Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $617 in French Polynesia versus $473 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $962 in French Polynesia versus $747 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,307 in French Polynesia versus $1,021 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 30% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: French Polynesia 55% lower, Papua New Guinea 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 CFPF 1,810

$7.12 PGK 30.82

147.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 CFPF 8,044

$45.01 PGK 195

73.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.82 CFPF 1,523

$5.80 PGK 25.09

155.52%

Cappuccino

$4.36 CFPF 448

$2.39 PGK 10.36

82.43%

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

$2.65 CFPF 272

$0.80 PGK 3.46

231.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 CFPF 276

$0.68 PGK 2.94

294.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 CFPF 510

$2.77 PGK 11.98

79.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CFPF 613

$4.15 PGK 17.97

43.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 CFPF 149

$1.85 PGK 7.99

-21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 CFPF 454

$1.54 PGK 6.66

186.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 CFPF 174

$1.40 PGK 6.07

21.43%

Eggs

$7.05 CFPF 724

$3.70 PGK 16.00

90.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.25 CFPF 3,725

$6.41 PGK 27.74

465.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.21 CFPF 1,666

$5.76 PGK 24.95

181.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.96 CFPF 2,565

$9.06 PGK 39.23

175.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 CFPF 540

$3.96 PGK 17.14

32.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 CFPF 295

$3.42 PGK 14.80

-16.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.88 CFPF 707

$6.23 PGK 26.97

10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.86 CFPF 808

$4.90 PGK 21.19

60.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 CFPF 318

$3.59 PGK 15.53

-13.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CFPF 254

$2.47 PGK 10.68

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.67 CFPF 377

$1.79 PGK 7.74

105.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 130

$1.07 PGK 4.62

18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CFPF 1,384

$6.23 PGK 26.96

116.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.26 CFPF 2,493

$11.04 PGK 47.78

119.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CFPF 298

$2.82 PGK 12.22

2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 CFPF 404

$3.80 PGK 16.45

3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 CFPF 198

$0.44 PGK 1.90

338.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 CFPF 1,483

$25.99 PGK 112

-44.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 CFPF 987

$5.11 PGK 22.10

88.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 CFPF 253

$2.23 PGK 9.67

10.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.04 CFPF 2,470

$14.45 PGK 62.6

66.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 CFPF 157

$0.99 PGK 4.29

54.55%

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

$18.7K CFPF 1.9M

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

-16.18%

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

$30.8K CFPF 3.2M

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

31.08%

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

$180 CFPF 18.5K

$94.1 PGK 407

91.68%

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

$20.11 CFPF 2,067

$28.27 PGK 122

-28.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 CFPF 7,492

$120 PGK 520

-39.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.5 CFPF 7,960

$64.8 PGK 280

19.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 PGK 90.7

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 CFPF 1,511

$9.21 PGK 39.87

59.72%

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

$479 CFPF 49.2K

$534 PGK 2,313

-10.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,901 CFPF 1.0M

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

75.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 CFPF 7,430

$35.36 PGK 153

104.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.9 CFPF 7,593

$31.17 PGK 135

137.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 CFPF 8,251

$69.2 PGK 299

16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 CFPF 9,593

$93.4 PGK 404

-0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CFPF 132.3K

$1,654 PGK 7,161

-22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 CFPF 101.6K

$456 PGK 1,972

117.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 CFPF 196.2K

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

-26.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 CFPF 159.6K

$1,058 PGK 4,580

46.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,378 CFPF 758.1K

$2,049 PGK 8,867

260.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,236 CFPF 949.0K

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

138.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,950 CFPF 200.3K

$416 PGK 1,799

369.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

13.67

-66.35%

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

Last update for French Polynesia: August 31, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $353 in French Polynesia, $780 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $1,389 in Papeete vs $1,657 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $2,095 in French Polynesia, $317 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 121% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 16% more in French Polynesia.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 561% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

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 Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,169 per month in French Polynesia and $778 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 50% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Papua New Guinea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in French Polynesia is consistently higher than in Papua New Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Papua New Guinea, $1,500 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: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.