Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papeete and Tahiti

For one person, living is cheaper in Tahiti: $859 a month against $2,254 in Papeete, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index

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Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,254

/mo nomad

Tahiti

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papeete and in Tahiti

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

A single person spends $2,254 per month in Papeete vs $859 in Tahiti, rent included.

Papeete $2,254
Tahiti $859

A couple spends around $3,430 per month in Papeete vs $1,474 in Tahiti, rent included.

Papeete $3,430
Tahiti $1,474

A family of three spends $4,606 per month in Papeete vs $2,090 in Tahiti, rent included.

Papeete $4,606
Tahiti $2,090

Papeete costs about 162% more than Tahiti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Papeete sits 67% above the global median, while Tahiti is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 CFPF 1,991

$14.82 CFPF 1,568

26.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.1 CFPF 10.1K

$56.7 CFPF 5,997

67.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.63 CFPF 1,548

$11.24 CFPF 1,189

30.16%

Cappuccino

$3.34 CFPF 353

$4.91 CFPF 519

-31.98%

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

$2.71 CFPF 287

$2.14 CFPF 227

26.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CFPF 340

$2.59 CFPF 274

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 CFPF 344

$6.48 CFPF 686

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 CFPF 385

$7.13 CFPF 755

-48.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$1.25 CFPF 133

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CFPF 286

$3.64 CFPF 385

-25.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 CFPF 174

$1.25 CFPF 132

31.20%

Eggs

$6.12 CFPF 647

$7.54 CFPF 798

-18.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.27 CFPF 2,991

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.23 CFPF 1,611

$14.01 CFPF 1,482

8.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.07 CFPF 2,759

$21.77 CFPF 2,303

19.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$5.76 CFPF 609

-18.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 CFPF 257

$3.22 CFPF 341

-24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.37 CFPF 674

$5.09 CFPF 539

25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.87 CFPF 832

$7.82 CFPF 827

0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CFPF 287

$2.19 CFPF 231

23.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 CFPF 237

$2.14 CFPF 227

4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.70 CFPF 391

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CFPF 121

$0.90 CFPF 95.2

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 CFPF 1,337

Wine (Bottle)

$20.78 CFPF 2,198

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 CFPF 284

$3.21 CFPF 339

-16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CFPF 321

$3.74 CFPF 395

-18.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 CFPF 193

$1.68 CFPF 177

8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.16 CFPF 1,499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 CFPF 1,007

$9.09 CFPF 962

4.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 CFPF 252

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.31 CFPF 2,466

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 160

$1.44 CFPF 153

4.86%

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

$19.0K CFPF 2.0M

$17.7K CFPF 1.9M

7.58%

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

$27.8K CFPF 2.9M

$32.3K CFPF 3.4M

-13.68%

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

$178 CFPF 18.8K

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

$19.79 CFPF 2,094

$16.89 CFPF 1,787

17.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 CFPF 7,367

$75.1 CFPF 7,943

-7.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.2 CFPF 9,011

$52.2 CFPF 5,526

63.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 CFPF 1,471

$12.06 CFPF 1,276

15.26%

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

$476 CFPF 50.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,522 CFPF 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CFPF 7,347

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.7 CFPF 7,686

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 CFPF 8,164

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 CFPF 9,461

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 CFPF 138.6K

$1,009 CFPF 106.7K

29.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 CFPF 97.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CFPF 191.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CFPF 158.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,955 CFPF 735.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,589 CFPF 802.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,232 CFPF 236.2K

$2,092 CFPF 221.4K

6.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

4.81

-6.44%

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

Last update for Papeete: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tahiti: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papeete

$919 40.8%

Tahiti

–

Groceries & Markets

Papeete

$517 23%

Tahiti

–

Eating Out

Papeete

$282 12.5%

Tahiti

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papeete

$267 11.9%

Tahiti

–

Clothing & Footwear

Papeete

$139 6.2%

Tahiti

–

Sport & Entertainment

Papeete

$113 5%

Tahiti

–

Getting Around

Papeete

$17 * 0.8%

Tahiti

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,310 in Papeete versus $1,009 in Tahiti. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Papeete, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Papeete versus $57.0 in Tahiti. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $517 vs $372 – making Tahiti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Papeete

🇵🇫 Tahiti

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as Papeete

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,050 Capital

183,645

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Papeete Tahiti 21 km

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Papeete
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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 Tahiti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Papeete is pricier by about 162%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,381 per month in Papeete and $1,289 in Tahiti. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tahiti, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Papeete, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Papeete and $57.0 in Tahiti. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tahiti, where all-in costs run around $859, than in Papeete at $2,254. In Tahiti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Papeete it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tahiti – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tahiti. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Papeete makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.