2.53

77.11%

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

$4.48 €3.98

$3.05 €2.71

46.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.42

$2.05 €1.82

32.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 €7.03

$8.38 €7.46

-5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 €5.84

$5.49 €4.88

19.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.35 €1.20

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.17

$1.78 €1.59

37.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$1.98 €1.76

41.41%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.90

$3.81 €3.39

14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 €19.58

$9.96 €8.86

120.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 €12.39

$11.74 €10.44

18.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.35 €19.88

$16.28 €14.48

37.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.84

$3.10 €2.76

2.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.01 €2.68

-26.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$1.51 €1.34

96.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 €3.86

$4.17 €3.71

4.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.80 €1.60

3.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$1.97 €1.76

27.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.65 €1.47

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.80

$0.15 €0.13

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.64 €13.02

$13.15 €11.70

11.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 €7.81

$5.59 €4.98

57.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.46

$1.48 €1.32

86.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.27

$1.65 €1.47

123.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 €2.45

$1.78 €1.58

54.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 €91.4

$49.59 €44.11

107.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 €8.12

$2.25 €2.00

305.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.12 €0.99

33.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.36 €40.35

$32.41 €28.83

39.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.98

$2.10 €1.86

5.71%

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

$34.9K €31.1K

$34.3K €30.5K

1.92%

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

$37.3K €33.2K

$36.4K €32.4K

2.53%

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

$248 €220

$138 €123

79.39%

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

$15.62 €13.90

$32.70 €29.08

-52.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 €26.83

$31.85 €28.33

-5.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.08 €34.76

$31.94 €28.41

22.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.73

$22.48 €20.00

-16.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 €14.17

$10.13 €9.01

57.26%

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

$1,822 €1,620

$879 €782

107.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.5K €23.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.6

$108 €96.3

2.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 €46.18

$38.80 €34.52

33.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €108

$101 €89.8

20.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €140

$151 €135

3.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,405

$760 €676

107.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 €1,094

$600 €534

104.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,384 €3,010

$1,566 €1,393

116.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 €2,040

$1,042 €927

120.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.7K €13.1K

$4,496 €3,999

226.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,770 €8,690

$2,553 €2,270

282.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,574 €3,179

$2,379 €2,116

50.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.79

-10.29%

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

Last update for Paris: October 19, 2026

Last update for Caen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Paris

$1.2K 46.3%

Caen

$600 35.9% 51.2% $630

Groceries & Markets

Paris

$401 15.1%

Caen

$292 17.5% 27.2% $109

Eating Out

Paris

$333 12.5%

Caen

$280 16.8% 15.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paris

$293 11.1%

Caen

$203 12.1% 31% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Paris

$199 7.5%

Caen

$180 10.8% 9.5% $19

Getting Around

Paris

$130 4.9%

Caen

$65 3.9% 50.5% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Paris

$71 2.7%

Caen

$52 3.1% 26.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Paris and $760 in Caen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paris pays 50% 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: $79.0 in Paris vs $55.0 in Caen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $292 per month, with Caen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇷 Paris

🇫🇷 Caen

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

Same time as Paris

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,133,111 Capital

108,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Paris vs Caen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paris and Caen differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,657 vs $1,671 including rent). Caen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Paris, 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: $1,579 in Paris versus $760 in Caen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Caen runs roughly 107% less than in Paris. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,822 in Paris versus $879 in Caen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,671 in Caen versus $2,657 in Paris, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Caen but tight or insufficient in Paris. 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, Paris 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 59% less than in Paris. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.