Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdez, AK and Papeete

For one person, living is cheaper in Papeete: $2,288 a month against $2,943 in Valdez, AK, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Valdez, AK
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Valdez, AK Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Papeete
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Papeete Living Index

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Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,943

/mo nomad

Papeete

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,943 per month in Valdez, AK vs $2,288 in Papeete, rent included.

Valdez, AK $2,943
Papeete $2,288

A couple spends around $4,126 per month in Valdez, AK vs $3,451 in Papeete, rent included.

Valdez, AK $4,126
Papeete $3,451

A family of three spends $5,310 per month in Valdez, AK vs $4,615 in Papeete, rent included.

Valdez, AK $5,310
Papeete $4,615

Valdez, AK costs about 29% more than Papeete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Valdez, AK and Papeete sit above the global median – Valdez, AK by 118%, Papeete by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.24 $23.24

$18.66 CFPF 1,978

24.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$94.0 CFPF 9,964

8.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.05 $20.05

$14.69 CFPF 1,558

36.49%

Cappuccino

$4.28 $4.28

$3.41 CFPF 362

25.51%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$2.66 CFPF 282

-6.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.32 CFPF 352

-30.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$3.27 CFPF 347

109.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.74 $8.74

$3.66 CFPF 388

138.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.51 CFPF 160

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.64 CFPF 280

38.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.60 CFPF 169

171.87%

Eggs

$4.29 $4.29

$6.15 CFPF 652

-30.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$27.95 CFPF 2,963

-54.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 $11.46

$15.32 CFPF 1,624

-25.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$26.41 CFPF 2,800

-35.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$4.61 CFPF 489

10.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.49 CFPF 264

-34.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$6.41 CFPF 679

-33.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$8.04 CFPF 853

-40.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.65 CFPF 281

9.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.19 CFPF 232

32.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.68 CFPF 390

-39.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.15 CFPF 122

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.34 $10.34

$12.91 CFPF 1,368

-19.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$21.44 CFPF 2,273

-28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.83 CFPF 300

-28.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.09 CFPF 328

9.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.84 CFPF 195

7.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.7 $67.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 $3.81

$9.35 CFPF 991

-59.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 $32.19

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.45 CFPF 153

-8.97%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$18.9K CFPF 2.0M

38.60%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$28.3K CFPF 3.0M

-3.05%

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

$300 $300

$180 CFPF 19.1K

66.89%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$19.61 CFPF 2,079

189.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.7 $97.7

$70.9 CFPF 7,518

37.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 $40.05

$84.7 CFPF 8,984

-52.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 $14.02

$13.79 CFPF 1,462

1.67%

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

$1,469 $1,469

$470 CFPF 49.8K

212.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$9,485 CFPF 1.0M

104.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$67.6 CFPF 7,165

-17.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.42 $44.42

$71.1 CFPF 7,542

-37.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 $89.1

$79.1 CFPF 8,380

12.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$88.6 CFPF 9,390

46.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,332 CFPF 141.2K

21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 $1,419

$949 CFPF 100.6K

49.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$1,839 CFPF 194.9K

45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 $1,997

$1,509 CFPF 159.9K

32.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$7,054 CFPF 747.9K

-54.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 $2,403

$7,560 CFPF 801.5K

-68.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,408 $7,408

$2,191 CFPF 232.3K

238.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

4.5

46.44%

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

Last update for Valdez, AK: November 2, 2026

Last update for Papeete: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valdez, AK

$1.4K 48.2%

Papeete

$949 41.5% 33.1% $470

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdez, AK

$455 15.5%

Papeete

$271 11.8% 40.5% $184

Groceries & Markets

Valdez, AK

$402 13.7%

Papeete

$520 22.7% 29.3% $118

Eating Out

Valdez, AK

$368 12.5%

Papeete

$282 12.3% 23.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Valdez, AK

$143 4.9%

Papeete

$138 6% 3.9% $5.6

Getting Around

Valdez, AK

$87 3%

Papeete

$17 * 0.7% 80.9% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Valdez, AK

$68 2.3%

Papeete

$112 4.9% 65% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,618 in Valdez, AK versus $1,332 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 in Valdez, AK are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Valdez, AK versus $94 in Papeete. Groceries tell a different story – $402 in Valdez, AK vs $520 in Papeete – so Valdez, AK wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Valdez, AK

🇵🇫 Papeete

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

1 h behind Valdez, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000

26,050 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.4 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.43 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR).

XPF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Valdez, AK Papeete 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Valdez, AK
Papeete

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

Valdez, AK vs Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Valdez, AK is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,414 per month in Valdez, AK and $3,432 in Papeete. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Papeete, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,332 there versus $1,618 in Valdez, AK.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,943 in Valdez, AK and $2,288 in Papeete. That makes Papeete about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,469 per month in Valdez, AK and $470 in Papeete. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Papeete – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Papeete. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Valdez, AK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.