For one person, living is cheaper in French Polynesia: $2,315 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the United Kingdom outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
How much you'll spend in French Polynesia and in the United Kingdom
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 United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,315 in French Polynesia versus $2,462 in the United Kingdom.
French Polynesia $2,315
United Kingdom $2,462
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in French Polynesia versus $3,600 in the United Kingdom.
French Polynesia $3,464
United Kingdom $3,600
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in French Polynesia versus $4,738 in the United Kingdom.
French Polynesia $4,613
United Kingdom $4,738
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $14–$2,283 in French Polynesia. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.
🌍
Living in French Polynesia costs about 6% less than in the United Kingdom on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: French Polynesia 70% above, the United Kingdom 81% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.95CFPF 1,809
$21.48£16.17
-21.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.4CFPF 8,146
$85.7£64.5
-10.95%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$14.24CFPF 1,520
$10.61£7.99
34.21%
Cappuccino
$4.14CFPF 441
$4.91£3.70
-15.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64CFPF 281
$2.66£2.00
-0.75%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49CFPF 266
$1.87£1.41
33.16%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.75CFPF 507
$6.63£4.99
-28.36%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.58CFPF 595
$6.84£5.15
-18.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.43CFPF 153
$1.68£1.26
-14.88%
White Bread(500g)
$4.40CFPF 470
$1.72£1.29
155.81%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.73CFPF 185
$2.17£1.63
-20.28%
Eggs
$6.74CFPF 719
$4.00£3.01
68.50%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$35.28CFPF 3,764
$9.42£7.09
274.52%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$15.39CFPF 1,643
$9.19£6.91
67.46%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$24.37CFPF 2,600
$14.77£11.11
65.00%
Apples(1kg)
$4.93CFPF 526
$2.97£2.23
65.99%
Banana(1kg)
$2.88CFPF 308
$1.62£1.22
77.78%
Oranges(1kg)
$6.35CFPF 678
$2.85£2.15
122.81%
Tomato(1kg)
$7.63CFPF 814
$3.52£2.65
116.76%
Potato(1kg)
$2.92CFPF 312
$1.83£1.38
59.56%
Onion(1kg)
$2.42CFPF 259
$1.61£1.21
50.31%
Lettuce(1 head)
$3.65CFPF 390
$1.25£0.94
192.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16CFPF 123
$1.66£1.25
-30.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.06CFPF 1,393
$23.65£17.80
-44.78%
Wine(Bottle)
$23.36CFPF 2,493
$10.50£7.90
122.48%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92CFPF 312
$2.98£2.25
-2.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76CFPF 401
$3.51£2.64
7.12%
🚌 Getting Around
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.82CFPF 194
$3.98£2.99
-54.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$14.33CFPF 1,529
$107£80.9
-86.66%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$9.51CFPF 1,014
$5.18£3.90
83.59%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.39CFPF 255
$2.35£1.77
1.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$22.96CFPF 2,450
$26.84£20.20
-14.46%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.44CFPF 153
$1.99£1.50
-27.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.6KCFPF 2.0M
$39.4K£29.7K
-52.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.4KCFPF 3.2M
$40.5K£30.5K
-24.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$174CFPF 18.5K
$327£246
-46.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.73CFPF 1,998
$18.21£13.71
2.86%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.8CFPF 7,445
$43.60£32.81
60.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$73.0CFPF 7,793
$42.36£31.88
72.40%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.22£13.71
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.25CFPF 1,521
$13.85£10.42
2.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$468CFPF 49.9K
$1,868£1,406
-74.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,405CFPF 1.0M
$22.6K£17.0K
-58.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.1CFPF 7,376
$92.9£69.9
-25.61%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$72.3CFPF 7,716
$45.92£34.56
57.49%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$78.0CFPF 8,319
$102£76.5
-23.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.4CFPF 9,542
$102£77.0
-12.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,233CFPF 131.5K
$1,342£1,010
-8.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$922CFPF 98.4K
$1,073£808
-14.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,868CFPF 199.3K
$2,231£1,679
-16.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,473CFPF 157.2K
$1,742£1,311
-15.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,062CFPF 753.5K
$5,601£4,216
26.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$9,027CFPF 963.2K
$4,265£3,210
111.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,876CFPF 200.2K
$3,349£2,521
-43.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.6
5.32
-13.53%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for French Polynesia: October 24, 2026
Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 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%
United Kingdom
$1.1K 43.6% ↑ 16.4%$151
🛒Groceries & Markets
French Polynesia
$565 24.4%
United Kingdom
$307 12.5% ↓ 45.6%$257
🍽Eating Out
French Polynesia
$283 12.2%
United Kingdom
$328 13.3% ↑ 15.6%$44
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Polynesia
$262 11.3%
United Kingdom
$389 15.8% ↑ 48.4%$127
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
French Polynesia
$139 6%
United Kingdom
$154 6.3% ↑ 11%$15
🎉Sport & Entertainment
French Polynesia
$102 4.4%
United Kingdom
$70 2.9% ↓ 31%$31
🚌Getting Around
French Polynesia
$43 1.9%
United Kingdom
$140 5.7% ↑ 226%$97
🏠Accommodation & Living
French Polynesia
$1.5K 31.9%
United Kingdom
$1.7K 36.8% ↑ 18.2%$269
🛒Groceries & Markets
French Polynesia
$1.3K 28.4%
United Kingdom
$705 14.9% ↓ 46.1%$603
🍽Eating Out
French Polynesia
$948 20.6%
United Kingdom
$1.1K 23.1% ↑ 15.3%$146
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Polynesia
$281 6.1%
United Kingdom
$407 8.6% ↑ 45%$126
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
French Polynesia
$309 6.7%
United Kingdom
$343 7.2% ↑ 11%$34
🎉Sport & Entertainment
French Polynesia
$203 * 4.4%
United Kingdom
$158 3.3% ↓ 22%$45
🚌Getting Around
French Polynesia
$90 1.9%
United Kingdom
$288 6.1% ↑ 222%$199
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, $1,287 in the United Kingdom. Capital cities: $1,328 in Papeete vs $2,811 in London.
💰National salary averages: $1,977 in French Polynesia, $3,251 in the United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 10% higher in the United Kingdom.
⭐Public transport is 621% more expensive in the United Kingdom.
⭐Salaries are 64% higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.
French Polynesia→United Kingdom15,380 km≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
French Polynesia
United Kingdom
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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in French Polynesia compare to the cost in the United Kingdom?
At $2,315 per month in French Polynesia and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, there’s a 6% gap. 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 the United Kingdom?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $1,170 in French Polynesia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Which country is better for expats: French Polynesia or the United Kingdom?
It depends on what you’re after: French Polynesia wins on affordability; the United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.
French Polynesia vs other spots: cost of living compared