Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Papeete Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Papeete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Milan versus $2,393 in Papeete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,008 in Milan versus $3,560 in Papeete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,391 in Milan versus $4,728 in Papeete.

Living in Milan is roughly 10% more expensive than in Papeete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 90% above, Papeete 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.92 €20.62

$19.66 CFPF 2,014

21.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.6 €83.3

$96.5 CFPF 9,885

0.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 €12.26

$15.44 CFPF 1,582

-7.84%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.90

$3.45 CFPF 353

-36.23%

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

$3.93 €3.39

$2.72 CFPF 279

44.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.39 CFPF 348

-41.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.92

$3.35 CFPF 343

105.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 €6.17

$3.98 CFPF 408

79.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.48 CFPF 151

21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 €2.83

$2.83 CFPF 290

15.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$1.67 CFPF 171

126.35%

Eggs

$5.09 €4.38

$6.70 CFPF 687

-24.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.17 €19.98

$29.17 CFPF 2,989

-20.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.22 €13.12

$15.75 CFPF 1,613

-3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.76 €20.48

$27.10 CFPF 2,776

-12.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.76

$4.93 CFPF 505

-35.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.53 CFPF 259

3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.02

$6.86 CFPF 702

-48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 €3.92

$8.14 CFPF 834

-44.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.82 CFPF 288

-14.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.33 CFPF 238

-12.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 €1.58

$3.95 CFPF 404

-53.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 €0.55

$1.20 CFPF 123

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 €6.65

$13.12 CFPF 1,344

-41.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 €8.17

$22.20 CFPF 2,274

-57.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.82 CFPF 289

-28.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.05

$3.18 CFPF 326

-25.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.96 CFPF 201

33.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.60 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 €7.03

$9.83 CFPF 1,008

-16.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 €54.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.58 CFPF 161

36.08%

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

$37.2K €32.1K

$19.4K CFPF 2.0M

91.49%

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

$37.9K €32.6K

$29.2K CFPF 3.0M

29.70%

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

$261 €225

$186 CFPF 19.1K

40.30%

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

$10.96 €9.44

$20.21 CFPF 2,070

-45.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.08 €26.79

$71.8 CFPF 7,353

-56.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 €76.4

$87.8 CFPF 8,992

1.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.85 €29.18

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 €10.90

$14.67 CFPF 1,503

-13.84%

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

$890 €767

$482 CFPF 49.4K

84.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K €17.2K

$9,779 CFPF 1.0M

103.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.4

$72.2 CFPF 7,392

51.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €45.25

$75.7 CFPF 7,753

-30.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.8

$80.4 CFPF 8,234

44.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €145

$92.2 CFPF 9,442

82.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 €1,510

$1,365 CFPF 139.9K

28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 €1,022

$964 CFPF 98.8K

23.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,575 €3,082

$1,928 CFPF 197.6K

85.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 €1,837

$1,584 CFPF 162.3K

34.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,608

$7,343 CFPF 752.3K

51.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,132 €4,423

$7,943 CFPF 813.7K

-35.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,231 €1,923

$2,446 CFPF 250.5K

-8.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

4.5

-29.56%

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

Last update for Milan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Papeete: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Milan and $1,365 in Papeete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Milan vs $96.0 in Papeete. Groceries flip the comparison at $432 vs $540, with Milan 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

Milan vs Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papeete is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Papeete. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,751 in Milan versus $1,365 in Papeete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Milan pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,626 per month in Milan versus $2,393 in Papeete – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Papeete is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Papeete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Milan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Milan 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 Papeete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.