Cost of Living Comparison Between Cook Islands and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Cook Islands and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,092 in Cook Islands versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,690 in Cook Islands versus $2,623 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Cook Islands versus $3,528 in Italy.

Living in Cook Islands costs about 36% less than in Italy on average.

Cook Islands (18% below) and Italy (29% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,180 to $2,494, compared to $837–$1,347 in Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 NZ$20.99

$17.21 €15.13

-29.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 NZ$105

$80.1 €70.4

-24.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 NZ$15.91

$11.79 €10.37

-21.88%

Cappuccino

$4.22 NZ$7.28

$1.98 €1.74

113.13%

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

$2.51 NZ$4.33

$2.88 €2.53

-12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NZ$4.12

$1.37 €1.20

74.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.50 NZ$11.23

$5.83 €5.12

11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 NZ$9.48

$5.13 €4.51

7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 NZ$3.73

$1.68 €1.48

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NZ$5.48

$2.32 €2.04

36.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 NZ$2.84

$2.91 €2.55

-43.64%

Eggs

$5.85 NZ$10.10

$4.06 €3.57

44.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 NZ$17.09

$16.45 €14.46

-39.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 NZ$13.93

$12.56 €11.04

-35.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 NZ$15.40

$20.18 €17.74

-55.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.24

$2.49 €2.18

22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 NZ$4.27

$2.15 €1.89

14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 NZ$6.33

$2.63 €2.31

39.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.24 NZ$10.78

$3.23 €2.84

93.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.11

$2.04 €1.79

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.33

$1.81 €1.59

6.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 NZ$3.61

$1.52 €1.34

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.84

$0.53 €0.47

537.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.15 NZ$26.15

$6.97 €6.13

117.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 NZ$23.07

$7.27 €6.39

83.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NZ$6.23

$1.81 €1.59

99.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$8.74

$2.52 €2.21

100.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 NZ$5.05

$1.93 €1.69

51.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.56 €37.42

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$21.30 NZ$36.78

$5.75 €5.05

270.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.86 NZ$61.9

$35.03 €30.79

2.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.05

$2.02 €1.78

-12.38%

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

$12.2K NZ$21.0K

$32.3K €28.4K

-62.43%

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

$33.3K €29.3K

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

$105 NZ$182

$219 €193

-51.84%

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

$30.13 NZ$52.0

$13.33 €11.72

126.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$107 NZ$184

$31.02 €27.27

243.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.63 NZ$42.53

$57.0 €50.1

-56.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 NZ$42.32

$25.78 €22.66

-4.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.01 NZ$12.11

$10.25 €9.01

-31.61%

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

$566 €498

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,456 NZ$2,514

$10.3K €9,095

-85.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 NZ$118

$91.8 €80.7

-25.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.92 €35.97

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €87.4

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 NZ$126

$132 €116

-44.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 NZ$551

$857 €753

-62.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 NZ$562

$671 €590

-51.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 NZ$626

$1,474 €1,296

-75.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 NZ$821

$1,089 €957

-56.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,983 NZ$8,604

$3,667 €3,224

35.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$726 NZ$1,253

$2,348 €2,065

-69.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,014 NZ$6,932

$1,961 €1,723

104.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

81.41%

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

Last update for Cook Islands: July 21, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $320 in Cook Islands, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $158 in Avarua vs $1,354 in Rome.

National salary averages: $4,080 in Cook Islands, $1,917 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 132% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 23% more in Italy.

Salaries are 113% higher in Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Cook Islands.

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 $1,092 per month in Cook Islands and $1,837 in Italy, there's a 68% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Cook Islands: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Cook Islands across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In 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: Cook Islands wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.