Cost of Living Comparison Between Heerlen and Papeete Cost of Living Comparison Between Heerlen and Papeete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,259 in Heerlen versus $2,295 in Papeete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,485 in Heerlen versus $3,444 in Papeete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,712 in Heerlen versus $4,593 in Papeete.

Living in Heerlen costs roughly 2% less than in Papeete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heerlen 69% above, Papeete 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.95 €20.05

$17.45 CFPF 1,815

31.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €74.5

$82.3 CFPF 8,561

3.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 €12.00

$12.11 CFPF 1,260

13.46%

Cappuccino

$3.97 €3.47

$3.90 CFPF 406

1.79%

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

$2.94 €2.57

$3.44 CFPF 358

-14.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.84

$2.70 CFPF 281

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 €5.55

$2.89 CFPF 301

119.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.27

$3.98 CFPF 414

-6.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.51 CFPF 157

-15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.20

$0.76 CFPF 79.1

231.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$1.68 CFPF 175

72.62%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.51

$6.41 CFPF 667

-37.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 €10.45

$25.40 CFPF 2,643

-52.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 €12.89

$16.68 CFPF 1,735

-11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 €15.29

$26.72 CFPF 2,780

-34.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.03

$5.13 CFPF 534

-54.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 €2.16

$2.28 CFPF 237

8.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.81

$5.88 CFPF 612

-64.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 €3.84

$7.68 CFPF 799

-42.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.91 CFPF 303

-34.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.59 CFPF 270

-22.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 €1.13

$3.97 CFPF 413

-67.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.17 CFPF 121

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.35 €12.54

$11.86 CFPF 1,234

20.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.90 €6.03

$21.16 CFPF 2,202

-67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.95 CFPF 203

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.19 CFPF 332

-14.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 €3.33

$1.99 CFPF 207

91.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 €74.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 €6.39

$9.49 CFPF 987

-22.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.5 €51.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.97

$1.58 CFPF 165

42.41%

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

$30.0K €26.2K

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

55.51%

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

$29.4K €25.7K

$29.5K CFPF 3.1M

-0.14%

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

$209 €183

$183 CFPF 19.1K

14.13%

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

$28.92 €25.27

$17.68 CFPF 1,840

63.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €46.24

$62.1 CFPF 6,457

-14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 €31.52

$77.2 CFPF 8,033

-53.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.88 €25.23

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €12.06

$14.71 CFPF 1,531

-6.19%

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

$1,073 €938

$493 CFPF 51.3K

117.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €10.1K

$9,750 CFPF 1.0M

19.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €92.0

$78.5 CFPF 8,169

34.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 €45.73

$82.3 CFPF 8,558

-36.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 €85.1

$76.2 CFPF 7,931

27.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €137

$91.8 CFPF 9,556

71.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 €897

$1,219 CFPF 126.8K

-15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 €789

$971 CFPF 101.0K

-6.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 €1,737

$1,918 CFPF 199.6K

3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 €1,454

$1,535 CFPF 159.7K

8.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,019 €3,512

$8,591 CFPF 893.9K

-53.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,800 €2,447

$6,309 CFPF 656.4K

-55.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,224 €2,817

$2,387 CFPF 248.3K

35.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

-28.00%

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

Last update for Heerlen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Papeete: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Heerlen and $1,219 in Papeete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heerlen pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Heerlen vs $82.0 in Papeete. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $498, with Heerlen cheaper for home cooking.

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

Heerlen vs Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heerlen wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Papeete. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Heerlen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Heerlen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,026 in Heerlen versus $1,219 in Papeete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,073 in Heerlen versus $493 in Papeete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Heerlen – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $82.0 in Papeete. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,259 in Heerlen versus $2,295 in Papeete, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Heerlen but tight or insufficient in Papeete. The gap between the two cities makes Heerlen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Heerlen and Papeete are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Heerlen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Papeete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.