Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Cook Islands and Brazil

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.

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

How much you'll spend in the Cook Islands and in Brazil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Cook Islands and in Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

  • Cook Islands $1,568
  • Brazil $865

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

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

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

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

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 the Cook Islands is about 81% higher than in Brazil on average.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cook Islands
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.40 NZ$20.07
$6.55 R$35.08
74.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.8 NZ$98.2
$30.71 R$164
81.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.18 NZ$12.64
$7.45 R$39.89
-3.62%
Cappuccino
$3.46 NZ$6.09
$1.91 R$10.22
81.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 NZ$4.29
$1.15 R$6.18
112.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 NZ$4.29
$0.76 R$4.04
221.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 NZ$10.01
$1.85 R$9.90
207.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.25 NZ$9.23
$2.86 R$15.28
83.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cook Islands
Brazil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.32 NZ$4.08
$1.03 R$5.52
125.24%
White Bread (500g)
$3.15 NZ$5.55
$1.57 R$8.38
100.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 NZ$2.95
$1.24 R$6.61
35.48%
Eggs
$5.56 NZ$9.79
$2.10 R$11.26
164.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.19 NZ$16.18
$8.87 R$47.45
3.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.76 NZ$13.65
$3.99 R$21.37
94.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.14 NZ$17.86
$7.76 R$41.51
30.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 NZ$5.05
$2.15 R$11.53
33.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 NZ$2.95
$1.27 R$6.80
31.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.45 NZ$6.07
$1.16 R$6.18
197.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$8.98 NZ$15.81
$1.53 R$8.18
486.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.83 NZ$4.98
$1.16 R$6.21
143.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.30 NZ$4.04
$1.02 R$5.46
125.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.25 NZ$3.95
$0.74 R$3.97
204.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.83 NZ$4.97
$0.72 R$3.84
293.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.25 NZ$19.81
$2.25 R$12.06
400.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.70 NZ$22.35
$7.65 R$40.94
66.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.32 NZ$5.84
$1.30 R$6.97
155.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.68 NZ$8.23
$2.16 R$11.58
116.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Cook Islands
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 NZ$5.11
$0.94 R$5.03
209.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.00 R$235
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$20.18 NZ$35.52
$1.23 R$6.58
1540.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.96 R$5.11
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.06 NZ$60.0
$7.42 R$39.70
359.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.88 NZ$3.30
$1.21 R$6.49
55.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.3K NZ$20.0K
$22.1K R$118.5K
-48.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$31.6K R$168.9K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cook Islands
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$105 NZ$184
$77.2 R$413
35.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.58 NZ$85.5
$12.44 R$66.6
290.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$103 NZ$181
$19.80 R$106
419.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cook Islands
Brazil
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
Cook Islands
Brazil
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
Cook Islands
Brazil
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
Cook Islands
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 NZ$1,273
$373 R$1,996
93.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 NZ$1,225
$251 R$1,341
177.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$393 NZ$691
$719 R$3,847
-45.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$634 NZ$1,115
$490 R$2,624
29.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,795 R$9,605
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$956 NZ$1,683
$1,269 R$6,791
-24.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cook Islands
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,953 NZ$6,957
$496 R$2,657
696.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.17
-

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

Last update for the Cook Islands: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cook Islands
–
Brazil
$251
Groceries & Markets
Cook Islands
–
Brazil
$183
Eating Out
Cook Islands
–
Brazil
$120
Clothing & Footwear
Cook Islands
–
Brazil
$110
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cook Islands
–
Brazil
$109
Getting Around
Cook Islands
–
Brazil
$54
Sport & Entertainment
Cook Islands
–
Brazil
$38

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $3,985 in the Cook Islands vs $468 in Brazil. 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
🇨🇰 Cook Islands
🇧🇷 Brazil
🕒 Local time
00:22 12:22 AM
07:22 7:22 AM
7 h ahead of the Cook Islands
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,222
203,062,512
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cook Islands Brazil 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cook Islands
  • Brazil

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
Cook Islands vs Brazil: 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.

Cook Islands vs other spots: cost of living compared

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