The cost of living in the islands is not what I was expecting. Yes I did think things would be more expensive but I was not expecting the jump in prices that I have been seeing. A few days ago my five year old Teyauna left her sandals at a cold fresh water spring we went swimming at. I didn’t realize it until the person driving us took us to another stop 30 minutes later and Teyauna was walking around barefoot. She informed me that she thinks she left her shoes in the car… but they were not there. Today I went to the largest Walmart style store called Carrefour to see if we could find her some new sandals. I was rather shocked to see flip-flops/plastic sandals were about $25 and the cheapest crocks for Teyauna were about $10. I should have known after spending a week here. It’s hard for us to go to the grocery store without spending $100 to $200.
Fortunately the French government fixes the price on certain essential food items such as baguettes (50 cents each), eggs ($3.50 / dozen), milk ($1.15/litre), flour, fuel ($1.69/litre) and certain building supplies but the list of these items is rather small. As a result a box of taco shells are $8, a bag of Doritos costs almost $5 and nectarines are $5 a pound. The cost of food is probably due to the fact that most items have to be imported and arrive by ship or airplane. I think that at least fifty percent of the income of the local residents must go toward the food they eat.
Even with these high costs they are probably only going to get higher if we insist on buying anything other than the basic necessities that the locals eat. These are the prices of items in a big department store, when we were in the little islands they were much, much higher. When in Rome do as the Romans and when in Polynesia, eat as the Polynesians (or pay the price). As we travel to other islands we will continue to do our best to eat the local fruits, fish and other items to keep our costs down but when trying to buy enough for nine people a good portion of our budget can’t help but be dedicated to what we are eating.
My mom is flying in from Hawaii in two days and so we sent of a list of the clothing and foods that we are unable to get or that are costly to get here in French Polynesia. While we definitely can do without, why not fill up the airline baggage allowance with some treats and other items from home? We are looking forward to her coming to visit us for two weeks and plan to travel around a few islands while she is here with us.
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We are all doing well in Papeete, Tahiti. We should be here until about Aug 5th visiting Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Tahaa, Huahine and Bora Bora before moving on to Niue, Tonga, Samoa, Wallis, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and then Australia.
I’m glad you get to play with your Mom for awhile. If she’s missing you as much as we are, it’ll be great for all of you. When we were Papeete 25 years ago, a box of laundry detergent was $40 and a can of peaches was $8, so the prices you quoted seem quite in line with that. I think the locals are smart (and healthier) by eating what can be grown or caught there, with just a sprinkling of imported food. You were smart to stock up on so many dried foods because they’ll continue to supplement your meals for many months to come. We’d love to see a new round of photos of all of you.
I LOVE your posts of your family’s journey through the tropical islands of the sea. . I have had hip surgery and had to stay quiet and still for long periods and I have been vacationing vicariously through your amazing adventures. I await eagerly each new message and have checked out your progress on a map which makes it more unique and personal. Especially enjoyed the video showing some local plants, fruits, etc, shells, swimming, hat making, fish, and happy people having a great time in paradise.
I’m living vicariously through their life too!
Love your posts. I do remember the high cost of everything in Tahiti but is there any income tax there? I think that is why items are so high in price. i could be wrong on this and I would like to hear if this is right or not. We just started to eat Stinging Nettle and it is good. After we steep it in hot water Lori takes the tea part and I take the rest, leaves and stems and blend it with apples and bananas AND IT IS REALLY GOOD!! I sure would be doing a lot of fishing if I was there. Dad
Wow! With prices so high, we wonder how anyone can afford to live there. I’ll bet excess weight isn’t much of a problem there. We enjoy the regular updates. We leave on the 27th to visit friends in Iowa and Ron’s two sisters in Duluth, Minnesota, then attend the Schwendinger family reunion before returning home on 11 July. Happy sailing.