Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tahiti and Papeete

For one person, living is cheaper in Tahiti: $859 a month against $2,254 in Papeete, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index

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Tahiti

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$859

/mo nomad

Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,254

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tahiti 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 Tahiti and in Papeete actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $859 per month in Tahiti vs $2,254 in Papeete, rent included.

Tahiti $859
Papeete $2,254

A couple spends around $1,474 per month in Tahiti vs $3,430 in Papeete, rent included.

Tahiti $1,474
Papeete $3,430

A family of three spends $2,090 per month in Tahiti vs $4,606 in Papeete, rent included.

Tahiti $2,090
Papeete $4,606

Tahiti is about 62% cheaper than Papeete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tahiti sits 36% below the global median, while Papeete is 67% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 CFPF 1,568

$18.82 CFPF 1,991

-21.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 CFPF 5,997

$95.1 CFPF 10.1K

-40.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 CFPF 1,189

$14.63 CFPF 1,548

-23.17%

Cappuccino

$4.91 CFPF 519

$3.34 CFPF 353

47.01%

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

$2.14 CFPF 227

$2.71 CFPF 287

-21.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CFPF 274

$3.22 CFPF 340

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 CFPF 686

$3.25 CFPF 344

99.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 CFPF 755

$3.64 CFPF 385

95.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CFPF 133

$1.50 CFPF 158

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 CFPF 385

$2.70 CFPF 286

34.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 CFPF 132

$1.64 CFPF 174

-23.78%

Eggs

$7.54 CFPF 798

$6.12 CFPF 647

23.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.27 CFPF 2,991

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CFPF 1,482

$15.23 CFPF 1,611

-8.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.77 CFPF 2,303

$26.07 CFPF 2,759

-16.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 CFPF 609

$4.70 CFPF 497

22.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 CFPF 341

$2.43 CFPF 257

32.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.09 CFPF 539

$6.37 CFPF 674

-20.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.82 CFPF 827

$7.87 CFPF 832

-0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 CFPF 231

$2.71 CFPF 287

-19.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CFPF 227

$2.24 CFPF 237

-4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.70 CFPF 391

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 CFPF 95.2

$1.14 CFPF 121

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 CFPF 1,337

Wine (Bottle)

$20.78 CFPF 2,198

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CFPF 339

$2.68 CFPF 284

19.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CFPF 395

$3.03 CFPF 321

23.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 CFPF 177

$1.83 CFPF 193

-8.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.16 CFPF 1,499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.09 CFPF 962

$9.52 CFPF 1,007

-4.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 CFPF 252

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.31 CFPF 2,466

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 153

$1.51 CFPF 160

-4.64%

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

$17.7K CFPF 1.9M

$19.0K CFPF 2.0M

-7.04%

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

$32.3K CFPF 3.4M

$27.8K CFPF 2.9M

15.85%

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

$178 CFPF 18.8K

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

$16.89 CFPF 1,787

$19.79 CFPF 2,094

-14.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.1 CFPF 7,943

$69.6 CFPF 7,367

7.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 CFPF 5,526

$85.2 CFPF 9,011

-38.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 CFPF 1,276

$13.90 CFPF 1,471

-13.24%

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

$476 CFPF 50.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,522 CFPF 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CFPF 7,347

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.7 CFPF 7,686

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 CFPF 8,164

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 CFPF 9,461

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CFPF 106.7K

$1,310 CFPF 138.6K

-22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 CFPF 97.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CFPF 191.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CFPF 158.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,955 CFPF 735.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,589 CFPF 802.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,092 CFPF 221.4K

$2,232 CFPF 236.2K

-6.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.81

4.5

6.89%

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

Last update for Tahiti: October 13, 2026

Last update for Papeete: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tahiti

–

Papeete

$919 40.8%

Groceries & Markets

Tahiti

–

Papeete

$517 23%

Eating Out

Tahiti

–

Papeete

$282 12.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tahiti

–

Papeete

$267 11.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Tahiti

–

Papeete

$139 6.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Tahiti

–

Papeete

$113 5%

Getting Around

Tahiti

–

Papeete

$17 * 0.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,009 in Tahiti 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 7% higher in Papeete, 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 $57.0 in Tahiti versus $95.0 in Papeete. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $517 – making Tahiti the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇫 Tahiti

🇵🇫 Papeete

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

Same time as Tahiti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,645

26,050 Capital

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tahiti Papeete 21 km

From you

Tahiti
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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

Tahiti vs Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Papeete is pricier by about 162%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,289 per month in Tahiti 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 Tahiti, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Papeete, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Tahiti and $95.0 in Papeete. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tahiti, where all-in costs run around $859, than in Papeete at $2,254. In Tahiti it covers expenses comfortably, while in Papeete it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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