Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Caen

For one person, living is cheaper in Caen: $1,671 a month against $1,990 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Caen
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Caen Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,990

/mo nomad

Caen

🇫🇷 France

$1,671

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,990 in Rome versus $1,671 in Caen.

Rome $1,990
Caen $1,671

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,095 in Rome versus $2,568 in Caen.

Rome $3,095
Caen $2,568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,199 in Rome versus $3,466 in Caen.

Rome $4,199
Caen $3,466

Living in Rome is roughly 19% more expensive than in Caen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rome 47% above, Caen 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 €14.84

$16.56 €14.73

0.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €59.9

$55.2 €49.11

22.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 €10.06

$13.50 €12.01

-16.22%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.86

$2.84 €2.53

-26.41%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$3.05 €2.71

-5.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.05 €1.82

-28.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.01

$8.38 €7.46

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.16

$5.49 €4.88

26.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.35 €1.20

22.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.78 €1.59

28.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$1.98 €1.76

53.03%

Eggs

$4.53 €4.03

$3.81 €3.39

18.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 €13.13

$9.96 €8.86

48.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 €10.95

$11.74 €10.44

4.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 €17.35

$16.28 €14.48

19.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$3.10 €2.76

-14.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$3.01 €2.68

-23.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.51 €1.34

50.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$4.17 €3.71

-42.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.80 €1.60

-24.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.97 €1.76

-21.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.65 €1.47

-16.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.15 €0.13

266.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.37

$13.15 €11.70

-45.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.85

$5.59 €4.98

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.48 €1.32

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.65 €1.47

53.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.78 €1.58

-4.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.95 €34.64

$49.59 €44.11

-21.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 €5.93

$2.25 €2.00

196.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.12 €0.99

52.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.59 €29.87

$32.41 €28.83

3.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.10 €1.86

0.48%

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

$35.5K €31.6K

$34.3K €30.5K

3.63%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

$36.4K €32.4K

1.64%

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

$203 €180

$138 €123

46.89%

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

$11.33 €10.08

$32.70 €29.08

-65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.57 €28.08

$31.85 €28.33

-0.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.6 €58.4

$31.94 €28.41

105.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 €20.89

$22.48 €20.00

4.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 €10.16

$10.13 €9.01

12.83%

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

$497 €442

$879 €782

-43.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 €64.5

$108 €96.3

-32.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.94 €31.97

$38.80 €34.52

-7.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 €75.7

$101 €89.8

-15.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$151 €135

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,059

$760 €676

56.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 €780

$600 €534

46.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 €2,229

$1,566 €1,393

60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 €1,497

$1,042 €927

61.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,438 €7,505

$4,496 €3,999

87.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 €2,809

$2,553 €2,270

23.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,962 €1,746

$2,379 €2,116

-17.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.79

-7.12%

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

Last update for Rome: October 20, 2026

Last update for Caen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$876 44%

Caen

$600 35.9% 31.6% $277

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$325 16.3%

Caen

$292 17.5% 10.2% $33

Eating Out

Rome

$252 12.7%

Caen

$280 16.8% 11.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.4%

Caen

$203 12.1% 17.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$142 7.1%

Caen

$180 10.8% 26.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.5%

Caen

$52 3.1% 41% $36

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3.1%

Caen

$65 3.9% 5.8% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,191 in Rome and $760 in Caen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caen pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Rome vs $55.0 in Caen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $292 per month, with Caen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇫🇷 Caen

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

108,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Caen 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Rome vs Caen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rome and Caen differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,990 vs $1,671 including rent). Caen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Caen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,191 in Rome 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 27% less than in Rome. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $497 in Rome 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 $1,990 in Rome, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Caen but tight or insufficient in Rome. 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, Rome 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 19% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.