Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Papeete Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Papeete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $2,295 in Papeete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $3,444 in Papeete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $4,593 in Papeete.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 1% more expensive than in Papeete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Papeete 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$17.45 CFPF 1,815

1.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$82.3 CFPF 8,561

-15.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$12.11 CFPF 1,260

16.93%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.90 CFPF 406

-28.21%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$3.44 CFPF 358

-18.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$2.70 CFPF 281

-23.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$2.89 CFPF 301

59.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.98 CFPF 414

17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.51 CFPF 157

-18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.76 CFPF 79.1

167.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.68 CFPF 175

17.86%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$6.41 CFPF 667

-45.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$25.40 CFPF 2,643

-27.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$16.68 CFPF 1,735

-41.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$26.72 CFPF 2,780

-28.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$5.13 CFPF 534

-46.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.28 CFPF 237

4.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$5.88 CFPF 612

-64.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$7.68 CFPF 799

-64.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.91 CFPF 303

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.59 CFPF 270

-30.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.97 CFPF 413

-62.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.17 CFPF 121

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$11.86 CFPF 1,234

-39.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$21.16 CFPF 2,202

-62.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.95 CFPF 203

-29.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.19 CFPF 332

-25.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.99 CFPF 207

51.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$9.49 CFPF 987

-54.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.58 CFPF 165

15.19%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

96.44%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$29.5K CFPF 3.1M

9.92%

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

$189 €165

$183 CFPF 19.1K

3.20%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$17.68 CFPF 1,840

26.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$62.1 CFPF 6,457

-40.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$77.2 CFPF 8,033

-24.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$14.71 CFPF 1,531

-26.10%

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

$706 €618

$493 CFPF 51.3K

43.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$9,750 CFPF 1.0M

52.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$78.5 CFPF 8,169

13.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$82.3 CFPF 8,558

-55.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$76.2 CFPF 7,931

36.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$91.8 CFPF 9,556

30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$1,219 CFPF 126.8K

29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$971 CFPF 101.0K

27.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$1,918 CFPF 199.6K

41.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$1,535 CFPF 159.7K

32.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$8,591 CFPF 893.9K

-12.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$6,309 CFPF 656.4K

-16.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$2,387 CFPF 248.3K

-0.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-43.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Papeete: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $1,219 in Papeete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $82.0 in Papeete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $498 per month, with Barcelona 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

Barcelona vs Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Papeete differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,295 including rent). Papeete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Papeete. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $1,219 in Papeete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $493 in Papeete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Papeete – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,295 in Papeete versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Papeete but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Papeete 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, Barcelona and Papeete 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 Papeete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.