Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,295 in Papeete versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Papeete versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,593 in Papeete versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papeete 72% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 CFPF 1,815

$16.19 €14.15

7.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 CFPF 8,561

$63.3 €55.3

29.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 CFPF 1,260

$10.32 €9.02

17.34%

Cappuccino

$3.90 CFPF 406

$2.83 €2.47

37.81%

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

$3.44 CFPF 358

$2.29 €2.00

50.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 CFPF 281

$1.58 €1.38

70.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 CFPF 301

$3.40 €2.97

-15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 CFPF 414

$4.03 €3.52

-1.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 157

$1.09 €0.95

38.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 CFPF 79.1

$1.75 €1.53

-56.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 CFPF 175

$1.76 €1.54

-4.55%

Eggs

$6.41 CFPF 667

$3.17 €2.77

102.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.40 CFPF 2,643

$13.19 €11.53

92.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 CFPF 1,735

$7.97 €6.96

109.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.72 CFPF 2,780

$15.53 €13.57

72.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 CFPF 534

$2.37 €2.07

116.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CFPF 237

$1.71 €1.49

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.88 CFPF 612

$2.01 €1.75

192.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.68 CFPF 799

$2.43 €2.12

216.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CFPF 303

$1.76 €1.54

65.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 CFPF 270

$2.03 €1.78

27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.97 CFPF 413

$1.92 €1.68

106.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CFPF 121

$0.85 €0.74

37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 CFPF 1,234

$6.58 €5.75

80.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.16 CFPF 2,202

$5.58 €4.87

279.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CFPF 203

$1.33 €1.16

46.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CFPF 332

$2.97 €2.60

7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 CFPF 207

$2.28 €1.99

-12.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 CFPF 987

$4.23 €3.69

124.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 165

$2.08 €1.82

-24.04%

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

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

$34.7K €30.3K

-44.37%

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

$29.5K CFPF 3.1M

$39.2K €34.2K

-24.77%

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

$183 CFPF 19.1K

$148 €129

23.72%

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

$17.68 CFPF 1,840

$20.46 €17.88

-13.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 CFPF 6,457

$39.56 €34.56

56.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 CFPF 8,033

$47.99 €41.93

60.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 CFPF 1,531

$9.22 €8.06

59.54%

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

$493 CFPF 51.3K

$616 €538

-19.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,750 CFPF 1.0M

$16.4K €14.4K

-40.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 CFPF 8,169

$103 €89.7

-23.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.3 CFPF 8,558

$41.74 €36.47

97.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 CFPF 7,931

$94.8 €82.8

-19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 CFPF 9,556

$122 €107

-24.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 CFPF 126.8K

$1,633 €1,426

-25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 CFPF 101.0K

$1,232 €1,077

-21.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,918 CFPF 199.6K

$3,098 €2,707

-38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 CFPF 159.7K

$2,031 €1,775

-24.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,591 CFPF 893.9K

$7,831 €6,842

9.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,309 CFPF 656.4K

$4,389 €3,835

43.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,387 CFPF 248.3K

$1,607 €1,404

48.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

57.48%

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

Last update for Papeete: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,219 in Papeete and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82.0 in Papeete vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $498 vs $267 per month, with Lisbon 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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 48% 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 $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Papeete versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Papeete. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,295 in Papeete, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Papeete. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Lisbon 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 – Lisbon wins on affordability, Papeete on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.