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: $2,467 in Milan versus $2,295 in Papeete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Milan versus $3,444 in Papeete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,223 in Milan versus $4,593 in Papeete.

Living in Milan is roughly 7% more expensive than in Papeete, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milan 85% above, Papeete 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.53 €20.56

$17.45 CFPF 1,815

34.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 €79.9

$82.3 CFPF 8,561

11.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 €11.12

$12.11 CFPF 1,260

5.04%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.84

$3.90 CFPF 406

-46.15%

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

$3.35 €2.93

$3.44 CFPF 358

-2.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$2.70 CFPF 281

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.13

$2.89 CFPF 301

142.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €4.93

$3.98 CFPF 414

41.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.51 CFPF 157

17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.48

$0.76 CFPF 79.1

273.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.87

$1.68 CFPF 175

95.24%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.72

$6.41 CFPF 667

-33.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 €17.27

$25.40 CFPF 2,643

-22.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 €11.32

$16.68 CFPF 1,735

-22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.27 €21.20

$26.72 CFPF 2,780

-9.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.48

$5.13 CFPF 534

-44.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.28 CFPF 237

4.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 €2.91

$5.88 CFPF 612

-43.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 €3.41

$7.68 CFPF 799

-49.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$2.91 CFPF 303

-12.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$2.59 CFPF 270

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.43

$3.97 CFPF 413

-58.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$1.17 CFPF 121

-40.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$11.86 CFPF 1,234

-39.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 €8.11

$21.16 CFPF 2,202

-56.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.95 CFPF 203

26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.74

$3.19 CFPF 332

-1.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.99 CFPF 207

27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 €6.96

$9.49 CFPF 987

-16.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.58 CFPF 165

29.75%

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

$34.1K €29.8K

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

76.65%

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

$36.1K €31.6K

$29.5K CFPF 3.1M

22.66%

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

$215 €188

$183 CFPF 19.1K

17.38%

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

$11.65 €10.18

$17.68 CFPF 1,840

-34.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.33

$62.1 CFPF 6,457

-49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 €66.4

$77.2 CFPF 8,033

-1.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.81

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.94

$14.71 CFPF 1,531

-22.64%

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

$878 €767

$493 CFPF 51.3K

78.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$9,750 CFPF 1.0M

67.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €98.0

$78.5 CFPF 8,169

42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 €46.62

$82.3 CFPF 8,558

-35.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$76.2 CFPF 7,931

51.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 €148

$91.8 CFPF 9,556

83.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,375

$1,219 CFPF 126.8K

29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 €982

$971 CFPF 101.0K

15.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,208 €2,803

$1,918 CFPF 199.6K

67.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 €1,791

$1,535 CFPF 159.7K

33.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K €9,311

$8,591 CFPF 893.9K

24.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,344 €4,669

$6,309 CFPF 656.4K

-15.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,208 €1,929

$2,387 CFPF 248.3K

-7.47%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Papeete: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Milan and $1,219 in Papeete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Milan vs $82.0 in Papeete. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $498, 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 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $1,573 in Milan versus $1,219 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 $2,467 per month in Milan versus $2,295 in Papeete – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,295 in Papeete versus $2,467 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 7% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.