Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Milan Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Milan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,295 in Papeete versus $2,467 in Milan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Papeete versus $3,845 in Milan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,593 in Papeete versus $5,223 in Milan.

Living in Papeete costs roughly 7% less than in Milan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papeete 72% above, Milan 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 CFPF 1,815

$23.53 €20.56

-25.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 CFPF 8,561

$91.5 €79.9

-10.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 CFPF 1,260

$12.72 €11.12

-4.80%

Cappuccino

$3.90 CFPF 406

$2.10 €1.84

85.71%

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

$3.44 CFPF 358

$3.35 €2.93

2.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 CFPF 281

$1.44 €1.26

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 CFPF 301

$7.02 €6.13

-58.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 CFPF 414

$5.64 €4.93

-29.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 157

$1.77 €1.54

-14.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 CFPF 79.1

$2.84 €2.48

-73.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 CFPF 175

$3.28 €2.87

-48.78%

Eggs

$6.41 CFPF 667

$4.26 €3.72

50.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.40 CFPF 2,643

$19.76 €17.27

28.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.68 CFPF 1,735

$12.96 €11.32

28.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.72 CFPF 2,780

$24.27 €21.20

10.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 CFPF 534

$2.83 €2.48

81.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CFPF 237

$2.38 €2.08

-4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.88 CFPF 612

$3.34 €2.91

76.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.68 CFPF 799

$3.90 €3.41

96.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CFPF 303

$2.54 €2.22

14.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 CFPF 270

$2.22 €1.94

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.97 CFPF 413

$1.64 €1.43

142.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CFPF 121

$0.70 €0.61

67.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 CFPF 1,234

$7.13 €6.23

66.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.16 CFPF 2,202

$9.28 €8.11

128.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CFPF 203

$2.46 €2.15

-20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CFPF 332

$3.14 €2.74

1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 CFPF 207

$2.53 €2.21

-21.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.83 €39.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 CFPF 987

$7.97 €6.96

19.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.69 €34.68

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 165

$2.05 €1.79

-22.93%

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

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

$34.1K €29.8K

-43.39%

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

$29.5K CFPF 3.1M

$36.1K €31.6K

-18.48%

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

$183 CFPF 19.1K

$215 €188

-14.80%

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

$17.68 CFPF 1,840

$11.65 €10.18

51.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 CFPF 6,457

$31.28 €27.33

98.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 CFPF 8,033

$76.0 €66.4

1.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.56 €32.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 CFPF 1,531

$11.38 €9.94

29.26%

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

$493 CFPF 51.3K

$878 €767

-43.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,750 CFPF 1.0M

$16.4K €14.3K

-40.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 CFPF 8,169

$112 €98.0

-29.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.3 CFPF 8,558

$53.4 €46.62

54.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 CFPF 7,931

$115 €101

-33.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 CFPF 9,556

$169 €148

-45.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 CFPF 126.8K

$1,573 €1,375

-22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 CFPF 101.0K

$1,124 €982

-13.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,918 CFPF 199.6K

$3,208 €2,803

-40.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 CFPF 159.7K

$2,050 €1,791

-25.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,591 CFPF 893.9K

$10.7K €9,311

-19.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,309 CFPF 656.4K

$5,344 €4,669

18.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,387 CFPF 248.3K

$2,208 €1,929

8.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

84.62%

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

Last update for Papeete: July 13, 2026

Last update for Milan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,219 in Papeete and $1,573 in Milan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Papeete pays 8% 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 $91.0 in Milan. Groceries flip the comparison at $498 vs $399, with Milan 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 Milan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papeete is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $1,573 in Milan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Milan pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,295 per month in Papeete versus $2,467 in Milan – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,295 in Papeete versus $2,467 in Milan, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Papeete but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Papeete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Papeete and Milan 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 7% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.