Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Alofi

For one person, living is cheaper in Alofi: $478 a month against $2,321 in Papeete, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index

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Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,321

/mo nomad

Alofi

🇳🇺 Niue

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papeete and in Alofi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,321 in Papeete versus $478 in Alofi.

Papeete $2,321
Alofi $478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,432 in Papeete versus $863 in Alofi.

Papeete $3,432
Alofi $863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,544 in Papeete versus $1,248 in Alofi.

Papeete $4,544
Alofi $1,248

Living in Papeete is roughly 386% more expensive than in Alofi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Papeete is 73% above, Alofi is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 CFPF 1,983

$16.86 NZ$30.04

10.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.1 CFPF 9,917

$35.29 NZ$62.9

163.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.59 CFPF 1,554

$14.36 NZ$25.58

1.60%

Cappuccino

$3.32 CFPF 354

$2.81 NZ$5.00

18.15%

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

$2.71 CFPF 289

$2.76 NZ$4.92

-1.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CFPF 359

$2.78 NZ$4.95

21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 CFPF 356

$4.49 NZ$8.01

-25.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 CFPF 412

$3.32 NZ$5.91

16.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 152

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CFPF 291

$2.31 NZ$4.12

18.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 CFPF 176

Eggs

$6.42 CFPF 684

$2.85 NZ$5.08

125.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.71 CFPF 2,951

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 CFPF 1,607

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.13 CFPF 2,783

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 CFPF 513

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 CFPF 270

Oranges (1kg)

$6.64 CFPF 707

Tomato (1kg)

$7.90 CFPF 841

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CFPF 282

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CFPF 236

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.76 CFPF 401

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 118

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.92 CFPF 1,376

$17.21 NZ$30.67

-24.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.89 CFPF 2,225

$14.39 NZ$25.65

45.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CFPF 298

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CFPF 339

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 CFPF 205

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 CFPF 982

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 CFPF 156

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

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

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

$28.4K CFPF 3.0M

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

$184 CFPF 19.6K

$57.0 NZ$102

223.00%

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

$19.80 CFPF 2,109

$11.39 NZ$20.29

73.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 CFPF 7,344

$56.2 NZ$100

22.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.2 CFPF 8,967

$17.05 NZ$30.39

393.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.24 CFPF 1,517

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

$467 CFPF 49.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,465 CFPF 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CFPF 7,388

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.9 CFPF 7,763

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 CFPF 8,290

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 CFPF 9,410

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CFPF 142.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 CFPF 99.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CFPF 195.4K

$260 NZ$463

606.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 CFPF 158.9K

$231 NZ$412

545.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,135 CFPF 759.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,632 CFPF 812.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,195 CFPF 233.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

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

Last update for Papeete: October 3, 2026

Last update for Alofi: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papeete

$936 41.1%

Alofi

–

Groceries & Markets

Papeete

$519 22.8%

Alofi

–

Eating Out

Papeete

$281 12.4%

Alofi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papeete

$273 12%

Alofi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Papeete

$139 6.1%

Alofi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Papeete

$113 5%

Alofi

–

Getting Around

Papeete

$17 * 0.7%

Alofi

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $93.0 in Papeete vs $35.00 in Alofi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $519 vs $63.0 per month, with Alofi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Papeete

🇳🇺 Alofi

🕒 Local time

20:25 8:25 PM

19:25 7:25 PM

1 h behind Papeete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,050 Capital

624 Capital

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

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 = 8.37 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Papeete Alofi 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Papeete
Alofi

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

Papeete vs Alofi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alofi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 386% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,481 in Papeete and $716 in Alofi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 720% higher in Papeete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alofi – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $93.0 in Papeete. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $478 in Alofi versus $2,321 in Papeete, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Alofi but tight or insufficient in Papeete. The gap between the two cities makes Alofi 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, Papeete and Alofi 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 Alofi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 386% less than in Papeete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.