Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Heerlen Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Heerlen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,300 in Papeete versus $2,257 in Heerlen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,431 in Papeete versus $3,459 in Heerlen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Papeete versus $4,661 in Heerlen.

Living in Papeete is roughly 2% more expensive than Heerlen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papeete 72% above, Heerlen 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 CFPF 1,777

$23.24 €19.99

-25.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 CFPF 8,359

$86.4 €74.3

-5.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 CFPF 1,229

$14.13 €12.15

-14.79%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CFPF 414

$3.78 €3.25

7.14%

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

$3.36 CFPF 343

$2.84 €2.44

18.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 CFPF 273

$2.06 €1.78

30.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 CFPF 289

$6.26 €5.39

-54.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 CFPF 394

$3.87 €3.33

-0.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 CFPF 160

$1.21 €1.04

29.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 CFPF 77.1

$2.50 €2.15

-70.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 CFPF 165

$2.93 €2.52

-44.71%

Eggs

$6.62 CFPF 676

$4.00 €3.44

65.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.60 CFPF 2,616

$11.88 €10.22

115.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.60 CFPF 1,696

$14.48 €12.46

14.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.66 CFPF 2,723

$17.50 €15.06

52.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 CFPF 514

$2.34 €2.01

114.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 CFPF 228

$2.53 €2.18

-11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.90 CFPF 603

$2.00 €1.72

195.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 CFPF 815

$4.50 €3.87

77.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CFPF 296

$2.00 €1.72

45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CFPF 267

$2.08 €1.79

25.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 CFPF 389

$1.30 €1.11

192.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 113

$0.78 €0.67

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CFPF 1,208

$14.10 €12.13

-16.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.52 CFPF 2,504

$7.03 €6.05

248.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CFPF 203

$1.49 €1.28

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CFPF 315

$2.65 €2.28

16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 CFPF 203

$3.80 €3.27

-47.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 €75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.74 CFPF 995

$7.65 €6.58

27.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.4 €49.37

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 CFPF 156

$2.27 €1.95

-32.60%

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

$19.2K CFPF 2.0M

$30.4K €26.2K

-36.75%

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

$29.5K CFPF 3.0M

$30.0K €25.8K

-1.93%

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

$184 CFPF 18.8K

$212 €183

-13.44%

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

$17.74 CFPF 1,812

$29.59 €25.45

-40.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 CFPF 6,540

$52.4 €45.06

22.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 CFPF 7,885

$36.96 €31.79

108.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.77 €24.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 CFPF 1,496

$13.69 €11.78

7.01%

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

$481 CFPF 49.1K

$1,073 €923

-55.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,754 CFPF 996.4K

$11.7K €10.0K

-16.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 CFPF 7,872

$104 €89.6

-26.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.4 CFPF 8,517

$53.1 €45.68

56.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 CFPF 7,964

$97.9 €84.2

-20.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 CFPF 9,514

$159 €137

-41.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 CFPF 125.7K

$1,031 €887

19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 CFPF 97.7K

$891 €767

7.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 CFPF 197.1K

$1,974 €1,698

-2.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 CFPF 161.2K

$1,680 €1,445

-6.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,536 CFPF 871.9K

$4,056 €3,489

110.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,526 CFPF 666.6K

$2,943 €2,531

121.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,416 CFPF 246.8K

$3,338 €2,871

-27.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

38.89%

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

Last update for Papeete: May 31, 2026

Last update for Heerlen: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,231 in Papeete and $1,031 in Heerlen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heerlen pays 38% 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 $86.0 in Heerlen. Groceries flip the comparison at $506 vs $334, with Heerlen cheaper for home cooking.

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

Heerlen wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Papeete. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Heerlen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Heerlen earns 38% less. 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: $1,231 in Papeete versus $1,031 in Heerlen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Papeete versus $1,073 in Heerlen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Heerlen – a meal for two runs $86.0 versus $82.0 in Papeete. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,257 in Heerlen versus $2,300 in Papeete, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Heerlen but tight or insufficient in Papeete. The gap between the two cities makes Heerlen 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.

Expats usually find Heerlen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Papeete. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.