Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,295 in Papeete versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Papeete versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,593 in Papeete versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Papeete costs roughly 1% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papeete 72% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 CFPF 1,815

$17.66 €15.43

-1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 CFPF 8,561

$69.7 €60.9

18.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 CFPF 1,260

$14.16 €12.37

-14.48%

Cappuccino

$3.90 CFPF 406

$2.80 €2.45

39.29%

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

$3.44 CFPF 358

$2.81 €2.46

22.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 CFPF 281

$2.06 €1.80

31.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 CFPF 301

$4.60 €4.02

-37.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 CFPF 414

$4.69 €4.10

-15.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 157

$1.23 €1.07

22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 CFPF 79.1

$2.03 €1.78

-62.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 CFPF 175

$1.98 €1.73

-15.15%

Eggs

$6.41 CFPF 667

$3.49 €3.05

83.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.40 CFPF 2,643

$18.33 €16.01

38.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 CFPF 1,735

$9.83 €8.59

69.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.72 CFPF 2,780

$19.13 €16.71

39.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 CFPF 534

$2.73 €2.38

87.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CFPF 237

$2.38 €2.08

-4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.88 CFPF 612

$2.08 €1.82

182.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.68 CFPF 799

$2.75 €2.41

179.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CFPF 303

$1.96 €1.71

48.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 CFPF 270

$1.79 €1.57

44.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.97 CFPF 413

$1.48 €1.29

168.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CFPF 121

$0.91 €0.80

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 CFPF 1,234

$7.13 €6.23

66.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.16 CFPF 2,202

$7.88 €6.88

168.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CFPF 203

$1.38 €1.20

41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CFPF 332

$2.39 €2.09

33.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 CFPF 207

$3.01 €2.63

-33.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 CFPF 987

$4.36 €3.81

117.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 165

$1.82 €1.59

-13.19%

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

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

$37.9K €33.1K

-49.09%

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

$29.5K CFPF 3.1M

$32.4K €28.3K

-9.02%

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

$183 CFPF 19.1K

$189 €165

-3.10%

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

$17.68 CFPF 1,840

$22.29 €19.48

-20.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 CFPF 6,457

$37.16 €32.47

67.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 CFPF 8,033

$58.0 €50.7

33.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 CFPF 1,531

$10.87 €9.50

35.33%

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

$493 CFPF 51.3K

$706 €617

-30.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,750 CFPF 1.0M

$14.9K €13.0K

-34.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 CFPF 8,169

$89.4 €78.2

-12.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.3 CFPF 8,558

$36.60 €31.98

124.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 CFPF 7,931

$104 €90.9

-26.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 CFPF 9,556

$119 €104

-23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 CFPF 126.8K

$1,579 €1,379

-22.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 CFPF 101.0K

$1,238 €1,082

-21.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,918 CFPF 199.6K

$2,712 €2,370

-29.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 CFPF 159.7K

$2,039 €1,782

-24.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,591 CFPF 893.9K

$7,527 €6,576

14.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,309 CFPF 656.4K

$5,239 €4,577

20.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,387 CFPF 248.3K

$2,364 €2,065

0.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

76.99%

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

Last update for Papeete: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,219 in Papeete and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Papeete vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $498 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papeete and Barcelona differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,295 vs $2,320 including rent). Papeete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Papeete, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,219 in Papeete versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Papeete versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Papeete – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,295 in Papeete versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Papeete but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Papeete 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 Barcelona 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 1% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.