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

Name: Cook Islands
Address: CK

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in French Polynesia costs about 29% less than in Cook Islands on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.84 CFPF 1,663

$12.16 NZ$20.99

30.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 CFPF 8,330

$60.6 NZ$105

30.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 CFPF 1,294

$9.21 NZ$15.91

33.77%

Cappuccino

$4.42 CFPF 465

$4.22 NZ$7.28

4.74%

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

$2.65 CFPF 278

$2.51 NZ$4.33

5.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CFPF 231

$2.39 NZ$4.12

-7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 CFPF 507

$6.50 NZ$11.23

-25.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CFPF 519

$5.49 NZ$9.48

-10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 CFPF 152

$2.16 NZ$3.73

-32.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CFPF 290

$3.17 NZ$5.48

-12.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 CFPF 176

$1.64 NZ$2.84

2.44%

Eggs

$7.16 CFPF 752

$5.85 NZ$10.10

22.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$38.42 CFPF 4,034

$9.90 NZ$17.09

288.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.83 CFPF 1,767

$8.07 NZ$13.93

108.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.30 CFPF 2,866

$8.92 NZ$15.40

206.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 CFPF 575

$3.04 NZ$5.24

80.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 CFPF 249

$2.47 NZ$4.27

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 CFPF 705

$3.67 NZ$6.33

83.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.93 CFPF 833

$6.24 NZ$10.78

27.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 CFPF 316

$2.38 NZ$4.11

26.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 CFPF 282

$1.93 NZ$3.33

39.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.86 CFPF 406

$2.09 NZ$3.61

84.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CFPF 123

$3.38 NZ$5.84

-65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 CFPF 1,255

$15.15 NZ$26.15

-21.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.34 CFPF 2,555

$13.36 NZ$23.07

82.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CFPF 267

$3.61 NZ$6.23

-29.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 CFPF 498

$5.06 NZ$8.74

-6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 CFPF 207

$2.93 NZ$5.05

-32.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.82 CFPF 1,031

$21.30 NZ$36.78

-53.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.86 NZ$61.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 CFPF 159

$1.77 NZ$3.05

-14.12%

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

$19.7K CFPF 2.1M

$12.2K NZ$21.0K

61.79%

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)

$181 CFPF 19.0K

$105 NZ$182

71.37%

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

$17.77 CFPF 1,866

$30.13 NZ$52.0

-41.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 CFPF 10.8K

$107 NZ$184

-3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 CFPF 7,717

$24.63 NZ$42.53

198.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 CFPF 1,870

$24.51 NZ$42.32

-27.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 CFPF 1,542

$7.01 NZ$12.11

109.42%

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

$485 CFPF 50.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,615 CFPF 1.0M

$1,456 NZ$2,514

560.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 CFPF 10.5K

$68.2 NZ$118

46.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.4 CFPF 8,968

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 CFPF 11.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CFPF 11.3K

$73.1 NZ$126

47.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 CFPF 135.8K

$319 NZ$551

305.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 CFPF 114.4K

$325 NZ$562

234.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 CFPF 221.4K

$362 NZ$626

482.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CFPF 191.9K

$476 NZ$821

284.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,356 CFPF 877.4K

$4,983 NZ$8,604

67.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,809 CFPF 819.9K

$726 NZ$1,253

975.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,935 CFPF 203.1K

$4,014 NZ$6,932

-51.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

-32.50%

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

Last update for French Polynesia: July 21, 2026

Last update for Cook Islands: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $2,079 in French Polynesia, $4,080 in Cook Islands. 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

French Polynesia vs Cook Islands: 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.