Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

For one person, living is cheaper in the Marshall Islands: $2,114 a month against $2,298 in French Polynesia, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in French Polynesia despite lower rent and utilities.

102

Cost of Living Index in the Marshall Islands
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Marshall Islands Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
Learn more

French Polynesia Living Index

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🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,114

/mo nomad

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Marshall Islands and in French Polynesia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Marshall Islands and in French Polynesia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,114 in the Marshall Islands versus $2,298 in French Polynesia.

Marshall Islands $2,114
French Polynesia $2,298

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,963 in the Marshall Islands versus $3,502 in French Polynesia.

Marshall Islands $2,963
French Polynesia $3,502

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in the Marshall Islands versus $4,707 in French Polynesia.

Marshall Islands $3,812
French Polynesia $4,707

Living in the Marshall Islands costs about 8% less than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the Marshall Islands 58% above, French Polynesia 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 $7.35

$16.98 CFPF 1,808

-56.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.49 $29.49

$75.6 CFPF 8,051

-60.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 $10.39

$14.22 CFPF 1,515

-26.93%

Cappuccino

$4.40 $4.40

$4.11 CFPF 438

7.06%

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

$1.78 $1.78

$2.68 CFPF 285

-33.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.49 CFPF 265

17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.79 CFPF 510

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.62 CFPF 598

-12.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.44 CFPF 153

52.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$4.32 CFPF 460

-21.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.65 CFPF 175

6.06%

Eggs

$5.18 $5.18

$6.75 CFPF 719

-23.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.56 $30.56

$35.71 CFPF 3,803

-14.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$15.36 CFPF 1,636

-27.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.31 $18.31

$24.04 CFPF 2,561

-23.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$5.06 CFPF 538

-14.62%

Banana (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$2.80 CFPF 298

163.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$6.41 CFPF 682

39.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$7.92 CFPF 844

64.27%

Potato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.09 CFPF 329

71.52%

Onion (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.47 CFPF 263

124.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.58 CFPF 381

3.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.21 CFPF 129

57.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 $5.91

$12.74 CFPF 1,356

-53.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 $9.90

$23.73 CFPF 2,527

-58.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CFPF 308

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.68 CFPF 392

-34.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.93 CFPF 206

55.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.32 CFPF 1,525

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 $2.79

$9.27 CFPF 987

-69.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 CFPF 256

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 $5.12

$23.12 CFPF 2,462

-77.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.44 CFPF 153

28.47%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$18.2K CFPF 1.9M

35.70%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$29.8K CFPF 3.2M

18.28%

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

$251 $251

$176 CFPF 18.7K

42.91%

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

$37.63 $37.63

$18.86 CFPF 2,008

99.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 $71.8

$70.0 CFPF 7,454

2.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 $36.77

$73.7 CFPF 7,852

-50.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 CFPF 1,480

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

$148 $148

$466 CFPF 49.6K

-68.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,588 $2,588

$9,438 CFPF 1.0M

-72.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 $69.2

$69.8 CFPF 7,435

-0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.61 $39.61

$73.1 CFPF 7,781

-45.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.91 $29.91

$79.4 CFPF 8,453

-62.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.52 $49.52

$88.5 CFPF 9,428

-44.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 $770

$1,237 CFPF 131.7K

-37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 $867

$926 CFPF 98.6K

-6.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 $1,344

$1,824 CFPF 194.3K

-26.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 $1,268

$1,531 CFPF 163.1K

-17.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,009 CFPF 746.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,235 CFPF 983.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,014 $1,014

$1,893 CFPF 201.6K

-46.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

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

Last update for the Marshall Islands: October 4, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marshall Islands

$867 41.3%

French Polynesia

$926 39.8% 6.7% $59

Groceries & Markets

Marshall Islands

$541 * 25.8%

French Polynesia

$567 24.4% 4.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marshall Islands

$360 17.2%

French Polynesia

$264 11.4% 26.6% $96

Eating Out

Marshall Islands

$194 9.2%

French Polynesia

$284 12.2% 46.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Marshall Islands

$85 4%

French Polynesia

$140 6% 65.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Marshall Islands

$37 * 1.8%

French Polynesia

$102 4.4% 176% $65

Getting Around

Marshall Islands

$15 * 0.7%

French Polynesia

$43 1.9% 192% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $790 in the Marshall Islands, $342 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $790 in Majuro vs $1,342 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $1,007 in the Marshall Islands, $1,969 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 131% higher in the Marshall Islands.

Dining out costs 43% more in the Marshall Islands.

Salaries are 96% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

Good to know

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🕒 Local time

22:33 10:33 PM

00:33 12:33 AM

22 h behind the Marshall Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,127

278,786

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

XPF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Marshall Islands French Polynesia 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Marshall Islands
French Polynesia

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

Marshall Islands vs French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,298 per month in French Polynesia and $2,114 in the Marshall Islands, there's a 9% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, the Marshall Islands 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 the Marshall Islands, $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: the Marshall Islands wins on affordability; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.