Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Renton, WA and Papeete

For one person, living is cheaper in Papeete: $2,254 a month against $3,050 in Renton, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Renton, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Renton, WA
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Renton, WA Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index

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Renton, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,050

/mo nomad

Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,254

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Renton, WA and in Papeete

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

A single person spends $3,050 per month in Renton, WA vs $2,254 in Papeete, rent included.

Renton, WA $3,050
Papeete $2,254

A couple spends around $4,076 per month in Renton, WA vs $3,430 in Papeete, rent included.

Renton, WA $4,076
Papeete $3,430

A family of three spends $5,101 per month in Renton, WA vs $4,606 in Papeete, rent included.

Renton, WA $5,101
Papeete $4,606

Renton, WA costs about 35% more than Papeete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Renton, WA and Papeete sit above the global median – Renton, WA by 126%, Papeete by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$18.82 CFPF 1,991

5.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 $93.3

$95.1 CFPF 10.1K

-1.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$14.63 CFPF 1,548

-16.47%

Cappuccino

$4.72 $4.72

$3.34 CFPF 353

41.32%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$2.71 CFPF 287

-9.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.22 CFPF 340

-33.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.25 CFPF 344

56.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$3.64 CFPF 385

91.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.50 CFPF 158

-22.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.70 CFPF 286

52.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.64 CFPF 174

118.29%

Eggs

$4.97 $4.97

$6.12 CFPF 647

-18.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$28.27 CFPF 2,991

-53.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$15.23 CFPF 1,611

-55.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$26.07 CFPF 2,759

-38.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$4.70 CFPF 497

-27.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.43 CFPF 257

-30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$6.37 CFPF 674

-65.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$7.87 CFPF 832

-56.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.71 CFPF 287

-14.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.24 CFPF 237

1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.70 CFPF 391

-52.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.14 CFPF 121

89.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 $13.33

$12.64 CFPF 1,337

5.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$20.78 CFPF 2,198

-52.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.68 CFPF 284

-36.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.03 CFPF 321

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.83 CFPF 193

91.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.9 $75.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$9.52 CFPF 1,007

-62.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 $0.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.83 $14.83

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.51 CFPF 160

-17.22%

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

$18.7K $18.7K

$19.0K CFPF 2.0M

-1.83%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$27.8K CFPF 2.9M

-18.19%

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

$198 $198

$178 CFPF 18.8K

11.36%

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

$59.7 $59.7

$19.79 CFPF 2,094

201.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$69.6 CFPF 7,367

-10.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 $38.64

$85.2 CFPF 9,011

-54.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.38 $39.38

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$13.90 CFPF 1,471

8.13%

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

$1,629 $1,629

$476 CFPF 50.3K

242.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K $16.4K

$9,522 CFPF 1.0M

72.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$69.4 CFPF 7,347

-24.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.41 $30.41

$72.7 CFPF 7,686

-58.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.5 $64.5

$77.2 CFPF 8,164

-16.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 $78.9

$89.4 CFPF 9,461

-11.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,776 $1,776

$1,310 CFPF 138.6K

35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 $1,814

$919 CFPF 97.2K

97.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,952 $2,952

$1,812 CFPF 191.7K

62.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 $2,242

$1,498 CFPF 158.5K

49.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,800 $4,800

$6,955 CFPF 735.8K

-30.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,808 $3,808

$7,589 CFPF 802.9K

-49.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,965 $4,965

$2,232 CFPF 236.2K

122.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

4.5

46.44%

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

Last update for Renton, WA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Papeete: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Renton, WA

$1.8K 59.5%

Papeete

$919 40.8% 49.3% $895

Groceries & Markets

Renton, WA

$340 11.1%

Papeete

$517 23% 52.3% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Renton, WA

$320 10.5%

Papeete

$267 11.9% 16.5% $53

Eating Out

Renton, WA

$309 10.2%

Papeete

$282 12.5% 9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Renton, WA

$102 3.3%

Papeete

$139 6.2% 36.4% $37

Getting Around

Renton, WA

$97 3.2%

Papeete

$17 * 0.8% 82.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Renton, WA

$69 2.3%

Papeete

$113 5% 64.4% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,776 in Renton, WA versus $1,310 in Papeete. 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 122% higher in Renton, WA, 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 $93.0 in Renton, WA versus $95.0 in Papeete. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $517 – making Renton, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Renton, WA

🇵🇫 Papeete

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

10:14 10:14 AM

3 h behind Renton, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,785

26,050 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

XPF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Renton, WA Papeete 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Renton, WA
Papeete

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

Renton, WA vs Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Renton, WA is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,575 per month in Renton, WA and $3,381 in Papeete. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,050 in Renton, WA and $2,254 in Papeete. That's a gap of about 35%.

Kindergarten costs $1,629 per month in Renton, WA and $476 in Papeete. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Papeete, where all-in costs run around $2,254, than in Renton, WA at $3,050. In Papeete it covers expenses comfortably, while in Renton, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Papeete – 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 Papeete. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Renton, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.