Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and the Cook Islands

Name: Cook Islands
Address: CK

For one person, living is cheaper in the Cook Islands: $1,568 a month against $2,315 in French Polynesia, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
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French Polynesia Living Index

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🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,315

/mo nomad

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in French Polynesia and in the Cook Islands

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in French Polynesia and in the Cook Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,315 in French Polynesia versus $1,568 in the Cook Islands.

French Polynesia $2,315
Cook Islands $1,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in French Polynesia versus $2,058 in the Cook Islands.

French Polynesia $3,464
Cook Islands $2,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in French Polynesia versus $2,548 in the Cook Islands.

French Polynesia $4,613
Cook Islands $2,548

Internal cost variation is higher in French Polynesia: monthly costs span $14 to $2,283, compared to $1,117–$1,638 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in French Polynesia.

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 48% more expensive than in the Cook Islands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: French Polynesia 70% above, the Cook Islands 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.95 CFPF 1,809

$11.40 NZ$20.32

48.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 CFPF 8,146

$55.8 NZ$99.4

36.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.24 CFPF 1,520

$7.18 NZ$12.80

98.33%

Cappuccino

$4.14 CFPF 441

$3.46 NZ$6.17

19.65%

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

$2.64 CFPF 281

$2.44 NZ$4.34

8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 CFPF 266

$2.44 NZ$4.35

2.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 CFPF 507

$5.69 NZ$10.14

-16.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 CFPF 595

$5.25 NZ$9.35

6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 153

$2.32 NZ$4.13

-38.36%

White Bread (500g)

$4.40 CFPF 470

$3.15 NZ$5.62

39.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 CFPF 185

$1.68 NZ$2.99

2.98%

Eggs

$6.74 CFPF 719

$5.56 NZ$9.92

21.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$35.28 CFPF 3,764

$9.19 NZ$16.39

283.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.39 CFPF 1,643

$7.76 NZ$13.82

98.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.37 CFPF 2,600

$10.14 NZ$18.08

140.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 CFPF 526

$2.87 NZ$5.11

71.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CFPF 308

$1.67 NZ$2.98

72.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 CFPF 678

$3.45 NZ$6.14

84.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.63 CFPF 814

$8.98 NZ$16.01

-15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 CFPF 312

$2.83 NZ$5.04

3.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 CFPF 259

$2.30 NZ$4.10

5.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.65 CFPF 390

$2.25 NZ$4.00

62.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CFPF 123

$2.83 NZ$5.04

-59.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.06 CFPF 1,393

$11.25 NZ$20.06

16.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.36 CFPF 2,493

$12.70 NZ$22.63

83.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 CFPF 312

$3.32 NZ$5.92

-12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 CFPF 401

$4.68 NZ$8.33

-19.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 CFPF 194

$2.91 NZ$5.18

-37.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.33 CFPF 1,529

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 CFPF 1,014

$20.18 NZ$35.97

-52.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 CFPF 255

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.96 CFPF 2,450

$34.06 NZ$60.7

-32.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 153

$1.88 NZ$3.35

-23.40%

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

$18.6K CFPF 2.0M

$11.3K NZ$20.2K

63.57%

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

$30.4K CFPF 3.2M

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

$174 CFPF 18.5K

$105 NZ$187

65.76%

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

$18.73 CFPF 1,998

$48.58 NZ$86.6

-61.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 CFPF 7,445

$103 NZ$183

-32.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 CFPF 7,793

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 CFPF 1,521

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

$468 CFPF 49.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,405 CFPF 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 CFPF 7,376

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.3 CFPF 7,716

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 CFPF 8,319

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 CFPF 9,542

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 CFPF 131.5K

$723 NZ$1,289

70.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 CFPF 98.4K

$696 NZ$1,241

32.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 CFPF 199.3K

$393 NZ$700

375.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 CFPF 157.2K

$634 NZ$1,129

132.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,062 CFPF 753.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,027 CFPF 963.2K

$956 NZ$1,704

843.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,876 CFPF 200.2K

$3,953 NZ$7,045

-52.54%

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 French Polynesia: October 24, 2026

Last update for the Cook Islands: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

French Polynesia

$922 39.8%

Cook Islands

–

Groceries & Markets

French Polynesia

$565 24.4%

Cook Islands

–

Eating Out

French Polynesia

$283 12.2%

Cook Islands

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

French Polynesia

$262 11.3%

Cook Islands

–

Clothing & Footwear

French Polynesia

$139 6%

Cook Islands

–

Sport & Entertainment

French Polynesia

$102 4.4%

Cook Islands

–

Getting Around

French Polynesia

$43 1.9%

Cook Islands

–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,170 in French Polynesia, $707 in the Cook Islands. Capital cities: $1,328 in Papeete vs $968 in Avarua.

National salary averages: $1,977 in French Polynesia, $3,985 in the Cook Islands. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 65% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 38% more in French Polynesia.

Salaries are about 2 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

🕒 Local time

10:23 10:23 AM

Same time as French Polynesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,786

14,222

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.42 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.37 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.42 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

French Polynesia Cook Islands 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

French Polynesia
Cook Islands

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

At $1,568 per month in the Cook Islands and $2,315 in French Polynesia, the Cook Islands comes out about 32% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,170 in French Polynesia and $707 in the Cook Islands. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: the Cook Islands wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.