Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

For one person, living is cheaper in Papua New Guinea: $1,375 a month against $2,315 in French Polynesia, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Papua New Guinea
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Papua New Guinea Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
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French Polynesia Living Index

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🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,375

/mo nomad

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Papua New Guinea and in French Polynesia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Papua New Guinea and in French Polynesia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,375 in Papua New Guinea versus $2,315 in French Polynesia.

Papua New Guinea $1,375
French Polynesia $2,315

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Papua New Guinea versus $3,464 in French Polynesia.

Papua New Guinea $2,177
French Polynesia $3,464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,979 in Papua New Guinea versus $4,613 in French Polynesia.

Papua New Guinea $2,979
French Polynesia $4,613

Internal cost variation is higher in French Polynesia: monthly costs span $14 to $2,283, compared to $817–$1,427 in Papua New Guinea. City choice carries more weight in French Polynesia.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 41% less than in French Polynesia on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 PGK 30.77

$16.95 CFPF 1,809

-58.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.44 PGK 193

$76.4 CFPF 8,146

-41.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.49 PGK 23.84

$14.24 CFPF 1,520

-61.45%

Cappuccino

$2.29 PGK 9.97

$4.14 CFPF 441

-44.69%

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

$0.78 PGK 3.38

$2.64 CFPF 281

-70.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PGK 2.85

$2.49 CFPF 266

-73.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 PGK 11.24

$4.75 CFPF 507

-45.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PGK 17.55

$5.58 CFPF 595

-27.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 PGK 8.07

$1.43 CFPF 153

30.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 PGK 6.42

$4.40 CFPF 470

-66.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PGK 5.93

$1.73 CFPF 185

-20.81%

Eggs

$3.72 PGK 16.14

$6.74 CFPF 719

-44.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.20

$35.28 CFPF 3,764

-82.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 PGK 24.86

$15.39 CFPF 1,643

-62.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 PGK 38.57

$24.37 CFPF 2,600

-63.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.37

$4.93 CFPF 526

-18.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 PGK 14.47

$2.88 CFPF 308

15.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 PGK 26.42

$6.35 CFPF 678

-4.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 PGK 22.74

$7.63 CFPF 814

-31.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 PGK 13.79

$2.92 CFPF 312

8.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 PGK 11.86

$2.42 CFPF 259

12.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 PGK 8.74

$3.65 CFPF 390

-44.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PGK 5.12

$1.16 CFPF 123

1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.33 PGK 27.47

$13.06 CFPF 1,393

-51.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 PGK 47.00

$23.36 CFPF 2,493

-53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 PGK 10.55

$2.92 CFPF 312

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 PGK 15.75

$3.76 CFPF 401

-3.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 PGK 1.84

$1.82 CFPF 194

-76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 PGK 114

$14.33 CFPF 1,529

82.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 PGK 21.91

$9.51 CFPF 1,014

-47.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 PGK 9.39

$2.39 CFPF 255

-9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.21 PGK 53.0

$22.96 CFPF 2,450

-46.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 PGK 4.45

$1.44 CFPF 153

-29.17%

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

$28.1K PGK 122.2K

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

51.61%

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

$22.2K PGK 96.5K

$30.4K CFPF 3.2M

-27.01%

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

$94.0 PGK 408

$174 CFPF 18.5K

-45.85%

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

$24.78 PGK 108

$18.73 CFPF 1,998

32.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 PGK 460

$69.8 CFPF 7,445

51.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.7 PGK 281

$73.0 CFPF 7,793

-11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.49 PGK 102

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 PGK 38.45

$14.25 CFPF 1,521

-37.89%

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

$503 PGK 2,186

$468 CFPF 49.9K

7.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,538 PGK 24.1K

$9,405 CFPF 1.0M

-41.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.04 PGK 157

$69.1 CFPF 7,376

-47.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 PGK 145

$72.3 CFPF 7,716

-53.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 PGK 268

$78.0 CFPF 8,319

-20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 PGK 370

$89.4 CFPF 9,542

-4.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 PGK 5,939

$1,233 CFPF 131.5K

10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 PGK 2,184

$922 CFPF 98.4K

-45.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,690 PGK 11.7K

$1,868 CFPF 199.3K

44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 PGK 4,647

$1,473 CFPF 157.2K

-27.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 PGK 8,843

$7,062 CFPF 753.5K

-71.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,661 PGK 15.9K

$9,027 CFPF 963.2K

-59.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 PGK 1,803

$1,876 CFPF 200.2K

-77.88%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papua New Guinea

$503 36.6%

French Polynesia

$922 39.8% 83.3% $419

Groceries & Markets

Papua New Guinea

$296 21.6%

French Polynesia

$565 24.4% 90.4% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papua New Guinea

$225 16.3%

French Polynesia

$262 11.3% 16.7% $37

Eating Out

Papua New Guinea

$127 9.3%

French Polynesia

$283 12.2% 122% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Papua New Guinea

$97 7.1%

French Polynesia

$139 6% 42.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Papua New Guinea

$82 6%

French Polynesia

$102 4.4% 23.2% $19

Getting Around

Papua New Guinea

$44 3.2%

French Polynesia

$43 1.9% 1.7% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,741 in Papua New Guinea, $1,170 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $1,451 in Port Moresby vs $1,328 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $312 in Papua New Guinea, $1,977 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 49% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 81% more in French Polynesia.

Public transport is 86% more expensive in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are about 6.3 times higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

20 h behind Papua New Guinea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,935,000

278,786

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.207 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.83 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.42 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Papua New Guinea French Polynesia 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Papua New Guinea
French Polynesia

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

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

At $2,315 per month in French Polynesia and $1,375 in Papua New Guinea, there’s a 68% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Papua New Guinea is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

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.