For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $2,315 in French Polynesia, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in French Polynesia and in Spain
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 Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,315 in French Polynesia versus $1,775 in Spain.
French Polynesia $2,315
Spain $1,775
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in French Polynesia versus $2,606 in Spain.
French Polynesia $3,464
Spain $2,606
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in French Polynesia versus $3,438 in Spain.
French Polynesia $4,613
Spain $3,438
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in French Polynesia: monthly costs span $14 to $2,283, compared to $931–$2,610 in Spain. City choice carries more weight in French Polynesia.
🌍
Living in French Polynesia is roughly 30% more expensive than in Spain on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: French Polynesia 70% above, Spain 30% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.95CFPF 1,802
$16.69€14.95
1.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.4CFPF 8,116
$55.7€49.88
37.07%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$14.24CFPF 1,514
$11.37€10.18
25.24%
Cappuccino
$4.14CFPF 440
$2.42€2.16
71.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64CFPF 280
$2.68€2.40
-1.49%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49CFPF 265
$1.79€1.60
39.11%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.75CFPF 505
$3.42€3.07
38.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.58CFPF 593
$3.88€3.47
43.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.43CFPF 152
$1.20€1.07
19.17%
White Bread(500g)
$4.40CFPF 468
$1.48€1.33
197.30%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.73CFPF 184
$1.67€1.50
3.59%
Eggs
$6.74CFPF 716
$3.42€3.06
97.08%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$35.28CFPF 3,750
$14.17€12.69
148.98%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$15.39CFPF 1,636
$8.33€7.46
84.75%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$24.37CFPF 2,591
$16.20€14.51
50.43%
Apples(1kg)
$4.93CFPF 524
$2.45€2.20
101.22%
Banana(1kg)
$2.88CFPF 306
$2.03€1.82
41.87%
Oranges(1kg)
$6.35CFPF 675
$2.08€1.86
205.29%
Tomato(1kg)
$7.63CFPF 811
$2.58€2.31
195.74%
Potato(1kg)
$2.92CFPF 311
$1.83€1.64
59.56%
Onion(1kg)
$2.42CFPF 258
$2.00€1.79
21.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$3.65CFPF 388
$1.31€1.17
178.63%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16CFPF 123
$0.77€0.69
50.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.06CFPF 1,388
$6.36€5.70
105.35%
Wine(Bottle)
$23.36CFPF 2,483
$5.64€5.05
314.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92CFPF 311
$1.30€1.17
124.62%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76CFPF 400
$2.09€1.87
79.90%
🚌 Getting Around
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.82CFPF 193
$1.64€1.47
10.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$14.33CFPF 1,523
$32.91€29.48
-56.46%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$9.51CFPF 1,011
$4.43€3.96
114.67%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.39CFPF 254
$1.47€1.31
62.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$22.96CFPF 2,441
$24.98€22.38
-8.09%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.44CFPF 153
$1.77€1.59
-18.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.6KCFPF 2.0M
$35.5K€31.8K
-47.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.4KCFPF 3.2M
$30.6K€27.4K
-0.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$174CFPF 18.4K
$149€134
16.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.73CFPF 1,991
$17.67€15.83
6.00%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.8CFPF 7,417
$31.88€28.55
118.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$73.0CFPF 7,763
$44.24€39.62
65.08%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.29€13.70
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.25CFPF 1,515
$9.66€8.65
47.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$468CFPF 49.7K
$544€487
-14.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,405CFPF 999.7K
$10.6K€9,499
-11.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.1CFPF 7,348
$84.9€76.0
-18.57%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$72.3CFPF 7,687
$37.11€33.24
94.88%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$78.0CFPF 8,288
$89.2€79.9
-12.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.4CFPF 9,506
$106€94.7
-15.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,233CFPF 131.0K
$1,056€946
16.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$922CFPF 98.0K
$808€723
14.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,868CFPF 198.6K
$1,621€1,452
15.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,473CFPF 156.6K
$1,246€1,116
18.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,062CFPF 750.7K
$4,135€3,704
70.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$9,027CFPF 959.6K
$2,633€2,358
242.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
French Polynesia
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,876CFPF 199.4K
$1,999€1,790
-6.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.6
3.3
39.39%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for French Polynesia: October 24, 2026
Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
French Polynesia
$922 39.8%
Spain
$808 45.5% ↓ 12.4%$114
🛒Groceries & Markets
French Polynesia
$565 24.4%
Spain
$272 15.3% ↓ 51.9%$293
🍽Eating Out
French Polynesia
$283 12.2%
Spain
$239 13.5% ↓ 15.5%$44
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Polynesia
$262 11.3%
Spain
$199 11.2% ↓ 24.1%$63
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
French Polynesia
$139 6%
Spain
$143 8% ↑ 2.6%$3.6
🎉Sport & Entertainment
French Polynesia
$102 4.4%
Spain
$64 3.6% ↓ 37.4%$38
🚌Getting Around
French Polynesia
$43 1.9%
Spain
$51 2.9% ↑ 19.1%$8.2
🏠Accommodation & Living
French Polynesia
$1.5K 31.9%
Spain
$1.2K 36.3% ↓ 15.4%$227
🛒Groceries & Markets
French Polynesia
$1.3K 28.4%
Spain
$646 18.8% ↓ 50.6%$662
🍽Eating Out
French Polynesia
$948 20.6%
Spain
$763 22.2% ↓ 19.5%$185
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Polynesia
$281 6.1%
Spain
$217 6.3% ↓ 22.9%$64
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
French Polynesia
$309 6.7%
Spain
$317 9.2% ↑ 2.6%$8.1
🎉Sport & Entertainment
French Polynesia
$203 * 4.4%
Spain
$142 4.1% ↓ 29.9%$61
🚌Getting Around
French Polynesia
$90 1.9%
Spain
$106 3.1% ↑ 17.9%$16
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $1,170 in French Polynesia, $920 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,328 in Papeete vs $1,508 in Madrid.
💰National salary averages: $1,977 in French Polynesia, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 27% higher in French Polynesia.
⭐Dining out costs 33% more in French Polynesia.
⭐Public transport is 121% more expensive in Spain.
French Polynesia→Spain15,880 km≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
French Polynesia
Spain
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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in French Polynesia compare to the cost in Spain?
At $2,315 per month in French Polynesia and $1,775 in Spain, Spain comes out about 23% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Is rent more expensive in French Polynesia or in Spain?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,170 in French Polynesia and $920 in Spain. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Which country is better for expats: French Polynesia or Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: Spain wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.
French Polynesia vs other spots: cost of living compared