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: $2,508 in Milan versus $2,300 in Papeete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Milan versus $3,431 in Papeete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Milan versus $4,563 in Papeete.

Living in Milan is roughly 9% more expensive than Papeete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 87% above, Papeete 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.84

$17.39 CFPF 1,777

32.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.2

$81.8 CFPF 8,359

12.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.73 €10.95

$12.04 CFPF 1,229

5.73%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$4.05 CFPF 414

-46.42%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$3.36 CFPF 343

-3.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.68 CFPF 273

-44.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.11

$2.83 CFPF 289

151.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$3.85 CFPF 394

48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.57 CFPF 160

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.42

$0.75 CFPF 77.1

274.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.87

$1.62 CFPF 165

106.17%

Eggs

$4.31 €3.70

$6.62 CFPF 676

-34.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 €16.98

$25.60 CFPF 2,616

-22.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.20

$16.60 CFPF 1,696

-21.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 €21.24

$26.66 CFPF 2,723

-7.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$5.03 CFPF 514

-43.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.23 CFPF 228

3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$5.90 CFPF 603

-42.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.39

$7.98 CFPF 815

-50.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.90 CFPF 296

-10.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.62 CFPF 267

-16.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.40

$3.80 CFPF 389

-57.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$1.11 CFPF 113

-36.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €5.91

$11.83 CFPF 1,208

-41.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.83

$24.52 CFPF 2,504

-62.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.98 CFPF 203

18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.58

$3.08 CFPF 315

-2.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.99 CFPF 203

25.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €39.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 €6.99

$9.74 CFPF 995

-16.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.26

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.61 €34.08

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.53 CFPF 156

33.99%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$19.2K CFPF 2.0M

73.78%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$29.5K CFPF 3.0M

23.56%

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

$216 €185

$184 CFPF 18.8K

17.31%

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

$11.71 €10.07

$17.74 CFPF 1,812

-33.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.21

$64.0 CFPF 6,540

-52.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.1 €64.6

$77.2 CFPF 7,885

-2.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €31.94

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 €10.10

$14.65 CFPF 1,496

-19.86%

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

$875 €753

$481 CFPF 49.1K

81.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.4K

$9,754 CFPF 996.4K

71.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.0

$77.1 CFPF 7,872

49.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.80

$83.4 CFPF 8,517

-36.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €98.9

$78.0 CFPF 7,964

47.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 €147

$93.1 CFPF 9,514

83.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,387

$1,231 CFPF 125.7K

30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 €978

$957 CFPF 97.7K

18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,138 €2,699

$1,929 CFPF 197.1K

62.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,793

$1,579 CFPF 161.2K

32.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,505

$8,536 CFPF 871.9K

29.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,565 €4,787

$6,526 CFPF 666.6K

-14.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,270 €1,953

$2,416 CFPF 246.8K

-6.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

-45.83%

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

Last update for Milan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Papeete: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Milan and $1,231 in Papeete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Milan vs $82.0 in Papeete. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $506, 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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Papeete earns 6% less. 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: $1,612 in Milan versus $1,231 in Papeete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Milan pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,508 per month in Milan versus $2,300 in Papeete – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,300 in Papeete versus $2,508 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Papeete but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Papeete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 9% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.