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: $1,111 in Cook Islands versus $1,719 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,703 in Cook Islands versus $2,625 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,295 in Cook Islands versus $3,531 in Italy.

Living in Cook Islands costs about 35% less than in Italy on average.

Cook Islands (17% below) and Italy (28% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,156 to $2,452, compared to $857–$1,365 in Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 NZ$21.08

$17.02 €14.76

-28.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 NZ$103

$82.3 €71.4

-27.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 NZ$15.98

$11.62 €10.07

-20.14%

Cappuccino

$4.13 NZ$7.11

$1.91 €1.66

116.23%

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

$2.53 NZ$4.36

$3.02 €2.62

-16.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NZ$4.03

$1.31 €1.14

78.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 NZ$11.30

$5.81 €5.04

12.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 NZ$9.27

$5.12 €4.44

5.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 NZ$3.67

$1.64 €1.43

29.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 NZ$5.38

$2.42 €2.10

28.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 NZ$2.78

$2.92 €2.53

-44.86%

Eggs

$5.87 NZ$10.11

$4.12 €3.57

42.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 NZ$16.88

$16.70 €14.48

-41.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NZ$13.83

$12.60 €10.93

-36.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 NZ$15.66

$20.61 €17.87

-55.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.30

$2.48 €2.15

23.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.11

$2.15 €1.86

10.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NZ$6.06

$2.72 €2.36

29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 NZ$10.60

$3.25 €2.82

89.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NZ$4.08

$1.94 €1.68

22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.36

$1.81 €1.57

7.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 NZ$3.68

$1.48 €1.28

44.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.82

$0.54 €0.47

525.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 NZ$25.58

$6.82 €5.91

117.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 NZ$22.71

$7.33 €6.36

79.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NZ$6.12

$1.80 €1.56

97.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 NZ$8.43

$2.54 €2.21

92.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 NZ$5.12

$2.01 €1.74

47.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.70 €36.16

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$21.13 NZ$36.40

$5.90 €5.12

258.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.05 NZ$62.1

$34.23 €29.69

5.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 NZ$3.03

$2.13 €1.84

-17.37%

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

$12.1K NZ$20.8K

$32.8K €28.5K

-63.26%

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

$33.5K €29.1K

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

$104 NZ$180

$226 €196

-53.83%

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

$30.16 NZ$52.0

$13.32 €11.55

126.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 NZ$180

$31.26 €27.11

234.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.69 NZ$42.54

$56.9 €49.34

-56.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.18 NZ$41.66

$25.71 €22.30

-5.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 NZ$11.72

$10.35 €8.98

-34.30%

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

$579 €502

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,453 NZ$2,503

$10.5K €9,135

-86.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$116

$90.2 €78.2

-25.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 €35.38

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 €85.6

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 NZ$128

$133 €115

-44.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 NZ$554

$853 €740

-62.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 NZ$540

$667 €578

-52.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 NZ$620

$1,517 €1,315

-76.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$469 NZ$808

$1,083 €939

-56.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,970 NZ$8,562

$3,767 €3,266

31.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$724 NZ$1,247

$2,403 €2,084

-69.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,039 NZ$6,959

$1,986 €1,722

103.43%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Italy: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $319 in Cook Islands, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $154 in Avarua vs $1,368 in Rome.

National salary averages: $4,018 in Cook Islands, $1,931 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 133% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 23% more in Italy.

Salaries are 108% higher in Cook Islands, giving Cook Islands stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,111 per month in Cook Islands and $1,804 in Italy, there's a 62% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Cook Islands is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.