Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Cook Islands and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in the Cook Islands: $1,568 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,568

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Cook Islands and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in the Cook Islands versus $2,734 in the United States.

Cook Islands $1,568
United States $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,058 in the Cook Islands versus $3,985 in the United States.

Cook Islands $2,058
United States $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,548 in the Cook Islands versus $5,235 in the United States.

Cook Islands $2,548
United States $5,235

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $1,117–$1,638 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the Cook Islands costs about 43% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the Cook Islands 15% above, the United States 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 NZ$20.32

$20.03 $20.03

-43.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 NZ$99.4

$80.0 $80.0

-30.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 NZ$12.80

$11.80 $11.80

-39.15%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$6.17

$5.55 $5.55

-37.66%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.34

$2.66 $2.66

-8.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 NZ$4.35

$2.17 $2.17

12.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 NZ$10.14

$6.12 $6.12

-7.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 NZ$9.35

$7.94 $7.94

-33.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NZ$4.13

$1.04 $1.04

123.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NZ$5.62

$3.59 $3.59

-12.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.99

$4.52 $4.52

-62.83%

Eggs

$5.56 NZ$9.92

$4.28 $4.28

29.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 NZ$16.39

$13.22 $13.22

-30.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 NZ$13.82

$12.60 $12.60

-38.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 NZ$18.08

$17.60 $17.60

-42.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$5.11

$5.30 $5.30

-45.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.98

$1.69 $1.69

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NZ$6.14

$4.44 $4.44

-22.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.98 NZ$16.01

$4.77 $4.77

88.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$5.04

$2.97 $2.97

-4.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.10

$3.15 $3.15

-26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$4.00

$2.20 $2.20

2.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 NZ$5.04

$2.35 $2.35

20.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.25 NZ$20.06

$10.98 $10.98

2.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 NZ$22.63

$15.05 $15.05

-15.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NZ$5.92

$2.06 $2.06

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 NZ$8.33

$3.79 $3.79

23.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 NZ$5.18

$1.94 $1.94

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 NZ$35.97

$3.58 $3.58

463.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 NZ$60.7

$29.84 $29.84

14.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.35

$1.02 $1.02

84.31%

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

$11.3K NZ$20.2K

$28.8K $28.8K

-60.54%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

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

$105 NZ$187

$218 $218

-51.97%

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

$48.58 NZ$86.6

$62.5 $62.5

-22.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 NZ$183

$74.5 $74.5

38.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

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

$1,489 $1,489

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 NZ$1,289

$1,659 $1,659

-56.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NZ$1,241

$1,348 $1,348

-48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 NZ$700

$2,682 $2,682

-85.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 NZ$1,129

$2,169 $2,169

-70.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$956 NZ$1,704

$2,482 $2,482

-61.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 NZ$7,045

$4,296 $4,296

-7.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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 the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cook Islands

–

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Groceries & Markets

Cook Islands

–

United States

$415 15.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cook Islands

–

United States

$355 13%

Eating Out

Cook Islands

–

United States

$328 12%

Clothing & Footwear

Cook Islands

–

United States

$137 5%

Getting Around

Cook Islands

–

United States

$80 2.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Cook Islands

–

United States

$71 2.6%

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $707 in the Cook Islands, $1,620 in the United States. Capital cities: $968 in Avarua vs $2,768 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $3,985 in the Cook Islands, $4,549 in the United States. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 129% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 36% more in the United States.

Salaries are 14% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

09:39 9:39 AM

6 h ahead of the Cook Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,222

340,110,988

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cook Islands United States 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cook Islands
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,568 per month in the Cook Islands and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 74% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $707 in the Cook Islands. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In the Cook Islands, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.