Cost of Living Comparison Between Cook Islands and French Polynesia Cost of Living Comparison Between Cook Islands and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,092 in Cook Islands versus $778 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,690 in Cook Islands versus $1,184 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Cook Islands versus $1,590 in French Polynesia.

Living in Cook Islands is roughly 40% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Cook Islands 18% lower, French Polynesia 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 NZ$20.99

$15.84 CFPF 1,663

-23.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 NZ$105

$79.3 CFPF 8,330

-23.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 NZ$15.91

$12.32 CFPF 1,294

-25.24%

Cappuccino

$4.22 NZ$7.28

$4.42 CFPF 465

-4.52%

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

$2.51 NZ$4.33

$2.65 CFPF 278

-5.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NZ$4.12

$2.20 CFPF 231

8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.50 NZ$11.23

$4.83 CFPF 507

34.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 NZ$9.48

$4.94 CFPF 519

11.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 NZ$3.73

$1.45 CFPF 152

48.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NZ$5.48

$2.77 CFPF 290

14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 NZ$2.84

$1.68 CFPF 176

-2.38%

Eggs

$5.85 NZ$10.10

$7.16 CFPF 752

-18.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 NZ$17.09

$38.42 CFPF 4,034

-74.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 NZ$13.93

$16.83 CFPF 1,767

-52.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 NZ$15.40

$27.30 CFPF 2,866

-67.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.24

$5.48 CFPF 575

-44.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 NZ$4.27

$2.37 CFPF 249

4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NZ$6.33

$6.72 CFPF 705

-45.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.24 NZ$10.78

$7.93 CFPF 833

-21.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.11

$3.01 CFPF 316

-20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.33

$2.69 CFPF 282

-28.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 NZ$3.61

$3.86 CFPF 406

-45.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.84

$1.17 CFPF 123

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.15 NZ$26.15

$11.95 CFPF 1,255

26.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 NZ$23.07

$24.34 CFPF 2,555

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NZ$6.23

$2.54 CFPF 267

42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$8.74

$4.75 CFPF 498

6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 NZ$5.05

$1.97 CFPF 207

48.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$21.30 NZ$36.78

$9.82 CFPF 1,031

116.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.86 NZ$61.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.05

$1.52 CFPF 159

16.45%

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

$12.2K NZ$21.0K

$19.7K CFPF 2.1M

-38.19%

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

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

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

$105 NZ$182

$181 CFPF 19.0K

-41.65%

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

$30.13 NZ$52.0

$17.77 CFPF 1,866

69.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 NZ$184

$103 CFPF 10.8K

3.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.63 NZ$42.53

$73.5 CFPF 7,717

-66.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 NZ$42.32

$17.81 CFPF 1,870

37.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 NZ$12.11

$14.68 CFPF 1,542

-52.25%

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

$485 CFPF 50.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,456 NZ$2,514

$9,615 CFPF 1.0M

-84.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 NZ$118

$99.7 CFPF 10.5K

-31.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.4 CFPF 8,968

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 CFPF 11.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 NZ$126

$108 CFPF 11.3K

-32.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 NZ$551

$1,293 CFPF 135.8K

-75.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 NZ$562

$1,089 CFPF 114.4K

-70.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 NZ$626

$2,109 CFPF 221.4K

-82.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 NZ$821

$1,827 CFPF 191.9K

-73.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,983 NZ$8,604

$8,356 CFPF 877.4K

-40.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$726 NZ$1,253

$7,809 CFPF 819.9K

-90.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,014 NZ$6,932

$1,935 CFPF 203.1K

107.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

48.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cook Islands: July 21, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $320 in Cook Islands, $531 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $158 in Avarua vs $1,226 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $4,080 in Cook Islands, $2,079 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 66% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 216% more in Cook Islands.

Salaries are 96% higher in Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Cook Islands.

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

Cook Islands vs French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,092 per month in Cook Islands and $1,120 in French Polynesia, there's a 3% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Cook Islands: 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 French Polynesia is consistently higher than in Cook Islands across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Cook Islands, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in French Polynesia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Cook Islands wins on affordability; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.