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: $682 in Papua New Guinea versus $790 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $992 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,187 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,301 in Papua New Guinea versus $1,583 in French Polynesia.

Living in Papua New Guinea costs about 14% less than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Papua New Guinea 49% lower, French Polynesia 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.63 PGK 33.65

$16.13 CFPF 1,687

-52.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.86 PGK 215

$79.8 CFPF 8,340

-38.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 PGK 26.54

$12.34 CFPF 1,290

-51.22%

Cappuccino

$2.43 PGK 10.72

$4.52 CFPF 473

-46.24%

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

$0.91 PGK 4.02

$2.76 CFPF 288

-67.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 PGK 3.55

$2.20 CFPF 230

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 PGK 12.95

$4.95 CFPF 518

-40.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 PGK 20.58

$4.99 CFPF 522

-6.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 PGK 8.45

$1.45 CFPF 151

31.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 PGK 6.68

$2.75 CFPF 288

-44.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 PGK 6.38

$1.70 CFPF 178

-14.71%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 17.18

$7.20 CFPF 752

-45.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 PGK 27.81

$39.16 CFPF 4,094

-83.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.61 PGK 29.14

$16.80 CFPF 1,757

-60.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 PGK 38.98

$26.82 CFPF 2,804

-67.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 PGK 17.67

$5.57 CFPF 582

-28.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 12.08

$2.37 CFPF 248

15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 PGK 21.17

$6.86 CFPF 717

-30.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 PGK 17.61

$7.80 CFPF 815

-48.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 PGK 15.07

$3.03 CFPF 317

12.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 PGK 10.91

$2.69 CFPF 281

-8.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 PGK 13.34

$3.82 CFPF 399

-20.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.70

$1.11 CFPF 116

-3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.60 PGK 29.13

$12.14 CFPF 1,269

-45.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 PGK 49.44

$24.27 CFPF 2,537

-53.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 PGK 11.29

$2.57 CFPF 269

-0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 PGK 15.20

$4.65 CFPF 487

-25.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 PGK 2.04

$1.99 CFPF 208

-76.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.55 PGK 126

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 PGK 23.87

$9.98 CFPF 1,044

-45.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.96 PGK 74.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 PGK 4.72

$1.52 CFPF 159

-29.61%

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

$24.4K PGK 107.4K

$19.7K CFPF 2.1M

23.47%

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

$31.4K PGK 138.4K

$28.6K CFPF 3.0M

9.56%

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

$102 PGK 452

$179 CFPF 18.7K

-42.73%

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

$48.82 PGK 215

$17.68 CFPF 1,848

176.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$211 PGK 929

$106 CFPF 11.1K

98.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 PGK 281

$73.3 CFPF 7,660

-12.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.19 PGK 53.8

$17.52 CFPF 1,832

-30.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.67 PGK 42.64

$14.32 CFPF 1,498

-32.47%

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

$443 PGK 1,954

$485 CFPF 50.7K

-8.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,153 PGK 18.3K

$9,864 CFPF 1.0M

-57.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.58 PGK 157

$99.1 CFPF 10.4K

-64.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.79 PGK 158

$84.7 CFPF 8,851

-57.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 PGK 297

$108 CFPF 11.3K

-37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.7 PGK 294

$108 CFPF 11.3K

-38.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,090 PGK 13.6K

$1,306 CFPF 136.5K

136.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 PGK 2,113

$1,084 CFPF 113.3K

-55.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,199 PGK 14.1K

$2,102 CFPF 219.8K

52.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 PGK 3,206

$1,869 CFPF 195.4K

-61.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,075 PGK 9,154

$8,452 CFPF 883.7K

-75.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,803 PGK 16.8K

$7,640 CFPF 798.8K

-50.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 PGK 1,829

$1,931 CFPF 201.9K

-78.53%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,985 in Papua New Guinea, $536 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $2,194 in Port Moresby vs $1,233 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $315 in Papua New Guinea, $2,056 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 270% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 58% more in Papua New Guinea.

Salaries are 553% 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 $1,147 per month in French Polynesia and $837 in Papua New Guinea, there's a 37% 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, $2,500 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.