Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and French Polynesia Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,642 in United States versus $796 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,203 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in United States versus $1,609 in French Polynesia.

Living in United States is roughly 232% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

United States (98% above) and French Polynesia (40% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$15.70 CFPF 1,635

25.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$81.1 CFPF 8,447

-6.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$12.02 CFPF 1,252

-3.74%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$4.45 CFPF 463

17.30%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.65 CFPF 276

-6.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.10 CFPF 219

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$4.85 CFPF 505

21.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$4.93 CFPF 513

44.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.43 CFPF 149

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.85 CFPF 297

24.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.67 CFPF 174

183.83%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$7.16 CFPF 746

-39.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$39.04 CFPF 4,066

-67.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$16.82 CFPF 1,752

-26.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$27.69 CFPF 2,883

-40.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.56 CFPF 580

-7.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.41 CFPF 251

-29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$6.77 CFPF 705

-34.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$7.73 CFPF 805

-37.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.93 CFPF 306

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.62 CFPF 273

17.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.80 CFPF 396

-41.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.11 CFPF 116

102.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$11.83 CFPF 1,233

-16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$23.74 CFPF 2,473

-35.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.55 CFPF 265

-25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.78 CFPF 498

-25.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.98 CFPF 206

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$9.50 CFPF 989

-60.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.58 CFPF 165

-39.24%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

54.49%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

-8.91%

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

$210 $210

$180 CFPF 18.7K

16.83%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$17.28 CFPF 1,800

225.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$102 CFPF 10.6K

-28.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 $45.39

$72.9 CFPF 7,592

-37.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.60 $21.60

$17.59 CFPF 1,832

22.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$14.78 CFPF 1,540

-5.01%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$483 CFPF 50.3K

185.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$9,795 CFPF 1.0M

128.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$97.8 CFPF 10.2K

-46.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$86.5 CFPF 9,010

-50.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$108 CFPF 11.3K

-15.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$106 CFPF 11.0K

7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$1,312 CFPF 136.6K

34.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$1,105 CFPF 115.1K

32.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$2,148 CFPF 223.7K

32.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$1,860 CFPF 193.7K

27.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,364 $3,364

$8,319 CFPF 866.4K

-59.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$7,635 CFPF 795.2K

-65.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$1,899 CFPF 197.7K

130.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.4

20.56%

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

Last update for United States: July 12, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $534 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $1,625 in Washington, MI vs $1,219 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $2,050 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 206% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 284% more in United States.

Salaries are 120% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

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 $1,148 per month in French Polynesia and $3,259 in United States, there's a 184% 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 French Polynesia: 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 United States is consistently higher than in French Polynesia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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