Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

For one person, living is cheaper in French Polynesia: $2,315 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Australia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
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French Polynesia Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in French Polynesia

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $2,315 in French Polynesia, rent included.

Australia $2,626
French Polynesia $2,315

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $3,464 in French Polynesia, rent included.

Australia $3,810
French Polynesia $3,464

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $4,613 in French Polynesia, rent included.

Australia $4,994
French Polynesia $4,613

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,068–$3,303, French Polynesia $14–$2,283. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Australia is about 13% higher than in French Polynesia on average.

Both Australia and French Polynesia are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, French Polynesia by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.10

$16.95 CFPF 1,802

4.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$76.4 CFPF 8,116

11.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.77

$14.24 CFPF 1,514

-22.12%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.54

$4.14 CFPF 440

-5.80%

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

$2.85 A$4.05

$2.64 CFPF 280

7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$2.49 CFPF 265

-7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.71

$4.75 CFPF 505

58.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.21

$5.58 CFPF 593

53.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.43 CFPF 152

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$4.40 CFPF 468

-36.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$1.73 CFPF 184

29.48%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$6.74 CFPF 716

-25.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.03

$35.28 CFPF 3,750

-72.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.25

$15.39 CFPF 1,636

-39.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.14

$24.37 CFPF 2,591

-39.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.43

$4.93 CFPF 524

-22.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.16

$2.88 CFPF 306

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$6.35 CFPF 675

-50.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.84

$7.63 CFPF 811

-36.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$2.92 CFPF 311

-4.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$2.42 CFPF 258

-1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$3.65 CFPF 388

-35.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.16 CFPF 123

42.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.7

$13.06 CFPF 1,388

199.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.81

$23.36 CFPF 2,483

-40.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

$2.92 CFPF 311

69.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.36

$3.76 CFPF 400

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.82 CFPF 193

32.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$135

$14.33 CFPF 1,523

560.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$9.51 CFPF 1,011

-63.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$2.39 CFPF 254

-33.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.7

$22.96 CFPF 2,441

73.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.98

$1.44 CFPF 153

-3.47%

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

$30.0K A$42.7K

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

61.68%

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

$25.8K A$36.6K

$30.4K CFPF 3.2M

-15.40%

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

$205 A$292

$174 CFPF 18.4K

18.16%

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

$28.33 A$40.30

$18.73 CFPF 1,991

51.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.6

$69.8 CFPF 7,417

-15.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.2

$73.0 CFPF 7,763

-23.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.84

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.87

$14.25 CFPF 1,515

7.93%

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

$2,145 A$3,051

$468 CFPF 49.7K

358.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$9,405 CFPF 999.7K

95.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$69.1 CFPF 7,348

13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$72.3 CFPF 7,687

-22.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$78.0 CFPF 8,288

47.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$89.4 CFPF 9,506

37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,263

$1,233 CFPF 131.0K

29.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,839

$922 CFPF 98.0K

40.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,591

$1,868 CFPF 198.6K

35.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,852

$1,473 CFPF 156.6K

36.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$7,062 CFPF 750.7K

23.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,904

$9,027 CFPF 959.6K

-30.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,666

$1,876 CFPF 199.4K

112.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

4.6

28.91%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

French Polynesia

$922 39.8% 28.7% $371

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

French Polynesia

$565 24.4% 50.9% $190

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

French Polynesia

$283 12.2% 4.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

French Polynesia

$262 11.3% 10.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

French Polynesia

$139 6% 17.2% $29

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

French Polynesia

$43 1.9% 62.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

French Polynesia

$102 4.4% 17.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $1,170 in French Polynesia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $1,328 in Papeete.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $1,977 in French Polynesia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 11% more in Australia.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 96% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🕒 Local time

12:46 12:46 PM

15:46 3:46 PM

21 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

278,786

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.41 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.41 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.43 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia French Polynesia 6,320 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
French Polynesia

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

Australia vs French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

French Polynesia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 12% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $1,170 in French Polynesia.

French Polynesia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.