Cost of living comparison
compared to
North Carolina vs. French Polynesia Cost of Living Summary
North Carolina is 10.2% more expensive than French Polynesia overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 9.5% less in North Carolina
- Groceries
-
pay 14.3% less in North Carolina
- Transportation
-
pay 41.3% more in North Carolina
- Housing
-
pay 16.8% more in North Carolina
- Childcare
-
pay 2.5 times more in North Carolina
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 4.8% less in North Carolina
- Clothing
-
pay 13.1% less in North Carolina
The cost of childcare, transportation, and housing in North Carolina are more expensive than in French Polynesia. Expenses including groceries, clothing, restaurants, and entertainment and sports are lower in North Carolina. Notably, childcare is significantly more expensive in North Carolina.
North Carolina vs. French Polynesia Cost Breakdown
If you lived in North Carolina instead of French Polynesia, you would:
pay 9.5% less for restaurants
|
French Polynesia
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$16.89
CFPF1,794
|
$17.13
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$13.02
CFPF1,383
|
$10.72
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.39
CFPF254
|
$2.50
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$2.90
CFPF308
|
$1.89
|
|
French Polynesia vs. North Carolina - Cost of restaurants
pay 14.3% less for groceries
|
French Polynesia
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$3.21
CFPF341
|
$3.91
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$13.92
CFPF1,478
|
$7.07
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$5.14
CFPF546
|
$3.68
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$6.87
CFPF729
|
$4.27
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$6.65
CFPF706
|
$5.37
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$2.39
CFPF254
|
$2.40
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$1.30
CFPF138
|
$0.80
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$2.68
CFPF285
|
$2.22
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$3.53
CFPF375
|
$2.33
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.11
CFPF117
|
$1.50
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.00
CFPF106
|
$1.79
|
|
French Polynesia vs. North Carolina - Cost of groceries
pay 41.3% more for transportation
|
French Polynesia
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$5.53
CFPF587
|
$3.48
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$14.08
CFPF1,495
|
$58.44
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$18,297.59
CFPF2M
|
$34,285.88
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$28.90
CFPF3,070
|
$19.96
|
|
French Polynesia vs. North Carolina - Cost of transportation
pay 16.8% more for housing
|
French Polynesia
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$72.32
CFPF7,681
|
$65.72
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,184.65
CFPF126K
|
$1,476.83
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$938.34
CFPF99,660
|
$1,144.24
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$138.13
CFPF14,671
|
$131.34
|
|
French Polynesia vs. North Carolina - Cost of housing
pay 2.5 times more for childcare
|
French Polynesia
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$469.17
CFPF49,830
|
$1,224.94
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$9,383.38
CFPF997K
|
$21,882.53
|
|
French Polynesia vs. North Carolina - Cost of childcare
pay 4.8% less for entertainment and sports
|
French Polynesia
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$4.93
CFPF523
|
$5.39
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$4.18
CFPF444
|
$5.21
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$12.86
CFPF1,365
|
$8.25
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$68.01
CFPF7,223
|
$51.42
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$13.14
CFPF1,395
|
$13.30
|
|
French Polynesia vs. North Carolina - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 13.1% less for clothing
|
French Polynesia
|
North Carolina
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$68.78
CFPF7,305
|
$52.53
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$71.91
CFPF7,637
|
$37.74
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$78.16
CFPF8,302
|
$88.04
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$89.14
CFPF9,468
|
$112.84
|
|
French Polynesia vs. North Carolina - Cost of clothing
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Sources: MyLifeElsewhere's cost-of-living dataset (prices updated October 2026). How we calculate this
Change currency:
Compare further: French Polynesia vs. North Carolina
Salary Calculator · Free tool
What salary would you need in North Carolina?
→
Quality of Life Comparison · 4 statistics
Make 2.6 times more money in North Carolina
→
Size Comparison · See true size
French Polynesia is about 30 times smaller than North Carolina.
→
Moving from French Polynesia to North Carolina · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→
Compare countries by overall cost of living
See the
cost of living in French Polynesia vs. United States.
This provides a comparison of the average cost of living from cities within French Polynesia and United States.
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate.
Learn more
Ask the Elsewhere Community
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about North Carolina or French Polynesia. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.