Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and the Marshall Islands

Name: Marshall Islands
Address: MH

For one person, living is cheaper in the Marshall Islands: $2,114 a month against $2,298 in French Polynesia, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in French Polynesia despite lower rent and utilities.

114

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
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French Polynesia Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in the Marshall Islands
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Marshall Islands Living Index

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🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,298

/mo nomad

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in French Polynesia and in the Marshall Islands

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 the Marshall Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,298 in French Polynesia versus $2,114 in the Marshall Islands.

French Polynesia $2,298
Marshall Islands $2,114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,502 in French Polynesia versus $2,963 in the Marshall Islands.

French Polynesia $3,502
Marshall Islands $2,963

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,707 in French Polynesia versus $3,812 in the Marshall Islands.

French Polynesia $4,707
Marshall Islands $3,812

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 9% more expensive than in the Marshall Islands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: French Polynesia 71% above, the Marshall Islands 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.98 CFPF 1,808

$7.35 $7.35

131.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 CFPF 8,051

$29.49 $29.49

156.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.22 CFPF 1,515

$10.39 $10.39

36.86%

Cappuccino

$4.11 CFPF 438

$4.40 $4.40

-6.59%

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

$2.68 CFPF 285

$1.78 $1.78

50.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 CFPF 265

$2.92 $2.92

-14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 CFPF 510

$4.53 $4.53

5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CFPF 598

$4.89 $4.89

14.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 153

$2.20 $2.20

-34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 CFPF 460

$3.38 $3.38

27.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 CFPF 175

$1.75 $1.75

-5.71%

Eggs

$6.75 CFPF 719

$5.18 $5.18

30.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$35.71 CFPF 3,803

$30.56 $30.56

16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.36 CFPF 1,636

$11.12 $11.12

38.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.04 CFPF 2,561

$18.31 $18.31

31.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 CFPF 538

$4.32 $4.32

17.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 CFPF 298

$7.39 $7.39

-62.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 CFPF 682

$8.91 $8.91

-28.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.92 CFPF 844

$13.01 $13.01

-39.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 CFPF 329

$5.30 $5.30

-41.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CFPF 263

$5.55 $5.55

-55.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.58 CFPF 381

$3.69 $3.69

-2.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CFPF 129

$1.90 $1.90

-36.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.74 CFPF 1,356

$5.91 $5.91

115.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.73 CFPF 2,527

$9.90 $9.90

139.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CFPF 308

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 CFPF 392

$2.41 $2.41

52.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 CFPF 206

$3.01 $3.01

-35.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.32 CFPF 1,525

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 CFPF 987

$2.79 $2.79

232.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 CFPF 256

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.12 CFPF 2,462

$5.12 $5.12

351.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 153

$1.85 $1.85

-22.16%

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

$18.2K CFPF 1.9M

$24.6K $24.6K

-26.31%

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

$29.8K CFPF 3.2M

$35.2K $35.2K

-15.45%

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

$176 CFPF 18.7K

$251 $251

-30.03%

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

$18.86 CFPF 2,008

$37.63 $37.63

-49.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 CFPF 7,454

$71.8 $71.8

-2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 CFPF 7,852

$36.77 $36.77

100.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 CFPF 1,480

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

$466 CFPF 49.6K

$148 $148

214.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,438 CFPF 1.0M

$2,588 $2,588

264.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 CFPF 7,435

$69.2 $69.2

0.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.1 CFPF 7,781

$39.61 $39.61

84.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 CFPF 8,453

$29.91 $29.91

165.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 CFPF 9,428

$49.52 $49.52

78.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CFPF 131.7K

$770 $770

60.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 CFPF 98.6K

$867 $867

6.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 CFPF 194.3K

$1,344 $1,344

35.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 CFPF 163.1K

$1,268 $1,268

20.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,009 CFPF 746.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,235 CFPF 983.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,893 CFPF 201.6K

$1,014 $1,014

86.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

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

Last update for French Polynesia: October 5, 2026

Last update for the Marshall Islands: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

French Polynesia

$926 39.8%

Marshall Islands

$867 41.3% 6.3% $59

Groceries & Markets

French Polynesia

$567 24.4%

Marshall Islands

$541 * 25.8% 4.5% $25

Eating Out

French Polynesia

$284 12.2%

Marshall Islands

$194 9.2% 31.6% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

French Polynesia

$264 11.4%

Marshall Islands

$360 17.2% 36.3% $96

Clothing & Footwear

French Polynesia

$140 6%

Marshall Islands

$85 4% 39.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

French Polynesia

$102 4.4%

Marshall Islands

$37 * 1.8% 63.8% $65

Getting Around

French Polynesia

$43 1.9%

Marshall Islands

$15 * 0.7% 65.8% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $342 in French Polynesia, $790 in the Marshall Islands. Capital cities: $1,342 in Papeete vs $790 in Majuro.

National salary averages: $1,969 in French Polynesia, $1,007 in the Marshall Islands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 131% higher in the Marshall Islands.

Dining out costs 43% more in the Marshall Islands.

Salaries are 96% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

Good to know

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

01:55 1:55 AM

22 h ahead of French Polynesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,786

53,127

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

French Polynesia Marshall Islands 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

French Polynesia
Marshall Islands

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 Marshall Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,298 per month in French Polynesia and $2,114 in the Marshall Islands, there's a 9% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, the Marshall Islands is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In the Marshall Islands, $2,500 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: the Marshall Islands wins on affordability; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.