Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Caen Cost of Living Comparison Between Toulouse and Caen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,963 in Toulouse versus $1,629 in Caen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,077 in Toulouse versus $2,546 in Caen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,191 in Toulouse versus $3,464 in Caen.

Living in Toulouse is roughly 20% more expensive than in Caen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toulouse 47% above, Caen 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 €15.08

$14.83 €12.98

16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 €61.1

$57.7 €50.4

21.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 €11.26

$11.45 €10.02

12.40%

Cappuccino

$3.57 €3.12

$2.64 €2.31

35.23%

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

$2.69 €2.35

$3.74 €3.27

-28.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.43 €1.25

16.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.17 €7.15

$8.05 €7.04

1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €4.96

$6.40 €5.60

-11.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.17 €1.03

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.39 €1.22

51.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 €2.66

$2.27 €1.99

33.92%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.59

$3.38 €2.96

21.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.25 €22.09

$10.51 €9.19

140.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.71 €12.87

$11.41 €9.98

28.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 €15.71

$20.19 €17.66

-11.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.85

$2.37 €2.08

37.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 €2.56

$2.01 €1.76

45.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 €2.81

$2.34 €2.04

37.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 €3.08

$2.42 €2.11

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.47

$1.89 €1.65

49.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 €2.76

$2.24 €1.96

40.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.31 €1.15

38.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.60 €0.53

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 €12.83

$12.72 €11.13

15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 €8.15

$6.17 €5.40

50.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 €3.37

$2.39 €2.09

61.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.63

$1.60 €1.40

87.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.82 €1.60

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 €57.7

$50.4 €44.06

30.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 €2.56

$2.95 €2.58

-0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.84 €1.61

-24.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.03 €35.02

$37.81 €33.08

5.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.07 €1.81

1.93%

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

$37.6K €32.9K

$26.3K €23.1K

42.84%

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

$40.0K €35.0K

$35.5K €31.1K

12.72%

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

$190 €166

$173 €152

9.78%

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

$22.13 €19.36

$23.06 €20.18

-4.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.22 €31.69

$27.23 €23.83

33.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 €34.71

$32.28 €28.25

22.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 €23.23

$20.21 €17.68

31.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 €12.32

$15.28 €13.37

-7.85%

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

$871 €762

$173 €151

404.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K €16.0K

$8,779 €7,681

108.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €106

$111 €97.2

9.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 €43.36

$35.59 €31.14

39.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €111

$90.0 €78.8

40.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €144

$146 €128

12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 €764

$653 €571

33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 €599

$558 €488

22.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 €1,330

$1,403 €1,227

8.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 €1,030

$1,045 €914

12.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,501 €5,688

$4,593 €4,018

41.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,289 €2,878

$2,551 €2,232

28.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,910 €2,546

$2,447 €2,141

18.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.62

2.49%

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

Last update for Toulouse: July 14, 2026

Last update for Caen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $874 in Toulouse and $653 in Caen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toulouse pays 19% 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: $70.0 in Toulouse vs $58.0 in Caen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $293 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

Toulouse vs Caen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toulouse and Caen differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,963 vs $1,629 including rent). Caen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Toulouse, 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: $874 in Toulouse versus $653 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 31% less than in Toulouse. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $871 in Toulouse versus $173 in Caen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,629 in Caen versus $1,963 in Toulouse, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Caen but tight or insufficient in Toulouse. 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, Toulouse 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 20% less than in Toulouse. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.