Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Fairbanks, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Papeete: $2,288 a month against $2,834 in Fairbanks, AK, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Fairbanks, AK
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Fairbanks, AK Living Index

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Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,288

/mo nomad

Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papeete and in Fairbanks, 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 Fairbanks, AK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,288 per month in Papeete vs $2,834 in Fairbanks, AK, rent included.

Papeete $2,288
Fairbanks, AK $2,834

A couple spends around $3,451 per month in Papeete vs $4,260 in Fairbanks, AK, rent included.

Papeete $3,451
Fairbanks, AK $4,260

A family of three spends $4,615 per month in Papeete vs $5,686 in Fairbanks, AK, rent included.

Papeete $4,615
Fairbanks, AK $5,686

Papeete is about 19% cheaper than Fairbanks, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Papeete and Fairbanks, AK sit above the global median – Papeete by 69%, Fairbanks, AK by 110%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 CFPF 1,978

$25.18 $25.18

-25.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 CFPF 9,964

$98.1 $98.1

-4.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.69 CFPF 1,558

$14.98 $14.98

-1.94%

Cappuccino

$3.41 CFPF 362

$6.19 $6.19

-44.91%

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

$2.66 CFPF 282

$2.79 $2.79

-4.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 CFPF 352

$1.99 $1.99

66.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 CFPF 347

$6.92 $6.92

-52.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CFPF 388

$9.96 $9.96

-63.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 160

$1.12 $1.12

34.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CFPF 280

$5.48 $5.48

-51.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 CFPF 169

$4.89 $4.89

-67.28%

Eggs

$6.15 CFPF 652

$4.38 $4.38

40.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.95 CFPF 2,963

$22.08 $22.08

26.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 CFPF 1,624

$9.02 $9.02

69.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.41 CFPF 2,800

$20.58 $20.58

28.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 CFPF 489

$7.65 $7.65

-39.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 CFPF 264

$2.10 $2.10

18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 CFPF 679

$5.95 $5.95

7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.04 CFPF 853

$6.23 $6.23

29.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CFPF 281

$3.75 $3.75

-29.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CFPF 232

$3.72 $3.72

-41.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.68 CFPF 390

$2.80 $2.80

31.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CFPF 122

$1.97 $1.97

-41.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.91 CFPF 1,368

$12.13 $12.13

6.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 CFPF 2,273

$11.88 $11.88

80.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CFPF 300

$1.78 $1.78

58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CFPF 328

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 CFPF 195

$1.49 $1.49

23.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.98 $39.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 CFPF 991

$3.53 $3.53

164.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.88 $44.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CFPF 153

$1.30 $1.30

11.54%

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

$18.9K CFPF 2.0M

$25.5K $25.5K

-25.74%

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

$28.3K CFPF 3.0M

$24.4K $24.4K

16.04%

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

$180 CFPF 19.1K

$209 $209

-13.89%

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

$19.61 CFPF 2,079

$61.1 $61.1

-67.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 CFPF 7,518

$143 $143

-50.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 CFPF 8,984

$58.6 $58.6

44.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 CFPF 1,462

$18.33 $18.33

-24.77%

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

$470 CFPF 49.8K

$1,837 $1,837

-74.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,485 CFPF 1.0M

$13.2K $13.2K

-28.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 CFPF 7,165

$59.2 $59.2

14.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 CFPF 7,542

$40.15 $40.15

77.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 CFPF 8,380

$122 $122

-35.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 CFPF 9,390

$118 $118

-24.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 CFPF 141.2K

$1,356 $1,356

-1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 CFPF 100.6K

$1,251 $1,251

-24.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 CFPF 194.9K

$2,666 $2,666

-31.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 CFPF 159.9K

$2,177 $2,177

-30.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,054 CFPF 747.9K

$2,023 $2,023

248.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,560 CFPF 801.5K

$1,895 $1,895

299.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,191 CFPF 232.3K

$4,096 $4,096

-46.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

6.71

-32.94%

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

Last update for Papeete: October 31, 2026

Last update for Fairbanks, AK: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papeete

$949 41.5%

Fairbanks, AK

$1.3K 44.1% 31.9% $302

Groceries & Markets

Papeete

$520 22.7%

Fairbanks, AK

$468 * 16.5% 10% $52

Eating Out

Papeete

$282 12.3%

Fairbanks, AK

$394 13.9% 39.9% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papeete

$271 11.8%

Fairbanks, AK

$413 14.6% 52.6% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Papeete

$138 6%

Fairbanks, AK

$152 5.4% 10.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Papeete

$112 4.9%

Fairbanks, AK

$95 3.4% 15.2% $17

Getting Around

Papeete

$17 * 0.7%

Fairbanks, AK

$60 2.1% 260% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,332 in Papeete versus $1,356 in Fairbanks, AK. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 87% higher in Fairbanks, AK. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94 in Papeete versus $98 in Fairbanks, AK. Groceries tell a different story – $520 in Papeete vs $468 in Fairbanks, AK – so Fairbanks, AK wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Papeete

🇺🇸 Fairbanks, AK

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

05:19 5:19 AM

1 h ahead of Papeete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,050 Capital

32,515

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Papeete Fairbanks, AK 9,160 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Papeete
Fairbanks, 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 Fairbanks, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fairbanks, AK is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,432 per month in Papeete and $4,251 in Fairbanks, AK. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,332 in Papeete and $1,356 in Fairbanks, AK. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,288 in Papeete and $2,834 in Fairbanks, AK. That makes Papeete about 19% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $470 per month in Papeete and $1,837 in Fairbanks, AK. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Papeete has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,288 in Papeete to $2,834 in Fairbanks, AK. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Papeete. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fairbanks, AK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.