Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

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.

112

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
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French Polynesia Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,315

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

French Polynesia $2,315
Australia $2,626

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

French Polynesia $3,464
Australia $3,810

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

French Polynesia $4,613
Australia $4,994

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

The cost of living in French Polynesia is roughly 12% lower than in Australia on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.95 CFPF 1,802

$17.65 A$25.10

-3.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 CFPF 8,116

$85.2 A$121

-10.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.24 CFPF 1,514

$11.09 A$15.77

28.40%

Cappuccino

$4.14 CFPF 440

$3.90 A$5.54

6.15%

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

$2.64 CFPF 280

$2.85 A$4.05

-7.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 CFPF 265

$2.31 A$3.29

7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 CFPF 505

$7.53 A$10.71

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 CFPF 593

$8.59 A$12.21

-35.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 152

$1.76 A$2.50

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.40 CFPF 468

$2.81 A$3.99

56.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 CFPF 184

$2.24 A$3.19

-22.77%

Eggs

$6.74 CFPF 716

$5.02 A$7.14

34.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$35.28 CFPF 3,750

$9.87 A$14.03

257.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.39 CFPF 1,636

$9.32 A$13.25

65.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.37 CFPF 2,591

$14.86 A$21.14

64.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 CFPF 524

$3.82 A$5.43

29.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CFPF 306

$2.92 A$4.16

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 CFPF 675

$3.13 A$4.46

102.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.63 CFPF 811

$4.81 A$6.84

58.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 CFPF 311

$2.80 A$3.98

4.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 CFPF 258

$2.38 A$3.38

1.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.65 CFPF 388

$2.37 A$3.37

54.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CFPF 123

$1.65 A$2.35

-29.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 CFPF 1,388

$39.13 A$55.7

-66.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.36 CFPF 2,483

$13.93 A$19.81

67.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 CFPF 311

$4.96 A$7.05

-41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 CFPF 400

$5.17 A$7.36

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 CFPF 193

$2.42 A$3.44

-24.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.33 CFPF 1,523

$94.6 A$135

-84.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 CFPF 1,011

$3.49 A$4.97

172.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 CFPF 254

$1.60 A$2.27

49.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.96 CFPF 2,441

$39.84 A$56.7

-42.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 153

$1.39 A$1.98

3.60%

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

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

$30.0K A$42.7K

-38.15%

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

$30.4K CFPF 3.2M

$25.8K A$36.6K

18.21%

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

$174 CFPF 18.4K

$205 A$292

-15.37%

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

$18.73 CFPF 1,991

$28.33 A$40.30

-33.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 CFPF 7,417

$58.8 A$83.6

18.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 CFPF 7,763

$55.7 A$79.2

31.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.84

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 CFPF 1,515

$15.38 A$21.87

-7.35%

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

$468 CFPF 49.7K

$2,145 A$3,051

-78.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,405 CFPF 999.7K

$18.3K A$26.1K

-48.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 CFPF 7,348

$78.3 A$111

-11.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.3 CFPF 7,687

$56.3 A$80.0

28.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 CFPF 8,288

$115 A$164

-32.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 CFPF 9,506

$123 A$175

-27.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 CFPF 131.0K

$1,591 A$2,263

-22.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 CFPF 98.0K

$1,293 A$1,839

-28.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 CFPF 198.6K

$2,524 A$3,591

-26.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 CFPF 156.6K

$2,005 A$2,852

-26.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,062 CFPF 750.7K

$8,751 A$12.4K

-19.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,027 CFPF 959.6K

$6,260 A$8,904

44.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,876 CFPF 199.4K

$3,984 A$5,666

-52.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.93

-22.43%

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

Last update for French Polynesia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

French Polynesia

$922 39.8%

Australia

$1.3K 49.2% 40.2% $371

Groceries & Markets

French Polynesia

$565 24.4%

Australia

$374 14.3% 33.7% $190

Eating Out

French Polynesia

$283 12.2%

Australia

$297 11.3% 4.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

French Polynesia

$262 11.3%

Australia

$292 11.1% 11.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

French Polynesia

$139 6%

Australia

$168 6.4% 20.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

French Polynesia

$102 4.4%

Australia

$86 3.3% 14.9% $15

Getting Around

French Polynesia

$43 1.9%

Australia

$116 4.4% 169% $73

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $1,977 in French Polynesia vs $3,874 in Australia. 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

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

11:50 11:50 AM

21 h ahead of French Polynesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,786

26,473,055

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.41 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.43 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

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).

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).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

French Polynesia
Australia

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

French Polynesia vs Australia: 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.