Cost of Living Comparison Between Samoa and French Polynesia Cost of Living Comparison Between Samoa and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,002 in Samoa versus $778 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,533 in Samoa versus $1,184 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,063 in Samoa versus $1,590 in French Polynesia.

Living in Samoa is roughly 29% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Samoa 25% lower, French Polynesia 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$53.0 WST 145

$15.84 CFPF 1,656

234.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.49 WST 97.3

$79.3 CFPF 8,291

-55.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 WST 37.92

$12.32 CFPF 1,288

12.18%

Cappuccino

$2.54 WST 6.97

$4.42 CFPF 462

-42.53%

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

$1.99 WST 5.46

$2.65 CFPF 277

-24.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 WST 3.46

$2.20 CFPF 230

-42.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 WST 12.12

$4.83 CFPF 504

-8.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 WST 9.47

$4.94 CFPF 517

-30.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 WST 4.95

$1.45 CFPF 151

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 WST 2.10

$2.77 CFPF 289

-72.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 WST 5.05

$1.68 CFPF 175

9.52%

Eggs

$4.22 WST 11.58

$7.16 CFPF 748

-41.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.85 WST 2.33

$38.42 CFPF 4,015

-97.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 WST 9.98

$16.83 CFPF 1,759

-78.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.39 WST 23.02

$27.30 CFPF 2,853

-69.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 WST 14.12

$5.48 CFPF 572

-6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 WST 5.01

$2.37 CFPF 248

-22.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 WST 5.01

$6.72 CFPF 702

-72.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 WST 12.04

$7.93 CFPF 829

-44.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 WST 9.90

$3.01 CFPF 314

19.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 WST 2.87

$2.69 CFPF 281

-60.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.86 CFPF 404

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 WST 3.29

$1.17 CFPF 122

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 WST 16.86

$11.95 CFPF 1,249

-48.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 WST 44.57

$24.34 CFPF 2,543

-33.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 WST 5.04

$2.54 CFPF 265

-27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 WST 9.92

$4.75 CFPF 496

-24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 WST 9.97

$1.97 CFPF 206

84.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 WST 14.54

$9.82 CFPF 1,026

-46.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.05 WST 57.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 WST 2.87

$1.52 CFPF 159

-30.92%

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

$19.7K CFPF 2.1M

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

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

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

$18.13 WST 49.73

$181 CFPF 18.9K

-89.97%

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

$17.80 WST 48.83

$17.77 CFPF 1,857

0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.42 WST 99.9

$103 CFPF 10.7K

-64.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 CFPF 7,680

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 CFPF 1,861

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 CFPF 1,534

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

$485 CFPF 50.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,615 CFPF 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 WST 136

$99.7 CFPF 10.4K

-50.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 WST 112

$85.4 CFPF 8,925

-52.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 WST 206

$108 CFPF 11.3K

-30.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 WST 273

$108 CFPF 11.2K

-7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 WST 954

$1,293 CFPF 135.1K

-73.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 WST 412

$1,089 CFPF 113.8K

-86.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 WST 1,948

$2,109 CFPF 220.4K

-66.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 WST 3,229

$1,827 CFPF 191.0K

-35.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,356 CFPF 873.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,809 CFPF 816.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,935 CFPF 202.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

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

Last update for Samoa: July 20, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: July 21, 2026

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 89% more in Samoa.

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

Samoa vs French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,120 per month in French Polynesia and $1,002 in Samoa, there's a 12% 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 Samoa: 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 Samoa across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Samoa, $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: Samoa wins on affordability; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.