Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Papeete: $2,321 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index
203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,321

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papeete and in Los Angeles, CA

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 Los Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,321 in Papeete versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA.

Papeete $2,321
Los Angeles, CA $4,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,432 in Papeete versus $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Papeete $3,432
Los Angeles, CA $6,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,544 in Papeete versus $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA.

Papeete $4,544
Los Angeles, CA $8,260

Living in Papeete costs roughly 46% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papeete 73% above, Los Angeles, CA 218% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 CFPF 1,983

$27.00 $27.00

-31.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.1 CFPF 9,917

$122 $122

-23.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.59 CFPF 1,554

$14.98 $14.98

-2.60%

Cappuccino

$3.32 CFPF 354

$5.84 $5.84

-43.15%

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

$2.71 CFPF 289

$3.77 $3.77

-28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CFPF 359

$2.67 $2.67

26.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 CFPF 356

$8.05 $8.05

-58.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 CFPF 412

$9.84 $9.84

-60.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 152

$1.30 $1.30

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CFPF 291

$4.84 $4.84

-43.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 CFPF 176

$4.48 $4.48

-63.17%

Eggs

$6.42 CFPF 684

$6.14 $6.14

4.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.71 CFPF 2,951

$11.32 $11.32

144.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 CFPF 1,607

$15.78 $15.78

-4.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.13 CFPF 2,783

$19.94 $19.94

31.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 CFPF 513

$5.24 $5.24

-8.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 CFPF 270

$2.33 $2.33

9.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.64 CFPF 707

$4.69 $4.69

41.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.90 CFPF 841

$5.65 $5.65

39.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CFPF 282

$3.28 $3.28

-19.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CFPF 236

$2.88 $2.88

-23.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.76 CFPF 401

$2.10 $2.10

79.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 118

$2.44 $2.44

-54.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.92 CFPF 1,376

$12.78 $12.78

1.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.89 CFPF 2,225

$15.05 $15.05

38.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CFPF 298

$2.96 $2.96

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CFPF 339

$2.81 $2.81

13.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 CFPF 205

$1.79 $1.79

7.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.22 CFPF 982

$3.08 $3.08

199.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 CFPF 156

$1.62 $1.62

-9.26%

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

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

$37.7K $37.7K

-50.50%

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

$28.4K CFPF 3.0M

$26.3K $26.3K

7.96%

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

$184 CFPF 19.6K

$288 $288

-36.10%

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

$19.80 CFPF 2,109

$77.9 $77.9

-74.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 CFPF 7,344

$80.5 $80.5

-14.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.2 CFPF 8,967

$74.2 $74.2

13.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

Cinema Ticket

$14.24 CFPF 1,517

$19.79 $19.79

-28.04%

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

$467 CFPF 49.7K

$1,678 $1,678

-72.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,465 CFPF 1.0M

$31.9K $31.9K

-70.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CFPF 7,388

$91.3 $91.3

-24.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.9 CFPF 7,763

$65.7 $65.7

10.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 CFPF 8,290

$121 $121

-35.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 CFPF 9,410

$206 $206

-57.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CFPF 142.9K

$2,545 $2,545

-47.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 CFPF 99.7K

$2,443 $2,443

-61.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CFPF 195.4K

$5,518 $5,518

-66.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 CFPF 158.9K

$4,275 $4,275

-65.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,135 CFPF 759.9K

$7,211 $7,211

-1.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,632 CFPF 812.9K

$6,930 $6,930

10.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,195 CFPF 233.8K

$4,173 $4,173

-47.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

6.86

-34.40%

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

Last update for Papeete: October 3, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papeete

$936 41.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 161% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Papeete

$519 22.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 10% $52

Eating Out

Papeete

$281 12.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 48.1% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papeete

$273 12%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 63.7% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Papeete

$139 6.1%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2% 56.9% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Papeete

$113 5%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7% 1% $1.1

Getting Around

Papeete

$17 * 0.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 631% $107

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 $1,342 in Papeete and $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 90% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $93.0 in Papeete vs $122 in Los Angeles, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $519 vs $467, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Papeete

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

23:43 11:43 PM

3 h ahead of Papeete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,050 Capital

4,030,904

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Papeete Los Angeles, CA 6,630 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Papeete
Los Angeles, CA

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 Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papeete is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Los Angeles, CA. 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: $1,342 in Papeete versus $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Los Angeles, CA pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,321 per month in Papeete versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Papeete is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Papeete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Papeete and Los Angeles, CA 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 Papeete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.