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: $3,227 in Vanuatu versus $789 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Vanuatu versus $1,193 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,085 in Vanuatu versus $1,597 in French Polynesia.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 309% more expensive than French Polynesia on average.

Vanuatu (141% above) and French Polynesia (41% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 VUV 1,270

$15.84 CFPF 1,625

-30.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 VUV 7,350

$81.2 CFPF 8,329

-21.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 VUV 1,087

$12.08 CFPF 1,239

-22.02%

Cappuccino

$5.04 VUV 582

$4.44 CFPF 455

13.51%

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

$2.22 VUV 256

$2.67 CFPF 274

-16.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 VUV 202

$2.11 CFPF 216

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.45 VUV 513

$4.87 CFPF 500

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 VUV 490

$4.93 CFPF 506

-13.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 VUV 277

$1.50 CFPF 154

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 VUV 315

$2.76 CFPF 283

-1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 VUV 442

$1.68 CFPF 172

127.98%

Eggs

$5.25 VUV 606

$7.17 CFPF 735

-26.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.37 VUV 2,351

$38.65 CFPF 3,966

-47.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.76 VUV 1,934

$16.50 CFPF 1,693

1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 VUV 1,937

$26.66 CFPF 2,735

-37.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 VUV 553

$5.68 CFPF 583

-15.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 VUV 322

$2.49 CFPF 255

12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.47 VUV 631

$6.94 CFPF 712

-21.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 VUV 398

$7.77 CFPF 797

-55.60%

Potato (1kg)

$5.12 VUV 591

$2.93 CFPF 300

74.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 VUV 330

$2.71 CFPF 278

5.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 VUV 283

$3.86 CFPF 396

-36.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 VUV 154

$1.17 CFPF 120

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 VUV 1,092

$11.90 CFPF 1,221

-20.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 VUV 1,661

$24.41 CFPF 2,504

-41.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 VUV 364

$2.55 CFPF 262

23.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 VUV 339

$4.78 CFPF 491

-38.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 VUV 199

$1.99 CFPF 205

-13.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 VUV 7,843

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 VUV 236

$9.91 CFPF 1,017

-79.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 101

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 VUV 591

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 VUV 215

$1.57 CFPF 161

19.11%

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

$23.2K VUV 2.7M

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

19.97%

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

$38.1K VUV 4.4M

$29.1K CFPF 3.0M

30.79%

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

$544 VUV 62.8K

$178 CFPF 18.3K

205.34%

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

$25.63 VUV 2,958

$17.55 CFPF 1,801

46.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$228 VUV 26.3K

$103 CFPF 10.5K

122.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 CFPF 7,749

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 VUV 1,936

$17.85 CFPF 1,832

-5.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.41 VUV 1,432

$14.57 CFPF 1,494

-14.82%

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

$611 VUV 70.5K

$479 CFPF 49.2K

27.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,863 VUV 792.1K

$9,811 CFPF 1.0M

-30.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.56 VUV 5,373

$98.8 CFPF 10.1K

-52.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.5 VUV 7,788

$87.0 CFPF 8,927

-22.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CFPF 11.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CFPF 11.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 VUV 212.9K

$1,322 CFPF 135.7K

39.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 VUV 202.8K

$1,095 CFPF 112.3K

60.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 VUV 390.1K

$2,149 CFPF 220.5K

57.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 VUV 235.1K

$1,854 CFPF 190.3K

9.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,133 VUV 707.8K

$8,774 CFPF 900.2K

-30.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 VUV 257.4K

$7,922 CFPF 812.8K

-71.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$338 VUV 39.1K

$1,934 CFPF 198.5K

-82.50%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $941 in Vanuatu, $532 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $1,882 in Port Vila vs $1,231 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $496 in Vanuatu, $2,100 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 74% more in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 323% higher in French Polynesia, giving French Polynesia stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,150 per month in French Polynesia and $3,227 in Vanuatu, there's a 181% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

French Polynesia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.