Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and the Cook Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,568 in the Cook Islands, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brazil
Cook Islands
🇧🇷 Brazil
$865
/mo nomad
🇨🇰 Cook Islands
$1,568
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil 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 Brazil and in the Cook Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $1,568 in the Cook Islands, rent included.

  • Brazil $865
  • Cook Islands $1,568

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $2,058 in the Cook Islands, rent included.

  • Brazil $1,373
  • Cook Islands $2,058

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $2,548 in the Cook Islands, rent included.

  • Brazil $1,880
  • Cook Islands $2,548

The regional cost range is wider in Brazil ($569–$1,349) than in the Cook Islands ($1,117–$1,638), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 45% lower than in the Cook Islands on average.

Brazil sits 36% below the global median, while the Cook Islands is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.55 R$35.08
$11.40 NZ$20.07
-42.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.71 R$164
$55.8 NZ$98.2
-44.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.45 R$39.89
$7.18 NZ$12.64
3.76%
Cappuccino
$1.91 R$10.22
$3.46 NZ$6.09
-44.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 R$6.18
$2.44 NZ$4.29
-52.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 R$4.04
$2.44 NZ$4.29
-68.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.85 R$9.90
$5.69 NZ$10.01
-67.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 R$15.28
$5.25 NZ$9.23
-45.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 R$5.52
$2.32 NZ$4.08
-55.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.57 R$8.38
$3.15 NZ$5.55
-50.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 R$6.61
$1.68 NZ$2.95
-26.19%
Eggs
$2.10 R$11.26
$5.56 NZ$9.79
-62.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.87 R$47.45
$9.19 NZ$16.18
-3.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.99 R$21.37
$7.76 NZ$13.65
-48.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.76 R$41.51
$10.14 NZ$17.86
-23.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 R$11.53
$2.87 NZ$5.05
-25.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.80
$1.67 NZ$2.95
-23.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.16 R$6.18
$3.45 NZ$6.07
-66.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 R$8.18
$8.98 NZ$15.81
-82.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 R$6.21
$2.83 NZ$4.98
-59.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 R$5.46
$2.30 NZ$4.04
-55.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 R$3.97
$2.25 NZ$3.95
-67.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 R$3.84
$2.83 NZ$4.97
-74.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.25 R$12.06
$11.25 NZ$19.81
-80.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.65 R$40.94
$12.70 NZ$22.35
-39.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 R$6.97
$3.32 NZ$5.84
-60.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 R$11.58
$4.68 NZ$8.23
-53.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 R$5.03
$2.91 NZ$5.11
-67.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.00 R$235
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.23 R$6.58
$20.18 NZ$35.52
-93.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.96 R$5.11
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.42 R$39.70
$34.06 NZ$60.0
-78.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 R$6.49
$1.88 NZ$3.30
-35.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K R$118.5K
$11.3K NZ$20.0K
95.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K R$168.9K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.2 R$413
$105 NZ$184
-26.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.44 R$66.6
$48.58 NZ$85.5
-74.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.80 R$106
$103 NZ$181
-80.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.36 R$130
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.46 R$136
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.98 R$37.37
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$316 R$1,690
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,298 R$44.4K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37 R$264
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.73 R$245
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.4 R$446
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$65.6 R$351
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$373 R$1,996
$723 NZ$1,273
-48.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$251 R$1,341
$696 NZ$1,225
-64.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 R$3,847
$393 NZ$691
83.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 R$2,624
$634 NZ$1,115
-22.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,795 R$9,605
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,269 R$6,791
$956 NZ$1,683
32.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brazil
Cook Islands
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$496 R$2,657
$3,953 NZ$6,957
-87.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.17
0
-

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

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 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
Brazil
$251
Cook Islands
–
Groceries & Markets
Brazil
$183
Cook Islands
–
Eating Out
Brazil
$120
Cook Islands
–
Clothing & Footwear
Brazil
$110
Cook Islands
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brazil
$109
Cook Islands
–
Getting Around
Brazil
$54
Cook Islands
–
Sport & Entertainment
Brazil
$38
Cook Islands
–

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $707 in the Cook Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $968 in Avarua.

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $3,985 in the Cook Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 111% higher in the Cook Islands.

Dining out costs 90% more in the Cook Islands.

Salaries are about 8.5 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇨🇰 Cook Islands
🕒 Local time
08:18 8:18 AM
01:18 1:18 AM
7 h behind Brazil
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
203,062,512
14,222
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brazil Cook Islands 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brazil
  • 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
Brazil vs Cook Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and the Cook Islands compare in cost of living?
Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 45% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Brazil and the Cook Islands?
Housing costs more in the Cook Islands: a central one-bedroom averages $707 versus $335 in Brazil.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in the Cook Islands?
Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Brazil vs other spots: cost of living compared

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