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: $1,111 in Cook Islands versus $783 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,703 in Cook Islands versus $1,188 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,295 in Cook Islands versus $1,592 in French Polynesia.

Living in Cook Islands is roughly 42% more expensive than French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Cook Islands 17% lower, French Polynesia 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 NZ$21.06

$15.90 CFPF 1,643

-23.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 NZ$103

$81.6 CFPF 8,428

-26.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 NZ$15.97

$12.08 CFPF 1,248

-23.18%

Cappuccino

$4.13 NZ$7.11

$4.49 CFPF 463

-8.02%

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

$2.53 NZ$4.35

$2.63 CFPF 272

-3.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NZ$4.03

$2.13 CFPF 220

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 NZ$11.30

$4.83 CFPF 499

35.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 NZ$9.26

$4.96 CFPF 513

8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 NZ$3.67

$1.51 CFPF 156

41.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NZ$5.37

$2.80 CFPF 289

11.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 NZ$2.77

$1.63 CFPF 168

-1.23%

Eggs

$5.87 NZ$10.11

$7.03 CFPF 726

-16.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 NZ$16.86

$38.13 CFPF 3,938

-74.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NZ$13.82

$16.45 CFPF 1,699

-51.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 NZ$15.65

$27.44 CFPF 2,834

-66.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.29

$5.39 CFPF 557

-43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.10

$2.35 CFPF 243

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NZ$6.05

$6.61 CFPF 683

-46.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 NZ$10.60

$7.73 CFPF 799

-20.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NZ$4.08

$3.05 CFPF 315

-22.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.36

$2.74 CFPF 283

-28.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 NZ$3.68

$3.92 CFPF 405

-45.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.82

$1.16 CFPF 120

191.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 NZ$25.57

$12.05 CFPF 1,245

23.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 NZ$22.70

$23.95 CFPF 2,474

-44.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NZ$6.12

$2.55 CFPF 264

39.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 NZ$8.42

$4.71 CFPF 487

3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 NZ$5.12

$1.95 CFPF 202

52.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$21.13 NZ$36.38

$9.56 CFPF 987

121.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.05 NZ$62.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 NZ$3.03

$1.57 CFPF 162

12.10%

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

$12.1K NZ$20.8K

$19.5K CFPF 2.0M

-38.21%

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

$29.0K CFPF 3.0M

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

$104 NZ$179

$183 CFPF 18.9K

-42.93%

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

$30.16 NZ$51.9

$17.42 CFPF 1,799

73.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 NZ$180

$106 CFPF 10.9K

-0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.69 NZ$42.51

$73.2 CFPF 7,558

-66.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.18 NZ$41.63

$17.87 CFPF 1,846

35.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 NZ$11.71

$14.83 CFPF 1,532

-54.15%

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

$484 CFPF 50.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,453 NZ$2,501

$9,615 CFPF 993.2K

-84.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$116

$98.7 CFPF 10.2K

-31.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.8 CFPF 8,867

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 CFPF 11.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 NZ$128

$109 CFPF 11.3K

-31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 NZ$553

$1,332 CFPF 137.5K

-75.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 NZ$540

$1,090 CFPF 112.6K

-71.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 NZ$619

$2,093 CFPF 216.2K

-82.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 NZ$807

$1,871 CFPF 193.3K

-74.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,970 NZ$8,557

$8,577 CFPF 886.0K

-42.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$724 NZ$1,246

$7,962 CFPF 822.5K

-90.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,039 NZ$6,954

$1,919 CFPF 198.2K

110.52%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $319 in Cook Islands, $539 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $154 in Avarua vs $1,243 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $4,018 in Cook Islands, $2,100 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 69% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 216% more in Cook Islands.

Salaries are 91% higher in Cook Islands, giving Cook Islands stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,111 per month in Cook Islands and $1,124 in French Polynesia, there's a 1% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Cook Islands is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.