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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $2,393 in Papeete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $3,560 in Papeete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $4,728 in Papeete.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 4% more expensive than in Papeete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Papeete 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$19.66 CFPF 2,014

-6.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$96.5 CFPF 9,885

-28.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$15.44 CFPF 1,582

-9.00%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.45 CFPF 353

-9.86%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.72 CFPF 279

8.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$3.39 CFPF 348

-42.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.35 CFPF 343

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.98 CFPF 408

16.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.48 CFPF 151

-10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.83 CFPF 290

-25.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.67 CFPF 171

9.58%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$6.70 CFPF 687

-22.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$29.17 CFPF 2,989

-39.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$15.75 CFPF 1,613

-39.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$27.10 CFPF 2,776

-26.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$4.93 CFPF 505

-35.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.53 CFPF 259

-12.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$6.86 CFPF 702

-61.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$8.14 CFPF 834

-64.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.82 CFPF 288

-23.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.33 CFPF 238

-9.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$3.95 CFPF 404

-58.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.20 CFPF 123

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$13.12 CFPF 1,344

-45.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$22.20 CFPF 2,274

-62.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.82 CFPF 289

-46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.18 CFPF 326

-13.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$1.96 CFPF 201

60.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$9.83 CFPF 1,008

-67.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.58 CFPF 161

10.76%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$19.4K CFPF 2.0M

88.52%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$29.2K CFPF 3.0M

8.51%

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

$187 €161

$186 CFPF 19.1K

0.46%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$20.21 CFPF 2,070

-25.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$71.8 CFPF 7,353

-47.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$87.8 CFPF 8,992

-36.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$14.67 CFPF 1,503

-20.18%

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

$1,011 €871

$482 CFPF 49.4K

109.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$9,779 CFPF 1.0M

74.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$72.2 CFPF 7,392

26.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$75.7 CFPF 7,753

-45.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$80.4 CFPF 8,234

37.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$92.2 CFPF 9,442

36.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$1,365 CFPF 139.9K

24.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$964 CFPF 98.8K

34.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$1,928 CFPF 197.6K

34.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$1,584 CFPF 162.3K

21.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$7,343 CFPF 752.3K

5.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$7,943 CFPF 813.7K

-32.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$2,446 CFPF 250.5K

-2.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

4.5

-29.78%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Papeete: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $1,365 in Papeete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $96.0 in Papeete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $540 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 4% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $2,393 including rent). Papeete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $1,365 in Papeete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $482 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 $96.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Papeete is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 4% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.