Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Bethel, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Papeete: $2,288 a month against $2,752 in Bethel, AK, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bethel, AK outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Bethel, AK
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Bethel, AK Living Index

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Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,288

/mo nomad

Bethel, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,752

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papeete and in Bethel, AK

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 Bethel, AK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Papeete versus $2,752 in Bethel, AK.

Papeete $2,288
Bethel, AK $2,752

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,451 in Papeete versus $3,714 in Bethel, AK.

Papeete $3,451
Bethel, AK $3,714

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,615 in Papeete versus $4,677 in Bethel, AK.

Papeete $4,615
Bethel, AK $4,677

Living in Papeete costs roughly 17% less than in Bethel, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papeete 69% above, Bethel, AK 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 CFPF 1,978

$20.93 $20.93

-10.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 CFPF 9,964

$64.8 $64.8

44.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.69 CFPF 1,558

$11.15 $11.15

31.75%

Cappuccino

$3.41 CFPF 362

$4.80 $4.80

-28.96%

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

$2.66 CFPF 282

$2.81 $2.81

-5.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 CFPF 352

$1.77 $1.77

87.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 CFPF 347

$6.11 $6.11

-46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CFPF 388

$7.26 $7.26

-49.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 160

$0.96 $0.96

57.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CFPF 280

$4.02 $4.02

-34.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 CFPF 169

$4.85 $4.85

-67.01%

Eggs

$6.15 CFPF 652

$3.83 $3.83

60.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CFPF 2,963

$12.83 $12.83

117.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 CFPF 1,624

$10.90 $10.90

40.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.41 CFPF 2,800

$15.30 $15.30

72.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 CFPF 489

$4.72 $4.72

-2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 CFPF 264

$1.64 $1.64

51.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 CFPF 679

$4.61 $4.61

39.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.04 CFPF 853

$4.23 $4.23

90.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CFPF 281

$2.63 $2.63

0.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CFPF 232

$3.17 $3.17

-30.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.68 CFPF 390

$2.41 $2.41

52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CFPF 122

$1.92 $1.92

-40.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 CFPF 1,368

$11.21 $11.21

15.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 CFPF 2,273

$13.96 $13.96

53.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CFPF 300

$2.11 $2.11

34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CFPF 328

$3.61 $3.61

-14.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 CFPF 195

$1.98 $1.98

-7.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 $55.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 CFPF 991

$3.12 $3.12

199.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.55 $28.55

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CFPF 153

$0.98 $0.98

47.96%

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

$18.9K CFPF 2.0M

$23.9K $23.9K

-20.70%

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

$28.3K CFPF 3.0M

$28.6K $28.6K

-1.10%

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

$180 CFPF 19.1K

$203 $203

-11.44%

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

$19.61 CFPF 2,079

$61.5 $61.5

-68.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 CFPF 7,518

$65.9 $65.9

7.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 CFPF 8,984

$38.30 $38.30

121.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 CFPF 1,462

$15.42 $15.42

-10.57%

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

$470 CFPF 49.8K

$1,169 $1,169

-59.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,485 CFPF 1.0M

$20.6K $20.6K

-53.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 CFPF 7,165

$52.7 $52.7

28.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 CFPF 7,542

$36.06 $36.06

97.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 CFPF 8,380

$91.7 $91.7

-13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 CFPF 9,390

$117 $117

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 CFPF 141.2K

$1,706 $1,706

-21.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 CFPF 100.6K

$1,432 $1,432

-33.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 CFPF 194.9K

$2,329 $2,329

-21.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 CFPF 159.9K

$1,830 $1,830

-17.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,054 CFPF 747.9K

$3,065 $3,065

130.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,560 CFPF 801.5K

$2,019 $2,019

274.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,191 CFPF 232.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

6.59

-31.71%

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

Last update for Papeete: October 31, 2026

Last update for Bethel, AK: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papeete

$949 41.5%

Bethel, AK

$1.4K 52.1% 51% $484

Groceries & Markets

Papeete

$520 22.7%

Bethel, AK

$389 14.1% 25.2% $131

Eating Out

Papeete

$282 12.3%

Bethel, AK

$322 11.7% 14.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papeete

$271 11.8%

Bethel, AK

$331 12% 22.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Papeete

$138 6%

Bethel, AK

$134 4.9% 3% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Papeete

$112 4.9%

Bethel, AK

$69 2.5% 38.5% $43

Getting Around

Papeete

$17 * 0.7%

Bethel, AK

$75 2.7% 349% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,332 in Papeete and $1,706 in Bethel, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94 in Papeete vs $65 in Bethel, AK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $520 vs $389 per month, with Bethel, AK cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Papeete

🇺🇸 Bethel, AK

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

13:39 1:39 PM

1 h ahead of Papeete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,050 Capital

6,300

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.44 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD). 1 EUR = 118 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.44 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Papeete Bethel, AK 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Papeete
Bethel, AK

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 Bethel, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,288 in Papeete and $2,752 in Bethel, AK, so Papeete is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,432 in Papeete and $4,128 in Bethel, AK 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,332 in Papeete versus $1,706 in Bethel, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bethel, AK pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,288 per month in Papeete versus $2,752 in Bethel, AK – Papeete is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.