Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Heerlen

For one person, living costs are similar in Papeete and in Heerlen: $2,254 and $2,263 a month, rent and utilities included.

110

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Heerlen
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Heerlen Living Index

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Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,254

/mo nomad

Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,263

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papeete and in Heerlen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,254 in Papeete versus $2,263 in Heerlen.

Papeete $2,254
Heerlen $2,263

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,430 in Papeete versus $3,443 in Heerlen.

Papeete $3,430
Heerlen $3,443

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,606 in Papeete versus $4,623 in Heerlen.

Papeete $4,606
Heerlen $4,623

Monthly costs are close between Papeete and Heerlen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papeete 67% above, Heerlen 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CFPF 1,991

$23.62 €21.01

-20.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.1 CFPF 10.1K

$96.7 €86.0

-1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.63 CFPF 1,548

$18.89 €16.81

-22.55%

Cappuccino

$3.34 CFPF 353

$3.89 €3.46

-14.14%

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

$2.71 CFPF 287

$3.30 €2.94

-17.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CFPF 340

$2.26 €2.01

42.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 CFPF 344

$6.24 €5.55

-47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 CFPF 385

$5.59 €4.97

-34.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$1.33 €1.19

12.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CFPF 286

$2.36 €2.10

14.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 CFPF 174

$2.59 €2.31

-36.68%

Eggs

$6.12 CFPF 647

$4.32 €3.84

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.27 CFPF 2,991

$11.52 €10.25

145.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.23 CFPF 1,611

$13.77 €12.25

10.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.07 CFPF 2,759

$17.78 €15.81

46.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.39 €2.12

96.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 CFPF 257

$2.39 €2.12

1.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.37 CFPF 674

$2.10 €1.87

203.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.87 CFPF 832

$4.31 €3.83

82.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CFPF 287

$1.84 €1.64

47.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CFPF 237

$2.13 €1.89

5.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.70 CFPF 391

$1.31 €1.17

182.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CFPF 121

$0.79 €0.71

44.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 CFPF 1,337

$14.17 €12.61

-10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.78 CFPF 2,198

$7.12 €6.34

191.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 CFPF 284

$1.41 €1.25

90.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CFPF 321

$2.64 €2.35

14.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 CFPF 193

$3.70 €3.29

-50.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 €52.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 CFPF 1,007

$6.22 €5.53

53.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 €1.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.14 €19.70

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 160

$2.37 €2.10

-36.29%

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

$19.0K CFPF 2.0M

$28.5K €25.3K

-33.10%

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

$27.8K CFPF 2.9M

$35.5K €31.6K

-21.66%

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

$178 CFPF 18.8K

$190 €169

-6.53%

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

$19.79 CFPF 2,094

$26.76 €23.81

-26.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 CFPF 7,367

$55.1 €49.05

26.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.2 CFPF 9,011

$35.36 €31.46

140.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.49 €24.45

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 CFPF 1,471

$13.48 €11.99

3.12%

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

$476 CFPF 50.3K

$680 €605

-30.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,522 CFPF 1.0M

$5,341 €4,751

78.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CFPF 7,347

$99.8 €88.8

-30.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.7 CFPF 7,686

$49.68 €44.19

46.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 CFPF 8,164

$101 €89.4

-23.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 CFPF 9,461

$187 €167

-52.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 CFPF 138.6K

$1,106 €984

18.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 CFPF 97.2K

$958 €852

-4.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CFPF 191.7K

$1,930 €1,717

-6.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CFPF 158.5K

$1,569 €1,396

-4.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,955 CFPF 735.8K

$3,941 €3,506

76.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,589 CFPF 802.9K

$2,828 €2,515

168.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,232 CFPF 236.2K

$2,883 €2,564

-22.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.35

3.45%

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

Last update for Papeete: October 13, 2026

Last update for Heerlen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papeete

$919 40.8%

Heerlen

$958 42.3% 4.2% $39

Groceries & Markets

Papeete

$517 23%

Heerlen

$329 14.5% 36.5% $189

Eating Out

Papeete

$282 12.5%

Heerlen

$357 15.8% 26.7% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papeete

$267 11.9%

Heerlen

$272 12% 1.8% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Papeete

$139 6.2%

Heerlen

$197 8.7% 41.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Papeete

$113 5%

Heerlen

$62 2.8% 44.8% $51

Getting Around

Papeete

$17 * 0.8%

Heerlen

$88 3.9% 424% $71

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 $1,310 in Papeete and $1,106 in Heerlen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heerlen pays 29% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $95.0 in Papeete vs $97.0 in Heerlen. Groceries flip the comparison at $517 vs $329, with Heerlen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Papeete

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

21:59 9:59 PM

12 h ahead of Papeete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,050 Capital

87,086

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Papeete Heerlen 15,720 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Papeete
Heerlen

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 Heerlen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Heerlen. 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: $1,310 in Papeete versus $1,106 in Heerlen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Heerlen pay roughly 57% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Papeete – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $97.0 in Heerlen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,254 in Papeete versus $2,263 in Heerlen, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Papeete but tight or insufficient in Heerlen. 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 Heerlen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Papeete wins on affordability, Heerlen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.