Tahiti & French Polynesia

Money & costs

Costs

French Polynesia is expensive by anyone's standards and travel costs are some of the highest in the world. Flights alone tend to be a substantial cost, but once you arrive you may be shocked to find even the cheapest meal, bought from a vendor off the street, will set you back around 1200 CFP. Backpackers who cook all their own meals and stay in the cheapest rooms possible can skimp by on around 10,000 CFP per day. Midrange travellers, looking for more comfortable beds and wanting to take in a few restaurant meals and perhaps an organised excursion, can count on paying around 20,000 CFP per day. Top-end visitors will find the sky is the limit when it comes to posh lodging and dining options and watery excursions. Over-water bungalows start at around US$500 per night, and a stay on a private island can cost as much as US$10,000! To score the best deals, try to book in advance. If you're travelling with the kids, many places offer half-price discounts for children under the age of 12.

Taxation is another bugbear here: a TVA (taxe sur la valeur ajoutée; value-added tax), which was introduced in 1998, currently adds 6% to your hotel bill (and that's not including the 5% government tax and the taxe de séjour, accommodation tax or daily tax, which top off the bill). We've included all taxes in our listed prices.

^ Back to top

Money

The unit of currency in French Polynesia is the Cour de Franc Pacifique (CFP), referred to simply as 'the franc'. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 CFP, and notes of 500, 1000, 5000 and 10, 000 CFP. The CFP was pegged to the French franc, and so is now pegged to the euro. For exchange rates, see the Quick Reference page.

There are fairly hefty bank charges for changing money and travellers cheques in French Polynesia. You generally pay at least 500 CFP commission on travellers cheques and to exchange cash, although exchange rates do vary from bank to bank, so if you have time, shop around to find the best rate. Given the cost of living in French Polynesia, and the low crime rate, you are better off exchanging larger sums of money (ie, fewer transactions) than smaller amounts. Rates offered on Tahiti tend to be better than those offered on the other islands.

^ Back to top

The unit of currency in French Polynesia is the franc cours pacifique (CFP), referred to simply as 'the franc'. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 CFP, and notes of 500, 1000, 5000 and 10, 000 CFP. The CFP was pegged to the French franc, and so is now pegged to the euro.

There are fairly hefty bank charges for changing money and travellers cheques in French Polynesia. You generally pay at least a 500 CFP commission on travellers cheques and to exchange cash, although exchange rates do vary from bank to bank; if you have time, shop around to find the best rate. Given the cost of living in French Polynesia, and the low crime rate, you are better off exchanging larger sums of money (ie making fewer transactions) than smaller amounts. Rates offered on Tahiti tend to be better than those offered on the other islands.

^ Back to top

Credit cards

All top-end and midrange hotels, restaurants, jewellery shops, dive centres and the bigger supermarkets accept credit cards, preferably (and sometimes exclusively) Visa or MasterCard, but they require a 2000 CFP minimum purchase. You can also pay for Air Tahiti flights with a card. Most budget guesthouses and many tour operators don't accept credit cards, so you can get caught out on the weekends if there's no ATM on the island.

^ Back to top