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: $1,430 in Cook Islands versus $1,796 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Cook Islands versus $2,739 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cook Islands versus $3,682 in Italy.

Living in Cook Islands costs about 20% less than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Cook Islands 4% above, Italy 30% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,152 to $2,626, compared to $1,139–$1,721 in Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 NZ$20.41

$21.24 €18.31

-44.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 NZ$103

$80.8 €69.7

-25.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 NZ$12.87

$11.41 €9.84

-34.44%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.91

$2.08 €1.79

65.38%

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

$2.46 NZ$4.23

$3.05 €2.63

-19.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 NZ$4.32

$1.38 €1.19

81.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 NZ$10.04

$5.79 €4.99

0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 NZ$8.85

$5.75 €4.96

-10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NZ$3.96

$1.70 €1.46

35.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NZ$5.45

$2.41 €2.08

31.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.08

$3.01 €2.59

-40.53%

Eggs

$5.55 NZ$9.54

$4.32 €3.72

28.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 NZ$16.60

$17.93 €15.45

-46.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.21

$12.67 €10.92

-34.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 NZ$18.07

$20.57 €17.73

-48.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 NZ$4.95

$2.62 €2.26

9.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.09

$2.15 €1.85

-16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NZ$6.19

$2.80 €2.41

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.51 NZ$16.35

$3.32 €2.87

186.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.11

$2.10 €1.81

41.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 NZ$4.07

$1.89 €1.63

25.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NZ$3.95

$1.55 €1.33

48.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 NZ$5.10

$0.56 €0.48

430.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.84 NZ$20.35

$7.16 €6.17

65.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 NZ$22.95

$7.35 €6.33

81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NZ$6.15

$1.80 €1.55

98.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 NZ$8.29

$2.41 €2.07

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 NZ$5.17

$1.93 €1.66

55.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.68 NZ$35.55

$5.74 €4.95

260.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.68 NZ$59.6

$35.25 €30.38

-1.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NZ$3.50

$2.04 €1.76

-0.49%

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

$11.9K NZ$20.5K

$37.5K €32.3K

-68.17%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

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

$108 NZ$186

$231 €199

-53.10%

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

$50.0 NZ$86.0

$12.34 €10.64

305.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 NZ$183

$31.17 €26.87

240.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

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

$568 €490

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,416 NZ$2,434

$12.5K €10.8K

-88.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 NZ$1,279

$852 €734

-12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NZ$1,253

$645 €556

13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NZ$700

$1,449 €1,249

-71.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 NZ$1,116

$1,084 €935

-40.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 NZ$1,702

$2,357 €2,032

-57.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,119 NZ$7,083

$1,933 €1,666

113.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

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

Last update for Cook Islands: September 6, 2026

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Cook Islands, $755 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,012 in Avarua vs $1,247 in Rome.

National salary averages: $4,121 in Cook Islands, $1,964 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 33% more in Italy.

Salaries are 110% 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 $1,430 per month in Cook Islands and $1,889 in Italy, there's a 32% 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, $3,000 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.