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: $690 in Papua New Guinea versus $783 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $985 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,188 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,280 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,592 in French Polynesia.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 12% less than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Papua New Guinea 49% lower, French Polynesia 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 PGK 33.79

$15.90 CFPF 1,636

-50.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.39 PGK 204

$81.6 CFPF 8,392

-41.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 PGK 25.65

$12.08 CFPF 1,243

-50.58%

Cappuccino

$2.31 PGK 9.94

$4.49 CFPF 461

-48.55%

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

$0.87 PGK 3.72

$2.63 CFPF 270

-66.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.23

$2.13 CFPF 219

-64.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 PGK 12.05

$4.83 CFPF 497

-41.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 PGK 19.26

$4.96 CFPF 511

-9.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PGK 8.19

$1.51 CFPF 155

26.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.78

$2.80 CFPF 288

-43.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 PGK 6.28

$1.63 CFPF 167

-10.43%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 16.70

$7.03 CFPF 723

-44.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 PGK 26.72

$38.13 CFPF 3,921

-83.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 PGK 28.06

$16.45 CFPF 1,692

-60.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 PGK 38.52

$27.44 CFPF 2,822

-67.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 PGK 17.28

$5.39 CFPF 555

-25.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 PGK 12.12

$2.35 CFPF 241

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 PGK 20.66

$6.61 CFPF 680

-27.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 PGK 16.94

$7.73 CFPF 795

-49.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 PGK 14.80

$3.05 CFPF 314

12.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.71

$2.74 CFPF 282

-9.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 PGK 12.43

$3.92 CFPF 403

-26.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PGK 4.54

$1.16 CFPF 120

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 PGK 27.23

$12.05 CFPF 1,239

-47.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 PGK 47.64

$23.95 CFPF 2,463

-53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 PGK 10.89

$2.55 CFPF 262

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 PGK 15.02

$4.71 CFPF 485

-25.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.13

$1.95 CFPF 201

-74.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.53 PGK 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 PGK 23.31

$9.56 CFPF 983

-43.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 PGK 10.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 PGK 72.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 PGK 4.83

$1.57 CFPF 161

-28.66%

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

$23.8K PGK 102.2K

$19.5K CFPF 2.0M

21.94%

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

$31.5K PGK 135.2K

$29.0K CFPF 3.0M

8.49%

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

$101 PGK 434

$183 CFPF 18.8K

-44.70%

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

$49.27 PGK 212

$17.42 CFPF 1,791

182.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$212 PGK 912

$106 CFPF 10.9K

101.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 PGK 270

$73.2 CFPF 7,525

-14.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.50 PGK 53.7

$17.87 CFPF 1,838

-30.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 PGK 40.93

$14.83 CFPF 1,525

-35.74%

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

$445 PGK 1,913

$484 CFPF 49.8K

-8.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,038 PGK 17.3K

$9,615 CFPF 988.9K

-58.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 PGK 154

$98.7 CFPF 10.2K

-63.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.10 PGK 151

$85.8 CFPF 8,828

-59.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 PGK 295

$108 CFPF 11.1K

-36.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.5 PGK 286

$109 CFPF 11.2K

-39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 PGK 13.1K

$1,332 CFPF 136.9K

129.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 PGK 2,043

$1,090 CFPF 112.2K

-56.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,132 PGK 13.5K

$2,093 CFPF 215.3K

49.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 PGK 3,116

$1,871 CFPF 192.5K

-61.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,082 PGK 8,943

$8,577 CFPF 882.2K

-75.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,827 PGK 16.4K

$7,962 CFPF 818.9K

-51.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$423 PGK 1,817

$1,919 CFPF 197.3K

-77.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

5.4

136.11%

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 6, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,944 in Papua New Guinea, $539 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $2,149 in Port Moresby vs $1,243 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $319 in Papua New Guinea, $2,100 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 261% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 58% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 558% higher in French Polynesia, giving French Polynesia stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,124 per month in French Polynesia and $863 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 30% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Papua New Guinea is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In French Polynesia, it works in regional areas but 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.