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: $3,224 in Vanuatu versus $778 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,154 in Vanuatu versus $1,184 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,083 in Vanuatu versus $1,590 in French Polynesia.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 314% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Vanuatu (141% above) and French Polynesia (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 VUV 1,325

$15.84 CFPF 1,650

-28.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 VUV 7,490

$79.3 CFPF 8,263

-18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 VUV 1,115

$12.32 CFPF 1,284

-22.24%

Cappuccino

$5.10 VUV 594

$4.42 CFPF 461

15.38%

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

$2.13 VUV 248

$2.65 CFPF 276

-19.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 VUV 199

$2.20 CFPF 229

-22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 VUV 525

$4.83 CFPF 503

-6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 VUV 478

$4.94 CFPF 515

-16.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 VUV 285

$1.45 CFPF 151

68.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 VUV 318

$2.77 CFPF 288

-1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 VUV 435

$1.68 CFPF 175

122.02%

Eggs

$5.14 VUV 598

$7.16 CFPF 746

-28.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 VUV 2,329

$38.42 CFPF 4,002

-47.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.59 VUV 1,932

$16.83 CFPF 1,753

-1.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 VUV 1,951

$27.30 CFPF 2,843

-38.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 VUV 549

$5.48 CFPF 571

-14.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 VUV 323

$2.37 CFPF 247

17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.50 VUV 641

$6.72 CFPF 700

-18.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 VUV 388

$7.93 CFPF 826

-58.01%

Potato (1kg)

$5.17 VUV 602

$3.01 CFPF 313

71.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 VUV 328

$2.69 CFPF 280

4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 VUV 292

$3.86 CFPF 402

-34.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 VUV 154

$1.17 CFPF 122

12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 VUV 1,113

$11.95 CFPF 1,245

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 VUV 1,725

$24.34 CFPF 2,535

-39.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 VUV 382

$2.54 CFPF 265

29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 VUV 341

$4.75 CFPF 494

-38.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 VUV 199

$1.97 CFPF 205

-13.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 VUV 7,929

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 VUV 250

$9.82 CFPF 1,023

-78.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 VUV 94.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 VUV 581

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 VUV 226

$1.52 CFPF 158

27.63%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.7M

$19.7K CFPF 2.0M

17.21%

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

$38.5K VUV 4.5M

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

34.30%

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

$545 VUV 63.5K

$181 CFPF 18.8K

201.82%

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

$25.05 VUV 2,916

$17.77 CFPF 1,850

40.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$232 VUV 27.0K

$103 CFPF 10.7K

126.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 CFPF 7,655

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 VUV 1,992

$17.81 CFPF 1,855

-3.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 VUV 1,486

$14.68 CFPF 1,529

-13.01%

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

$626 VUV 72.8K

$485 CFPF 50.5K

29.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,974 VUV 811.8K

$9,615 CFPF 1.0M

-27.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.39 VUV 5,400

$99.7 CFPF 10.4K

-53.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.0 VUV 7,910

$85.4 CFPF 8,895

-20.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 CFPF 11.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CFPF 11.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 VUV 220.7K

$1,293 CFPF 134.7K

46.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 VUV 210.4K

$1,089 CFPF 113.4K

65.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,414 VUV 397.4K

$2,109 CFPF 219.6K

61.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 VUV 244.0K

$1,827 CFPF 190.3K

14.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,075 VUV 707.2K

$8,356 CFPF 870.3K

-27.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,207 VUV 256.9K

$7,809 CFPF 813.3K

-71.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 VUV 39.1K

$1,935 CFPF 201.5K

-82.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

29.63%

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

Last update for Vanuatu: July 20, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $942 in Vanuatu, $531 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $1,885 in Port Vila vs $1,226 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $490 in Vanuatu, $2,079 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 77% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 68% more in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 324% 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 $1,120 per month in French Polynesia and $3,224 in Vanuatu, there's a 188% 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.