Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Cook Islands and Fiji

Name: Fiji
Address: FJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Fiji: $1,049 a month against $1,568 in the Cook Islands, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Fiji
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Fiji Living Index

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🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,568

/mo nomad

🇫🇯 Fiji

$1,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in the Cook Islands versus $1,049 in Fiji.

Cook Islands $1,568
Fiji $1,049

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,058 in the Cook Islands versus $1,719 in Fiji.

Cook Islands $2,058
Fiji $1,719

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,548 in the Cook Islands versus $2,388 in Fiji.

Cook Islands $2,548
Fiji $2,388

Internal cost variation is higher in Fiji: monthly costs span $67 to $1,397, compared to $1,117–$1,638 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in Fiji.

Living in the Cook Islands is roughly 49% more expensive than in Fiji on average.

The Cook Islands (15% above) and Fiji (23% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 NZ$20.07

$5.28 FJD 11.77

115.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 NZ$98.2

$39.23 FJD 87.5

42.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 NZ$12.64

$6.96 FJD 15.53

3.16%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$6.09

$2.95 FJD 6.58

17.29%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.29

$1.45 FJD 3.23

68.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 NZ$4.29

$0.95 FJD 2.11

156.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 NZ$10.01

$3.15 FJD 7.03

80.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 NZ$9.23

$4.30 FJD 9.60

22.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NZ$4.08

$1.30 FJD 2.91

78.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NZ$5.55

$0.65 FJD 1.45

384.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.95

$1.09 FJD 2.42

54.13%

Eggs

$5.56 NZ$9.79

$3.30 FJD 7.37

68.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 NZ$16.18

$9.30 FJD 20.74

-1.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 NZ$13.65

$9.35 FJD 20.86

-17.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 NZ$17.86

$8.28 FJD 18.47

22.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$5.05

$2.57 FJD 5.73

11.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.95

$2.56 FJD 5.72

-34.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NZ$6.07

$3.42 FJD 7.63

0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.98 NZ$15.81

$2.88 FJD 6.42

211.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$4.98

$1.28 FJD 2.86

121.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.04

$1.23 FJD 2.75

86.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.95

$1.02 FJD 2.28

120.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 NZ$4.97

$0.80 FJD 1.79

253.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.25 NZ$19.81

$9.59 FJD 21.38

17.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 NZ$22.35

$8.16 FJD 18.19

55.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NZ$5.84

$2.33 FJD 5.19

42.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 NZ$8.23

$3.74 FJD 8.34

25.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 NZ$5.11

$0.67 FJD 1.50

334.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.10 FJD 56.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 NZ$35.52

$0.92 FJD 2.05

2093.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 NZ$60.0

$9.08 FJD 20.25

275.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.30

$1.33 FJD 2.97

41.35%

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

$11.3K NZ$20.0K

$24.3K FJD 54.1K

-53.23%

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

$26.3K FJD 58.6K

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

$105 NZ$184

$55.3 FJD 123

89.45%

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

$48.58 NZ$85.5

$14.05 FJD 31.33

245.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 NZ$181

$20.53 FJD 45.79

400.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.17 FJD 80.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.08 FJD 15.78

Cinema Ticket

$3.72 FJD 8.30

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

$194 FJD 432

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K FJD 29.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.44 FJD 61.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 FJD 76.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 FJD 147

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 FJD 138

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 NZ$1,273

$910 FJD 2,029

-20.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NZ$1,225

$419 FJD 935

66.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 NZ$691

$1,977 FJD 4,410

-80.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 NZ$1,115

$907 FJD 2,024

-30.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,227 FJD 2,736

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$956 NZ$1,683

$820 FJD 1,829

16.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 NZ$6,957

$785 FJD 1,751

403.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

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 Fiji: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cook Islands

–

Fiji

$419 39.9%

Groceries & Markets

Cook Islands

–

Fiji

$248 23.7%

Eating Out

Cook Islands

–

Fiji

$132 12.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cook Islands

–

Fiji

$90 8.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Cook Islands

–

Fiji

$85 8.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Cook Islands

–

Fiji

$44 4.2%

Getting Around

Cook Islands

–

Fiji

$31 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $707 in the Cook Islands, $778 in Fiji. Capital cities: $968 in Avarua vs $891 in Suva.

National salary averages: $3,985 in the Cook Islands, $680 in Fiji. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 10% higher in Fiji.

Dining out costs 22% more in the Cook Islands.

Salaries are about 5.9 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

🇫🇯 Fiji

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

21:29 9:29 PM

22 h ahead of the Cook Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,222

926,276

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

1 FJD = 0.448 USD

1 FJD = 0.403 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, 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 = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.48 FJD (1 FJD = 0.403 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cook Islands Fiji 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cook Islands
Fiji

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 Fiji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,568 per month in the Cook Islands and $1,049 in Fiji, there’s a 49% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Fiji is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In Fiji, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in the Cook Islands it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Fiji wins on affordability; the Cook Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.