Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $2,315 in French Polynesia, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
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French Polynesia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,315

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,315 in French Polynesia versus $791 in China.

French Polynesia $2,315
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in French Polynesia versus $1,251 in China.

French Polynesia $3,464
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in French Polynesia versus $1,711 in China.

French Polynesia $4,613
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in French Polynesia: monthly costs span $14 to $2,283, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in French Polynesia.

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 193% more expensive than in China on average.

French Polynesia (70% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.95 CFPF 1,809

$2.98 ¥19.84

468.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 CFPF 8,146

$22.09 ¥147

245.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.24 CFPF 1,520

$5.20 ¥34.66

173.85%

Cappuccino

$4.14 CFPF 441

$2.97 ¥19.77

39.39%

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

$2.64 CFPF 281

$0.48 ¥3.19

450.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 CFPF 266

$0.30 ¥2.01

730.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 CFPF 507

$1.08 ¥7.19

339.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 CFPF 595

$2.28 ¥15.18

144.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 153

$1.80 ¥11.98

-20.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.40 CFPF 470

$1.68 ¥11.17

161.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 CFPF 185

$0.92 ¥6.14

88.04%

Eggs

$6.74 CFPF 719

$1.61 ¥10.75

318.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$35.28 CFPF 3,764

$13.38 ¥89.2

163.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.39 CFPF 1,643

$3.35 ¥22.31

359.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.37 CFPF 2,600

$11.35 ¥75.7

114.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 CFPF 526

$1.82 ¥12.14

170.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CFPF 308

$1.31 ¥8.71

119.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 CFPF 678

$1.49 ¥9.91

326.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.63 CFPF 814

$1.27 ¥8.49

500.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 CFPF 312

$0.71 ¥4.74

311.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 CFPF 259

$0.93 ¥6.22

160.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.65 CFPF 390

$0.62 ¥4.12

488.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CFPF 123

$0.56 ¥3.75

107.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 CFPF 1,393

$3.78 ¥25.19

245.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.36 CFPF 2,493

$12.13 ¥80.9

92.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 CFPF 312

$0.83 ¥5.55

251.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 CFPF 401

$1.68 ¥11.23

123.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 CFPF 194

$0.29 ¥1.92

527.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.33 CFPF 1,529

$17.83 ¥119

-19.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 CFPF 1,014

$1.49 ¥9.91

538.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 CFPF 255

$0.37 ¥2.50

545.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.96 CFPF 2,450

$7.10 ¥47.31

223.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 153

$1.26 ¥8.39

14.29%

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

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

$19.4K ¥129.6K

-4.56%

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

$30.4K CFPF 3.2M

$17.5K ¥116.9K

73.60%

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

$174 CFPF 18.5K

$54.6 ¥364

218.05%

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

$18.73 CFPF 1,998

$8.73 ¥58.2

114.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 CFPF 7,445

$11.07 ¥73.8

530.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 CFPF 7,793

$40.77 ¥272

79.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.5

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 CFPF 1,521

$6.78 ¥45.19

110.18%

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

$468 CFPF 49.9K

$517 ¥3,443

-9.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,405 CFPF 1.0M

$19.8K ¥132.0K

-52.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 CFPF 7,376

$46.53 ¥310

48.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.3 CFPF 7,716

$35.66 ¥238

102.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 CFPF 8,319

$77.0 ¥513

1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 CFPF 9,542

$80.3 ¥535

11.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 CFPF 131.5K

$386 ¥2,572

219.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 CFPF 98.4K

$235 ¥1,563

293.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 CFPF 199.3K

$822 ¥5,478

127.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 CFPF 157.2K

$453 ¥3,020

225.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,062 CFPF 753.5K

$4,697 ¥31.3K

50.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,027 CFPF 963.2K

$2,372 ¥15.8K

280.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,876 CFPF 200.2K

$1,093 ¥7,286

71.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

3.46

32.95%

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

Last update for French Polynesia: October 24, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

French Polynesia

$922 39.8%

China

$235 29.6% 74.6% $687

Groceries & Markets

French Polynesia

$565 24.4%

China

$210 26.5% 62.8% $354

Eating Out

French Polynesia

$283 12.2%

China

$88 11.1% 68.9% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

French Polynesia

$262 11.3%

China

$74 9.4% 71.6% $188

Clothing & Footwear

French Polynesia

$139 6%

China

$108 13.6% 22.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

French Polynesia

$102 4.4%

China

$54 6.9% 46.5% $47

Getting Around

French Polynesia

$43 1.9%

China

$22 2.8% 48.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,170 in French Polynesia, $298 in China. Capital cities: $1,328 in Papeete vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,977 in French Polynesia, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 293% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 245% more in French Polynesia.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in China.

Salaries are about 2.3 times higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

21:18 9:18 PM

18 h ahead of French Polynesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,786

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.42 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.42 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

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Between locations

French Polynesia China 11,580 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

French Polynesia
China

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $2,315 in French Polynesia, there’s a 193% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,170 in French Polynesia and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in French Polynesia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.