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

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

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

Living in French Polynesia costs about 57% less than in Cook Islands on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CFPF 1,811

$11.87 NZ$20.41

48.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 CFPF 8,117

$59.9 NZ$103

32.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.80 CFPF 1,516

$7.48 NZ$12.87

97.86%

Cappuccino

$4.16 CFPF 426

$3.44 NZ$5.91

20.93%

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

$2.65 CFPF 272

$2.46 NZ$4.23

7.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CFPF 266

$2.51 NZ$4.32

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.00 CFPF 512

$5.84 NZ$10.04

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CFPF 584

$5.15 NZ$8.85

10.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 CFPF 153

$2.31 NZ$3.96

-35.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.45 CFPF 456

$3.17 NZ$5.45

40.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 CFPF 178

$1.79 NZ$3.08

-2.79%

Eggs

$6.98 CFPF 715

$5.55 NZ$9.54

25.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.96 CFPF 3,787

$9.65 NZ$16.60

283.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.29 CFPF 1,669

$8.26 NZ$14.21

97.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.81 CFPF 2,542

$10.51 NZ$18.07

136.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 CFPF 525

$2.88 NZ$4.95

78.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 CFPF 307

$1.80 NZ$3.09

66.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.64 CFPF 681

$3.60 NZ$6.19

84.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.01 CFPF 821

$9.51 NZ$16.35

-15.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 CFPF 327

$2.97 NZ$5.11

7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 CFPF 250

$2.37 NZ$4.07

2.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.68 CFPF 377

$2.30 NZ$3.95

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 130

$2.97 NZ$5.10

-57.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.15 CFPF 1,347

$11.84 NZ$20.35

11.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.08 CFPF 2,467

$13.35 NZ$22.95

80.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 CFPF 295

$3.58 NZ$6.15

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 CFPF 408

$4.82 NZ$8.29

-17.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 CFPF 195

$3.01 NZ$5.17

-36.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 CFPF 1,484

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 CFPF 983

$20.68 NZ$35.55

-53.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 CFPF 262

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.30 CFPF 2,490

$34.68 NZ$59.6

-29.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 CFPF 158

$2.03 NZ$3.50

-23.65%

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

$19.1K CFPF 2.0M

$11.9K NZ$20.5K

60.10%

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)

$185 CFPF 19.0K

$108 NZ$186

71.15%

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

$20.23 CFPF 2,073

$50.0 NZ$86.0

-59.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 CFPF 7,481

$106 NZ$183

-31.29%

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)

$9,918 CFPF 1.0M

$1,416 NZ$2,434

600.50%

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)

$1,303 CFPF 133.5K

$744 NZ$1,279

75.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CFPF 100.1K

$729 NZ$1,253

34.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 CFPF 197.2K

$407 NZ$700

372.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CFPF 161.4K

$649 NZ$1,116

142.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,196 CFPF 737.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,139 CFPF 936.3K

$990 NZ$1,702

822.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,947 CFPF 199.5K

$4,119 NZ$7,083

-52.73%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cook Islands: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $2,126 in French Polynesia, $4,121 in Cook Islands. 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

French Polynesia vs Cook Islands: 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.