Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and French Polynesia Cost of Living Comparison Between Vanuatu and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $617 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $962 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $1,307 in French Polynesia.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 430% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Vanuatu (138% above) and French Polynesia (55% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 VUV 1,437

$17.62 CFPF 1,804

-29.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 VUV 6,581

$78.3 CFPF 8,014

-26.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.55 VUV 1,673

$14.82 CFPF 1,517

-1.82%

Cappuccino

$4.09 VUV 471

$4.36 CFPF 446

-6.19%

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

$2.32 VUV 266

$2.65 CFPF 271

-12.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 VUV 268

$2.68 CFPF 275

-12.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 VUV 596

$4.97 CFPF 509

4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 VUV 804

$5.97 CFPF 611

17.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 VUV 354

$1.45 CFPF 149

112.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 VUV 292

$4.41 CFPF 452

-42.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 VUV 434

$1.70 CFPF 174

122.35%

Eggs

$5.93 VUV 681

$7.05 CFPF 722

-15.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 VUV 1,855

$36.25 CFPF 3,711

-55.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 VUV 1,841

$16.21 CFPF 1,659

-1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 VUV 1,541

$24.96 CFPF 2,555

-46.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.77 VUV 778

$5.26 CFPF 538

28.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 VUV 236

$2.87 CFPF 294

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 VUV 454

$6.88 CFPF 705

-42.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.86 VUV 1,134

$7.86 CFPF 805

25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,030

$3.09 CFPF 317

189.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 VUV 499

$2.47 CFPF 253

75.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 VUV 289

$3.67 CFPF 376

-31.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 VUV 135

$1.27 CFPF 130

-7.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 VUV 1,160

$13.47 CFPF 1,379

-25.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 VUV 1,444

$24.26 CFPF 2,483

-48.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 VUV 332

$2.90 CFPF 297

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 VUV 349

$3.93 CFPF 402

-22.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 143

$1.93 CFPF 198

-35.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 VUV 7,733

$14.44 CFPF 1,478

365.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 VUV 294

$9.61 CFPF 983

-73.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 VUV 98.5

$2.46 CFPF 252

-65.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 VUV 572

$24.04 CFPF 2,461

-79.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 VUV 212

$1.53 CFPF 157

20.26%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.6M

$18.7K CFPF 1.9M

23.40%

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

$37.8K VUV 4.3M

$30.8K CFPF 3.2M

22.62%

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

$637 VUV 73.2K

$180 CFPF 18.5K

253.17%

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

$22.66 VUV 2,605

$20.11 CFPF 2,059

12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$366 VUV 42.1K

$72.9 CFPF 7,464

402.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 VUV 7,839

$77.5 CFPF 7,931

-11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 VUV 1,930

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 CFPF 1,506

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

$630 VUV 72.4K

$479 CFPF 49.0K

31.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,900 VUV 793.2K

$9,901 CFPF 1.0M

-30.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.61 VUV 4,783

$72.3 CFPF 7,402

-42.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.5 VUV 7,644

$73.9 CFPF 7,565

-10.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 VUV 9,573

$80.3 CFPF 8,220

3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 VUV 11.5K

$93.4 CFPF 9,558

7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 VUV 184.4K

$1,287 CFPF 131.8K

24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 VUV 138.6K

$989 CFPF 101.2K

21.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,352 VUV 385.4K

$1,910 CFPF 195.5K

75.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 VUV 217.7K

$1,553 CFPF 159.0K

21.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,133 VUV 705.0K

$7,378 CFPF 755.3K

-16.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,314 VUV 266.1K

$9,236 CFPF 945.5K

-74.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 VUV 39.4K

$1,950 CFPF 199.6K

-82.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

4.6

34.35%

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

Last update for Vanuatu: September 1, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $778 in Vanuatu, $353 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $1,556 in Port Vila vs $1,389 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $497 in Vanuatu, $2,095 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 120% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 32% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 1600% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 322% higher in French Polynesia, 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

Vanuatu vs French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,169 per month in French Polynesia and $3,269 in Vanuatu, there's a 180% 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 Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu 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; Vanuatu may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.