Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Cook Islands and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,568 in the Cook Islands, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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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🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,568

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in the Cook Islands versus $791 in China.

Cook Islands $1,568
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,058 in the Cook Islands versus $1,251 in China.

Cook Islands $2,058
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,548 in the Cook Islands versus $1,711 in China.

Cook Islands $2,548
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $1,117–$1,638 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in the Cook Islands is roughly 98% more expensive than in China on average.

The Cook Islands (15% above) and China (42% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 NZ$20.00

$2.98 ¥19.82

282.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 NZ$97.8

$22.09 ¥147

152.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 NZ$12.60

$5.20 ¥34.61

38.08%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$6.07

$2.97 ¥19.74

16.50%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.27

$0.48 ¥3.19

408.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 NZ$4.28

$0.30 ¥2.01

713.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 NZ$9.97

$1.08 ¥7.18

426.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 NZ$9.20

$2.28 ¥15.15

130.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NZ$4.06

$1.80 ¥11.96

28.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NZ$5.53

$1.68 ¥11.15

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.94

$0.92 ¥6.14

82.61%

Eggs

$5.56 NZ$9.76

$1.61 ¥10.73

245.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 NZ$16.13

$13.38 ¥89.1

-31.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 NZ$13.60

$3.35 ¥22.28

131.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 NZ$17.79

$11.35 ¥75.5

-10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$5.03

$1.82 ¥12.13

57.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.94

$1.31 ¥8.69

27.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NZ$6.04

$1.49 ¥9.89

131.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.98 NZ$15.75

$1.27 ¥8.48

607.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$4.96

$0.71 ¥4.73

298.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.03

$0.93 ¥6.21

147.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.94

$0.62 ¥4.12

262.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 NZ$4.96

$0.56 ¥3.74

405.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.25 NZ$19.74

$3.78 ¥25.16

197.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 NZ$22.27

$12.13 ¥80.8

4.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NZ$5.82

$0.83 ¥5.54

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 NZ$8.20

$1.68 ¥11.21

178.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 NZ$5.10

$0.29 ¥1.92

903.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 NZ$35.39

$1.49 ¥9.89

1254.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 NZ$59.7

$7.10 ¥47.25

379.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.29

$1.26 ¥8.37

49.21%

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

$11.3K NZ$19.9K

$19.4K ¥129.4K

-41.65%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

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

$105 NZ$184

$54.6 ¥363

91.88%

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

$48.58 NZ$85.2

$8.73 ¥58.1

456.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 NZ$180

$11.07 ¥73.7

829.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.13

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

$517 ¥3,438

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 NZ$1,268

$386 ¥2,568

87.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NZ$1,221

$235 ¥1,561

196.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 NZ$689

$822 ¥5,470

-52.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 NZ$1,111

$453 ¥3,016

39.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$956 NZ$1,677

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-59.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 NZ$6,933

$1,093 ¥7,276

261.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

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 China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cook Islands

–

China

$235 29.6%

Groceries & Markets

Cook Islands

–

China

$210 26.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Cook Islands

–

China

$108 13.6%

Eating Out

Cook Islands

–

China

$88 11.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cook Islands

–

China

$74 9.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Cook Islands

–

China

$54 6.9%

Getting Around

Cook Islands

–

China

$22 2.8%

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $707 in the Cook Islands, $298 in China. Capital cities: $968 in Avarua vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,985 in the Cook Islands, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 137% higher in the Cook Islands.

Dining out costs 150% more in the Cook Islands.

Salaries are about 4.6 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

18:21 6:21 PM

18 h ahead of the Cook Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,222

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.57 USD

1 NZD = 0.512 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 NZD (1 NZD = 0.57 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 NZD (1 NZD = 0.512 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.66 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Cook Islands
China

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,568 in the Cook Islands, there’s a 98% gap. 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 $707 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; the Cook Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.