Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,391 a month against $2,328 in French Polynesia, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
Learn more

French Polynesia Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Papua New Guinea
Learn more

Papua New Guinea Living Index

Jump to prices

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,328

/mo nomad

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in French Polynesia and in Papua New Guinea

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 Papua New Guinea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,328 in French Polynesia versus $1,391 in Papua New Guinea.

French Polynesia $2,328
Papua New Guinea $1,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,472 in French Polynesia versus $2,213 in Papua New Guinea.

French Polynesia $3,472
Papua New Guinea $2,213

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,615 in French Polynesia versus $3,035 in Papua New Guinea.

French Polynesia $4,615
Papua New Guinea $3,035

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 67% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: French Polynesia 72% above, Papua New Guinea 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 CFPF 1,808

$7.17 PGK 31.38

138.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CFPF 8,039

$44.04 PGK 193

72.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.17 CFPF 1,499

$5.47 PGK 23.94

159.05%

Cappuccino

$4.13 CFPF 437

$2.45 PGK 10.71

68.57%

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

$2.51 CFPF 266

$0.79 PGK 3.46

217.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 CFPF 273

$0.63 PGK 2.74

309.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 CFPF 482

$2.64 PGK 11.57

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CFPF 605

$4.11 PGK 18.01

39.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 152

$1.89 PGK 8.28

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 CFPF 469

$1.47 PGK 6.44

201.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 CFPF 173

$1.38 PGK 6.04

18.84%

Eggs

$6.68 CFPF 706

$3.67 PGK 16.05

82.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.76 CFPF 3,677

$6.41 PGK 28.04

442.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.77 CFPF 1,668

$6.14 PGK 26.86

156.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.62 CFPF 2,499

$9.03 PGK 39.52

161.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 CFPF 538

$4.03 PGK 17.65

26.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CFPF 306

$3.40 PGK 14.89

-15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.64 CFPF 702

$6.22 PGK 27.22

6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.88 CFPF 834

$5.20 PGK 22.75

51.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 CFPF 320

$3.35 PGK 14.65

-9.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CFPF 248

$2.74 PGK 11.98

-14.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.56 CFPF 377

$1.99 PGK 8.70

78.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CFPF 128

$1.20 PGK 5.25

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.11 CFPF 1,387

$6.42 PGK 28.09

104.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.70 CFPF 2,508

$10.81 PGK 47.30

119.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CFPF 300

$2.38 PGK 10.44

19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 CFPF 388

$3.65 PGK 15.96

0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 CFPF 203

$0.47 PGK 2.04

308.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.98 CFPF 1,479

$26.65 PGK 117

-47.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.10 CFPF 963

$5.05 PGK 22.10

80.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 CFPF 253

$2.27 PGK 9.92

5.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.23 CFPF 2,457

$12.47 PGK 54.6

86.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 151

$1.01 PGK 4.40

41.58%

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

$18.2K CFPF 1.9M

$29.2K PGK 127.6K

-37.53%

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

$30.6K CFPF 3.2M

$23.3K PGK 101.8K

31.59%

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

$178 CFPF 18.8K

$93.6 PGK 410

90.24%

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

$18.69 CFPF 1,977

$25.43 PGK 111

-26.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 CFPF 7,550

$106 PGK 466

-32.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.4 CFPF 7,769

$64.0 PGK 280

14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 PGK 107

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 CFPF 1,476

$8.87 PGK 38.82

57.27%

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

$470 CFPF 49.7K

$528 PGK 2,313

-11.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,475 CFPF 1.0M

$5,534 PGK 24.2K

71.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 CFPF 7,107

$37.76 PGK 165

77.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CFPF 7,473

$33.00 PGK 144

114.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 CFPF 8,369

$64.0 PGK 280

23.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 CFPF 9,275

$88.5 PGK 387

-0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 CFPF 129.2K

$1,366 PGK 5,979

-10.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 CFPF 98.3K

$507 PGK 2,219

83.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 CFPF 191.1K

$2,755 PGK 12.1K

-34.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 CFPF 155.8K

$1,102 PGK 4,822

33.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,888 CFPF 728.7K

$2,050 PGK 8,974

236.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,027 CFPF 955.0K

$3,771 PGK 16.5K

139.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,873 CFPF 198.2K

$422 PGK 1,846

344.21%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

French Polynesia

$929 39.9%

Papua New Guinea

$507 36.5% 45.4% $422

Groceries & Markets

French Polynesia

$566 24.3%

Papua New Guinea

$301 21.6% 46.8% $265

Eating Out

French Polynesia

$283 12.2%

Papua New Guinea

$130 9.4% 54.1% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

French Polynesia

$268 11.5%

Papua New Guinea

$225 16.2% 15.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

French Polynesia

$137 5.9%

Papua New Guinea

$100 7.2% 26.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

French Polynesia

$101 4.4%

Papua New Guinea

$82 5.9% 19.4% $20

Getting Around

French Polynesia

$43 1.8%

Papua New Guinea

$45 3.2% 5.1% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $331 in French Polynesia, $753 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $1,310 in Papeete vs $1,532 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $1,990 in French Polynesia, $314 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 127% 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 534% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

Good to know

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

12:39 12:39 PM

20 h ahead of French Polynesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,786

8,935,000

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

French Polynesia Papua New Guinea 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

French Polynesia
Papua New Guinea

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 Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,328 per month in French Polynesia and $1,391 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 67% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Papua New Guinea 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 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.