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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $2,300 in Papeete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $3,431 in Papeete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $4,563 in Papeete.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 3% more expensive than Papeete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Papeete 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$17.39 CFPF 1,777

1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$81.8 CFPF 8,359

-16.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$12.04 CFPF 1,229

16.78%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$4.05 CFPF 414

-31.36%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$3.36 CFPF 343

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.68 CFPF 273

-23.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.83 CFPF 289

57.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.85 CFPF 394

19.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.57 CFPF 160

-21.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.75 CFPF 77.1

170.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.62 CFPF 165

18.52%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$6.62 CFPF 676

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$25.60 CFPF 2,616

-28.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$16.60 CFPF 1,696

-42.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$26.66 CFPF 2,723

-28.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$5.03 CFPF 514

-47.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.23 CFPF 228

9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$5.90 CFPF 603

-64.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$7.98 CFPF 815

-64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.90 CFPF 296

-29.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.62 CFPF 267

-29.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$3.80 CFPF 389

-61.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.11 CFPF 113

-24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$11.83 CFPF 1,208

-39.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$24.52 CFPF 2,504

-67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.98 CFPF 203

-30.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.08 CFPF 315

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.99 CFPF 203

49.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$9.74 CFPF 995

-52.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.53 CFPF 156

20.26%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.2K CFPF 2.0M

102.82%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$29.5K CFPF 3.0M

10.98%

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

$188 €162

$184 CFPF 18.8K

2.22%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$17.74 CFPF 1,812

29.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$64.0 CFPF 6,540

-42.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$77.2 CFPF 7,885

-25.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$14.65 CFPF 1,496

-23.62%

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

$721 €620

$481 CFPF 49.1K

49.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$9,754 CFPF 996.4K

54.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$77.1 CFPF 7,872

11.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$83.4 CFPF 8,517

-55.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.0 CFPF 7,964

30.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$93.1 CFPF 9,514

24.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$1,231 CFPF 125.7K

24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$957 CFPF 97.7K

27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,929 CFPF 197.1K

39.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,579 CFPF 161.2K

27.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$8,536 CFPF 871.9K

-15.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$6,526 CFPF 666.6K

-20.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$2,416 CFPF 246.8K

-2.35%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Papeete: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $1,231 in Papeete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $82.0 in Papeete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $506 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 3% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $2,300 including rent). Papeete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Papeete earns 2% less. 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $1,231 in Papeete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $481 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,300 in Papeete versus $2,367 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 3% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.