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: $1,430 in Cook Islands versus $620 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Cook Islands versus $951 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cook Islands versus $1,281 in French Polynesia.

Living in Cook Islands is roughly 131% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Cook Islands (4% above) and French Polynesia (55% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 NZ$20.41

$17.67 CFPF 1,811

-32.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 NZ$103

$79.2 CFPF 8,117

-24.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 NZ$12.87

$14.80 CFPF 1,516

-49.46%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.91

$4.16 CFPF 426

-17.31%

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

$2.46 NZ$4.23

$2.65 CFPF 272

-7.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 NZ$4.32

$2.59 CFPF 266

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 NZ$10.04

$5.00 CFPF 512

16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 NZ$8.85

$5.70 CFPF 584

-9.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NZ$3.96

$1.49 CFPF 153

55.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NZ$5.45

$4.45 CFPF 456

-28.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.08

$1.74 CFPF 178

2.87%

Eggs

$5.55 NZ$9.54

$6.98 CFPF 715

-20.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 NZ$16.60

$36.96 CFPF 3,787

-73.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.21

$16.29 CFPF 1,669

-49.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 NZ$18.07

$24.81 CFPF 2,542

-57.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$4.95

$5.13 CFPF 525

-43.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.09

$2.99 CFPF 307

-39.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NZ$6.19

$6.64 CFPF 681

-45.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.51 NZ$16.35

$8.01 CFPF 821

18.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.11

$3.19 CFPF 327

-6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 NZ$4.07

$2.44 CFPF 250

-2.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NZ$3.95

$3.68 CFPF 377

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 NZ$5.10

$1.27 CFPF 130

133.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.84 NZ$20.35

$13.15 CFPF 1,347

-9.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 NZ$22.95

$24.08 CFPF 2,467

-44.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NZ$6.15

$2.88 CFPF 295

24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 NZ$8.29

$3.98 CFPF 408

21.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 NZ$5.17

$1.91 CFPF 195

57.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 CFPF 1,484

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.68 NZ$35.55

$9.60 CFPF 983

115.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 CFPF 262

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.68 NZ$59.6

$24.30 CFPF 2,490

42.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NZ$3.50

$1.55 CFPF 158

30.97%

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

$11.9K NZ$20.5K

$19.1K CFPF 2.0M

-37.54%

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

$30.9K CFPF 3.2M

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

$108 NZ$186

$185 CFPF 19.0K

-41.57%

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

$50.0 NZ$86.0

$20.23 CFPF 2,073

147.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 NZ$183

$73.0 CFPF 7,481

45.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 CFPF 7,740

Cinema Ticket

$14.48 CFPF 1,483

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

$493 CFPF 50.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,416 NZ$2,434

$9,918 CFPF 1.0M

-85.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 CFPF 7,221

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.3 CFPF 7,613

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 CFPF 8,263

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.1 CFPF 9,640

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 NZ$1,279

$1,303 CFPF 133.5K

-42.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NZ$1,253

$977 CFPF 100.1K

-25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NZ$700

$1,924 CFPF 197.2K

-78.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 NZ$1,116

$1,576 CFPF 161.4K

-58.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,196 CFPF 737.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 NZ$1,702

$9,139 CFPF 936.3K

-89.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,119 NZ$7,083

$1,947 CFPF 199.5K

111.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

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

Last update for Cook Islands: September 6, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Cook Islands, $347 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $1,012 in Avarua vs $1,365 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $4,121 in Cook Islands, $2,126 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 114% higher in Cook Islands.

Dining out costs 159% more in Cook Islands.

Salaries are 94% higher in Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

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 $1,430 per month in Cook Islands and $1,197 in French Polynesia, there's a 20% 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 French Polynesia: 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 Cook Islands is consistently higher than in French Polynesia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In French Polynesia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Cook Islands 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: French Polynesia wins on affordability; Cook Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.