Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and French Polynesia Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $465 in Papua New Guinea versus $620 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $741 in Papua New Guinea versus $951 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,017 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,281 in French Polynesia.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 25% less than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Papua New Guinea 66% lower, French Polynesia 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 PGK 32.12

$17.67 CFPF 1,811

-58.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.53 PGK 198

$79.2 CFPF 8,117

-42.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 PGK 24.74

$14.80 CFPF 1,516

-61.49%

Cappuccino

$2.40 PGK 10.42

$4.16 CFPF 426

-42.31%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.49

$2.65 CFPF 272

-69.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 PGK 3.00

$2.59 CFPF 266

-73.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 PGK 11.38

$5.00 CFPF 512

-47.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 PGK 17.69

$5.70 CFPF 584

-28.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 PGK 8.46

$1.49 CFPF 153

30.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 PGK 6.38

$4.45 CFPF 456

-66.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 PGK 6.17

$1.74 CFPF 178

-18.39%

Eggs

$3.73 PGK 16.18

$6.98 CFPF 715

-46.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 PGK 27.29

$36.96 CFPF 3,787

-82.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 PGK 25.15

$16.29 CFPF 1,669

-64.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 PGK 39.72

$24.81 CFPF 2,542

-63.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 PGK 17.27

$5.13 CFPF 525

-22.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 PGK 14.67

$2.99 CFPF 307

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 PGK 25.78

$6.64 CFPF 681

-10.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 PGK 21.91

$8.01 CFPF 821

-36.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 PGK 16.19

$3.19 CFPF 327

16.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 PGK 10.88

$2.44 CFPF 250

2.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 PGK 7.82

$3.68 CFPF 377

-51.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 PGK 4.44

$1.27 CFPF 130

-19.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 PGK 26.70

$13.15 CFPF 1,347

-53.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 PGK 47.80

$24.08 CFPF 2,467

-54.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 PGK 12.20

$2.88 CFPF 295

-2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 PGK 16.11

$3.98 CFPF 408

-6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 PGK 2.04

$1.91 CFPF 195

-75.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.44 PGK 115

$14.49 CFPF 1,484

82.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 PGK 22.56

$9.60 CFPF 983

-45.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 PGK 9.90

$2.56 CFPF 262

-10.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.84 PGK 64.4

$24.30 CFPF 2,490

-38.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 PGK 4.43

$1.55 CFPF 158

-34.19%

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

$22.2K PGK 96.3K

$19.1K CFPF 2.0M

16.04%

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

$23.4K PGK 101.4K

$30.9K CFPF 3.2M

-24.28%

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

$96.6 PGK 419

$185 CFPF 19.0K

-47.89%

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

$27.50 PGK 119

$20.23 CFPF 2,073

35.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$118 PGK 514

$73.0 CFPF 7,481

62.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 PGK 288

$75.5 CFPF 7,740

-12.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.17 PGK 87.5

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 PGK 38.21

$14.48 CFPF 1,483

-39.16%

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

$536 PGK 2,326

$493 CFPF 50.5K

8.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,649 PGK 24.5K

$9,918 CFPF 1.0M

-43.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.70 PGK 159

$70.5 CFPF 7,221

-47.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.22 PGK 136

$74.3 CFPF 7,613

-57.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 PGK 298

$80.7 CFPF 8,263

-14.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 PGK 403

$94.1 CFPF 9,640

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 PGK 7,181

$1,303 CFPF 133.5K

26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 PGK 1,996

$977 CFPF 100.1K

-52.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,644 PGK 11.5K

$1,924 CFPF 197.2K

37.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 PGK 4,713

$1,576 CFPF 161.4K

-31.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 PGK 9,028

$7,196 CFPF 737.2K

-71.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,753 PGK 16.3K

$9,139 CFPF 936.3K

-58.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 PGK 1,829

$1,947 CFPF 199.5K

-78.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

4.6

197.17%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: September 6, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $787 in Papua New Guinea, $347 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $1,627 in Port Moresby vs $1,365 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $317 in Papua New Guinea, $2,126 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 127% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 16% more in French Polynesia.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 571% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

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

Papua New Guinea vs French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,197 per month in French Polynesia and $754 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 59% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Papua New Guinea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in French Polynesia is consistently higher than in Papua New Guinea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Papua New Guinea, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in French Polynesia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Papua New Guinea wins on affordability; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.