Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Cook Islands and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

For one person, living is cheaper in the Cook Islands: $1,353 a month against $1,832 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Italy
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Italy Living Index

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🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,353

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🇮🇹 Italy

$1,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in the Cook Islands versus $1,832 in Italy.

Cook Islands $1,353
Italy $1,832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,656 in the Cook Islands versus $2,809 in Italy.

Cook Islands $1,656
Italy $2,809

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,959 in the Cook Islands versus $3,787 in Italy.

Cook Islands $1,959
Italy $3,787

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,163 to $2,537, compared to $1,117–$1,161 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Living in the Cook Islands costs about 26% less than in Italy on average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 NZ$20.07

$20.47 €18.21

-44.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.63 NZ$88.2

$78.9 €70.2

-37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 NZ$10.03

$11.23 €10.00

-49.78%

Cappuccino

$3.14 NZ$5.59

$2.04 €1.82

53.92%

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

$2.42 NZ$4.30

$3.09 €2.75

-21.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NZ$4.40

$1.34 €1.19

84.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.87

$5.71 €5.08

16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 NZ$8.82

$5.43 €4.83

-8.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 NZ$4.86

$1.57 €1.40

74.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 NZ$4.87

$2.39 €2.13

14.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.54

Eggs

$6.17 NZ$10.97

$4.19 €3.73

47.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.17 NZ$12.75

$17.06 €15.18

-57.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.49 €11.11

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.30 €18.07

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.33

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.46

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 NZ$20.32

$6.74 €6.00

69.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 NZ$19.87

$7.91 €7.04

41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.39 NZ$6.02

$1.76 €1.56

92.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 NZ$9.20

$2.36 €2.10

119.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 NZ$5.14

$1.95 €1.74

48.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.83 €38.11

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.00 NZ$35.56

$5.53 €4.92

261.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.52

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.05 NZ$60.5

$33.80 €30.08

0.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$2.08 €1.85

-8.65%

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

$11.2K NZ$19.9K

$36.0K €32.0K

-68.86%

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

$37.2K €33.1K

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

$99.9 NZ$178

$231 €206

-56.85%

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

$47.07 NZ$83.7

$11.80 €10.50

298.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 NZ$180

$29.94 €26.64

237.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 €47.19

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.61 €21.01

Cinema Ticket

$10.75 €9.56

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

$566 €504

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 €80.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 €34.33

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €115

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 NZ$1,267

$829 €738

-14.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 NZ$1,271

$630 €561

13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 NZ$702

$1,377 €1,225

-71.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 NZ$1,084

$1,050 €935

-41.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,650 €3,248

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 NZ$1,705

$2,306 €2,052

-58.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,941 NZ$7,006

$1,951 €1,736

101.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

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

Last update for the Cook Islands: November 1, 2026

Last update for Italy: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cook Islands

–

Italy

$630 34.4%

Groceries & Markets

Cook Islands

–

Italy

$347 18.9%

Eating Out

Cook Islands

–

Italy

$279 15.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cook Islands

–

Italy

$273 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Cook Islands

–

Italy

$163 8.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Cook Islands

–

Italy

$75 4.1%

Getting Around

Cook Islands

–

Italy

$65 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $716 in the Cook Islands, $728 in Italy. Capital cities: $971 in Avarua vs $1,348 in Rome.

National salary averages: $3,929 in the Cook Islands, $1,908 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 40% more in Italy.

Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

🇮🇹 Italy

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

12:02 12:02 PM

11 h ahead of the Cook Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,222

58,850,717

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cook Islands Italy 17,600 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Cook Islands
Italy

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,353 per month in the Cook Islands and $1,832 in Italy, the Cook Islands comes out about 26% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, the Cook Islands 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 the Cook Islands, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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: the Cook Islands wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.