Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and the Cook Islands

Name: Cook Islands
Address: CK

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $789 a month against $1,353 in the Cook Islands, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$789

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🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,353

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Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $789 in China versus $1,353 in the Cook Islands.

China $789
Cook Islands $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in China versus $1,656 in the Cook Islands.

China $1,254
Cook Islands $1,656

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in China versus $1,959 in the Cook Islands.

China $1,720
Cook Islands $1,959

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $468 to $1,246, compared to $1,117–$1,161 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 42% less than in the Cook Islands on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.25

$11.29 NZ$20.36

-73.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.12 ¥147

$49.63 NZ$89.5

-55.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ¥35.75

$5.64 NZ$10.18

-4.79%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥19.53

$3.14 NZ$5.67

-6.69%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$2.42 NZ$4.36

-80.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$2.47 NZ$4.46

-87.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ¥7.15

$6.68 NZ$12.05

-83.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.69

$4.96 NZ$8.95

-55.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.01

$2.74 NZ$4.94

-34.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.76

$2.74 NZ$4.94

-40.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.58

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.80

$6.17 NZ$11.14

-73.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.5

$7.17 NZ$12.94

87.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 ¥23.04

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ¥74.2

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.60

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.72

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.97

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.90

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.77

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ¥4.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥25.43

$11.43 NZ$20.62

-66.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 ¥81.1

$11.17 NZ$20.16

9.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥6.04

$3.39 NZ$6.11

-73.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥10.96

$5.18 NZ$9.34

-68.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$2.89 NZ$5.22

-89.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 ¥120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.22

$20.00 NZ$36.08

-92.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.46

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 ¥44.58

$34.05 NZ$61.4

-80.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.50

$1.90 NZ$3.43

-32.63%

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

$19.7K ¥131.5K

$11.2K NZ$20.2K

76.21%

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

$17.5K ¥116.3K

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

$55.3 ¥368

$99.9 NZ$180

-44.60%

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

$8.32 ¥55.4

$47.07 NZ$84.9

-82.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 ¥74.1

$101 NZ$183

-89.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 ¥264

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 ¥101

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥44.27

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

$514 ¥3,425

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K ¥232.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.85 ¥305

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.41 ¥236

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥506

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 ¥533

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 ¥2,528

$713 NZ$1,285

-46.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,543

$715 NZ$1,289

-67.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ¥5,565

$395 NZ$713

111.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥3,075

$610 NZ$1,100

-24.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,743 ¥31.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,383 ¥15.9K

$959 NZ$1,730

148.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 ¥7,437

$3,941 NZ$7,109

-71.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

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

Last update for China: November 1, 2026

Last update for the Cook Islands: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.4%

Cook Islands

–

Groceries & Markets

China

$212 26.8%

Cook Islands

–

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.5%

Cook Islands

–

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Cook Islands

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$75 9.5%

Cook Islands

–

Sport & Entertainment

China

$53 6.7%

Cook Islands

–

Getting Around

China

$23 2.9%

Cook Islands

–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $716 in the Cook Islands. Capital cities: $942 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $971 in Avarua.

National salary averages: $881 in China, $3,929 in the Cook Islands. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 140% higher in the Cook Islands.

Dining out costs 136% more in the Cook Islands.

Salaries are about 4.5 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

18 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

14,222

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 NZD = 0.554 USD

1 NZD = 0.496 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.8 NZD (1 NZD = 0.554 USD). 1 EUR = 2.02 NZD (1 NZD = 0.496 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Cook Islands 11,000 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

China
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

China vs Cook Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $789 per month in China and $1,353 in the Cook Islands, China comes out about 42% 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 $716 in the Cook Islands and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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