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: $796 in French Polynesia versus $687 in Papua New Guinea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in French Polynesia versus $987 in Papua New Guinea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in French Polynesia versus $1,287 in Papua New Guinea.

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 16% more expensive than in Papua New Guinea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: French Polynesia 40% lower, Papua New Guinea 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.70 CFPF 1,635

$7.79 PGK 34.28

101.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 CFPF 8,447

$47.76 PGK 210

69.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 CFPF 1,252

$5.87 PGK 25.83

104.77%

Cappuccino

$4.45 CFPF 463

$2.32 PGK 10.23

91.81%

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

$2.65 CFPF 276

$0.84 PGK 3.69

215.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CFPF 219

$0.73 PGK 3.22

187.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 CFPF 505

$2.85 PGK 12.56

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 CFPF 513

$4.66 PGK 20.52

5.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 149

$1.94 PGK 8.55

-26.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CFPF 297

$1.54 PGK 6.78

85.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 CFPF 174

$1.51 PGK 6.62

10.60%

Eggs

$7.16 CFPF 746

$3.88 PGK 17.06

84.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$39.04 CFPF 4,066

$6.26 PGK 27.54

523.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.82 CFPF 1,752

$6.44 PGK 28.34

161.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.69 CFPF 2,883

$9.18 PGK 40.40

201.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.56 CFPF 580

$4.06 PGK 17.89

36.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 CFPF 251

$2.74 PGK 12.07

-12.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 CFPF 705

$4.75 PGK 20.91

42.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.73 CFPF 805

$3.83 PGK 16.86

101.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CFPF 306

$3.31 PGK 14.58

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CFPF 273

$2.53 PGK 11.13

3.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 CFPF 396

$2.99 PGK 13.15

27.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 116

$1.05 PGK 4.63

5.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CFPF 1,233

$6.35 PGK 27.96

86.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 CFPF 2,473

$11.06 PGK 48.66

114.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CFPF 265

$2.60 PGK 11.44

-1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CFPF 498

$3.45 PGK 15.20

38.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CFPF 206

$0.50 PGK 2.19

296.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.57 PGK 126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 CFPF 989

$5.48 PGK 24.14

73.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 PGK 10.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.47 PGK 72.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 165

$1.08 PGK 4.76

46.30%

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

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

$23.7K PGK 104.4K

-18.49%

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

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

$31.7K PGK 139.4K

-9.41%

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

$180 CFPF 18.7K

$101 PGK 445

77.81%

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

$17.28 CFPF 1,800

$48.55 PGK 214

-64.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 CFPF 10.6K

$209 PGK 919

-51.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 CFPF 7,592

$63.4 PGK 279

14.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.59 CFPF 1,832

$12.39 PGK 54.5

41.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 CFPF 1,540

$9.39 PGK 41.31

57.40%

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

$483 CFPF 50.3K

$439 PGK 1,931

10.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,795 CFPF 1.0M

$4,095 PGK 18.0K

139.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.8 CFPF 10.2K

$34.78 PGK 153

181.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.5 CFPF 9,010

$36.12 PGK 159

139.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 CFPF 11.3K

$67.2 PGK 296

60.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CFPF 11.0K

$65.3 PGK 287

62.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 CFPF 136.6K

$3,107 PGK 13.7K

-57.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 CFPF 115.1K

$480 PGK 2,110

130.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 CFPF 223.7K

$3,175 PGK 14.0K

-32.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 CFPF 193.7K

$712 PGK 3,133

161.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,319 CFPF 866.4K

$2,131 PGK 9,379

290.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,635 CFPF 795.2K

$3,874 PGK 17.0K

97.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,899 CFPF 197.7K

$432 PGK 1,900

339.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

12.75

-57.65%

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

Last update for French Polynesia: July 13, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $534 in French Polynesia, $1,962 in Papua New Guinea. Capital cities: $1,219 in Papeete vs $2,203 in Port Moresby.

National salary averages: $2,050 in French Polynesia, $319 in Papua New Guinea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 267% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 58% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 543% 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 $1,148 per month in French Polynesia and $851 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 35% 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, $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: 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.