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: $850 in Samoa versus $620 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,339 in Samoa versus $951 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,828 in Samoa versus $1,281 in French Polynesia.

Living in Samoa is roughly 37% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Samoa 38% lower, French Polynesia 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$48.41 WST 131

$17.67 CFPF 1,810

173.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.11 WST 101

$79.2 CFPF 8,113

-53.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.49 WST 39.35

$14.80 CFPF 1,515

-2.09%

Cappuccino

$2.86 WST 7.77

$4.16 CFPF 426

-31.25%

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

$1.85 WST 5.03

$2.65 CFPF 272

-30.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 WST 3.67

$2.59 CFPF 266

-47.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 WST 9.17

$5.00 CFPF 512

-32.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 WST 10.16

$5.70 CFPF 583

-34.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 WST 5.09

$1.49 CFPF 153

26.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 WST 2.34

$4.45 CFPF 456

-80.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 WST 4.89

$1.74 CFPF 178

3.45%

Eggs

$4.38 WST 11.89

$6.98 CFPF 715

-37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.91 WST 2.46

$36.96 CFPF 3,785

-97.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 WST 9.81

$16.29 CFPF 1,668

-77.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.29 WST 22.51

$24.81 CFPF 2,540

-66.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 WST 13.75

$5.13 CFPF 525

-1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 WST 5.07

$2.99 CFPF 307

-37.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 WST 4.92

$6.64 CFPF 680

-72.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 WST 12.30

$8.01 CFPF 821

-43.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 WST 9.68

$3.19 CFPF 327

11.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 WST 3.05

$2.44 CFPF 250

-54.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.68 CFPF 376

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 WST 3.22

$1.27 CFPF 130

-6.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 WST 17.07

$13.15 CFPF 1,347

-52.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.43 WST 44.61

$24.08 CFPF 2,466

-31.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 WST 5.00

$2.88 CFPF 295

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 WST 9.84

$3.98 CFPF 408

-8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 WST 9.66

$1.91 CFPF 195

86.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 CFPF 1,483

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 WST 15.22

$9.60 CFPF 983

-41.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.35 WST 14.51

$2.56 CFPF 262

108.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.93 WST 59.6

$24.30 CFPF 2,488

-9.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 WST 3.02

$1.55 CFPF 158

-28.39%

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

$19.1K CFPF 2.0M

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

$30.9K CFPF 3.2M

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

$18.56 WST 50.4

$185 CFPF 19.0K

-89.99%

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

$18.19 WST 49.38

$20.23 CFPF 2,072

-10.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.36 WST 101

$73.0 CFPF 7,477

-48.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 CFPF 7,736

Cinema Ticket

$14.48 CFPF 1,483

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

$493 CFPF 50.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,918 CFPF 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 CFPF 7,218

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.3 CFPF 7,610

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 CFPF 8,259

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.1 CFPF 9,635

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 CFPF 133.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CFPF 100.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 CFPF 197.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,815 WST 4,928

$1,576 CFPF 161.4K

15.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,196 CFPF 736.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,139 CFPF 935.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 CFPF 199.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

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

Last update for Samoa: September 5, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: September 7, 2026

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 68% 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 $1,197 per month in French Polynesia and $850 in Samoa, there's a 41% 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, $1,000 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.