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

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

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

Living in French Polynesia costs about 30% less than in Cook Islands on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.90 CFPF 1,643

$12.23 NZ$21.06

30.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 CFPF 8,428

$59.8 NZ$103

36.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 CFPF 1,248

$9.28 NZ$15.97

30.17%

Cappuccino

$4.49 CFPF 463

$4.13 NZ$7.11

8.72%

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

$2.63 CFPF 272

$2.53 NZ$4.35

3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 CFPF 220

$2.34 NZ$4.03

-8.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 CFPF 499

$6.56 NZ$11.30

-26.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 CFPF 513

$5.38 NZ$9.26

-7.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 CFPF 156

$2.13 NZ$3.67

-29.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 CFPF 289

$3.12 NZ$5.37

-10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 CFPF 168

$1.61 NZ$2.77

1.24%

Eggs

$7.03 CFPF 726

$5.87 NZ$10.11

19.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$38.13 CFPF 3,938

$9.80 NZ$16.86

289.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.45 CFPF 1,699

$8.03 NZ$13.82

104.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.44 CFPF 2,834

$9.09 NZ$15.65

201.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.39 CFPF 557

$3.07 NZ$5.29

75.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 CFPF 243

$2.38 NZ$4.10

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.61 CFPF 683

$3.52 NZ$6.05

87.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.73 CFPF 799

$6.15 NZ$10.60

25.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 CFPF 315

$2.37 NZ$4.08

28.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 CFPF 283

$1.95 NZ$3.36

40.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.92 CFPF 405

$2.14 NZ$3.68

83.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CFPF 120

$3.38 NZ$5.82

-65.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.05 CFPF 1,245

$14.85 NZ$25.57

-18.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.95 CFPF 2,474

$13.18 NZ$22.70

81.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CFPF 264

$3.55 NZ$6.12

-28.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 CFPF 487

$4.89 NZ$8.42

-3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 CFPF 202

$2.97 NZ$5.12

-34.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 CFPF 987

$21.13 NZ$36.38

-54.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.05 NZ$62.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 CFPF 162

$1.76 NZ$3.03

-10.80%

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

$19.5K CFPF 2.0M

$12.1K NZ$20.8K

61.84%

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)

$183 CFPF 18.9K

$104 NZ$179

75.24%

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

$17.42 CFPF 1,799

$30.16 NZ$51.9

-42.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 CFPF 10.9K

$105 NZ$180

0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.2 CFPF 7,558

$24.69 NZ$42.51

196.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 CFPF 1,846

$24.18 NZ$41.63

-26.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 CFPF 1,532

$6.80 NZ$11.71

118.09%

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

$484 CFPF 50.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,615 CFPF 993.2K

$1,453 NZ$2,501

561.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.7 CFPF 10.2K

$67.3 NZ$116

46.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.8 CFPF 8,867

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 CFPF 11.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CFPF 11.3K

$74.5 NZ$128

46.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 CFPF 137.5K

$321 NZ$553

314.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 CFPF 112.6K

$313 NZ$540

247.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CFPF 216.2K

$360 NZ$619

481.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,871 CFPF 193.3K

$469 NZ$807

299.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,577 CFPF 886.0K

$4,970 NZ$8,557

72.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,962 CFPF 822.5K

$724 NZ$1,246

1000.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,919 CFPF 198.2K

$4,039 NZ$6,954

-52.50%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cook Islands: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $2,100 in French Polynesia, $4,018 in Cook Islands. 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

French Polynesia vs Cook Islands: 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.