The cost of living in French Polynesia is high for local residents and visitors alike, which makes it a relatively expensive place to visit.

The currency used in French Polynesia is the French Pacific Franc, abbreviated XPF or CFP. You can exchange your money in your home country, exchange money at the airport or other locations around the USA, such as banks. It is not recommended to travel with large sums of cash.

1 USD = 120.98 XPF

1 XPF = 0.0083 USD

Cash

Denominations are available in 1/2/5/10/20/50 and 100 coins, and 500/1,000/5,000 and 10,000 bills.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are widely used throughout the main islands. The more commonly accepted credit cards include Visa and Mastercard, followed by American Express. Please note that not all hotels and restaurants accept American Express. Once you get to the smaller, more isolated atolls such as Manihi and Fakarava, you will most likely need to carry cash for the stores, restaurants and pensions located away from the major resorts.

Banks

The bank and ATM at Faa’a International Airport are open to meet all international flights, meaning you can exchange money upon arrival. The international banks in Papeete include Banque de Polynésie (www.sg-bdp.pf), Banque Socredo (www.socredo.pf) and Banque de Tahiti (www.banque-tahiti.pf). The international hotels will also exchange currency, but usually at a higher exchange rate. The banks are always closed on Sunday with limited hours on Saturday, but there are plenty of ATMs located downtown. Since credit cards are often accepted in the tourist areas, it is not necessary to exchange large amounts.