Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

For one person, living is cheaper in French Polynesia: $2,328 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the United States outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
Learn more

French Polynesia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in French Polynesia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in the United States versus $2,328 in French Polynesia.

United States $2,701
French Polynesia $2,328

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,980 in the United States versus $3,472 in French Polynesia.

United States $3,980
French Polynesia $3,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,258 in the United States versus $4,615 in French Polynesia.

United States $5,258
French Polynesia $4,615

Living in the United States is roughly 16% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 100% above, French Polynesia 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$17.09 CFPF 1,808

16.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$76.0 CFPF 8,039

6.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.17 CFPF 1,499

-14.82%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.13 CFPF 437

34.38%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.51 CFPF 266

6.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.58 CFPF 273

-18.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$4.56 CFPF 482

30.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$5.72 CFPF 605

35.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.44 CFPF 152

-27.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.43 CFPF 469

-19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.64 CFPF 173

182.93%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$6.68 CFPF 706

-37.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$34.76 CFPF 3,677

-63.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$15.77 CFPF 1,668

-19.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$23.62 CFPF 2,499

-27.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.08 CFPF 538

1.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.89 CFPF 306

-43.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$6.64 CFPF 702

-32.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$7.88 CFPF 834

-36.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$3.02 CFPF 320

-5.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.35 CFPF 248

31.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.56 CFPF 377

-38.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.21 CFPF 128

87.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$13.11 CFPF 1,387

-19.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$23.70 CFPF 2,508

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.84 CFPF 300

-26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.67 CFPF 388

4.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.92 CFPF 203

22.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$13.98 CFPF 1,479

358.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$9.10 CFPF 963

-60.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.39 CFPF 253

-22.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$23.23 CFPF 2,457

29.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.43 CFPF 151

-25.17%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$18.2K CFPF 1.9M

93.78%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$30.6K CFPF 3.2M

-15.36%

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

$217 $217

$178 CFPF 18.8K

21.59%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$18.69 CFPF 1,977

228.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$71.4 CFPF 7,550

4.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$73.4 CFPF 7,769

-38.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$13.95 CFPF 1,476

6.02%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$470 CFPF 49.7K

215.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$9,475 CFPF 1.0M

168.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$67.2 CFPF 7,107

-21.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$70.6 CFPF 7,473

-39.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$79.1 CFPF 8,369

19.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$87.7 CFPF 9,275

31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,221 CFPF 129.2K

37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$929 CFPF 98.3K

41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$1,806 CFPF 191.1K

46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$1,473 CFPF 155.8K

48.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$6,888 CFPF 728.7K

-51.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$9,027 CFPF 955.0K

-70.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$1,873 CFPF 198.2K

135.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

4.6

42.39%

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

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

French Polynesia

$929 39.9% 29.3% $384

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

French Polynesia

$566 24.3% 37.8% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

French Polynesia

$268 11.5% 23.9% $84

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

French Polynesia

$283 12.2% 13.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

French Polynesia

$137 5.9% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

French Polynesia

$43 1.8% 50.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

French Polynesia

$101 4.4% 35.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,609 in the United States, $331 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $2,730 in Washington, DC vs $1,310 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $4,533 in the United States, $1,990 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 386% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 241% more in the United States.

Public transport is 1250% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 128% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

22:42 10:42 PM

6 h behind the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

278,786

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

United States French Polynesia 8,840 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
French Polynesia

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

United States vs French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,328 per month in French Polynesia and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 16% 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 cheaper in French Polynesia: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $331 in French Polynesia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In French Polynesia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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: French Polynesia wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.