Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fiji and the Cook Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in Fiji: $1,064 a month against $1,353 in the Cook Islands, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the Cook Islands outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Fiji
Cook Islands
🇫🇯 Fiji
$1,064
/mo nomad
🇨🇰 Cook Islands
$1,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fiji and in the Cook Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,064 in Fiji versus $1,353 in the Cook Islands.

  • Fiji $1,064
  • Cook Islands $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,755 in Fiji versus $1,656 in the Cook Islands.

  • Fiji $1,755
  • Cook Islands $1,656

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,446 in Fiji versus $1,959 in the Cook Islands.

  • Fiji $2,446
  • Cook Islands $1,959

Internal cost variation is higher in Fiji: monthly costs span $66 to $1,381, compared to $1,117–$1,161 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in Fiji.

Living in Fiji costs about 21% less than in the Cook Islands on average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.32 FJD 11.88
$11.29 NZ$20.36
-52.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.29 FJD 87.7
$49.63 NZ$89.5
-20.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.99 FJD 17.83
$5.64 NZ$10.18
41.67%
Cappuccino
$3.08 FJD 6.88
$3.14 NZ$5.67
-1.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 FJD 3.39
$2.42 NZ$4.36
-37.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04 FJD 2.32
$2.47 NZ$4.46
-57.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 FJD 6.82
$6.68 NZ$12.05
-54.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 FJD 10.14
$4.96 NZ$8.95
-8.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 FJD 3.01
$2.74 NZ$4.94
-50.73%
White Bread (500g)
$0.73 FJD 1.63
$2.74 NZ$4.94
-73.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 FJD 2.48
-
-
Eggs
$3.30 FJD 7.38
$6.17 NZ$11.14
-46.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.49 FJD 21.18
$7.17 NZ$12.94
32.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.67 FJD 21.58
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.14 FJD 20.41
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 FJD 5.47
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 FJD 5.94
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$3.68 FJD 8.21
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.86 FJD 6.39
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 FJD 3.00
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.31 FJD 2.93
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 FJD 2.66
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 FJD 1.83
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.54 FJD 21.29
$11.43 NZ$20.62
-16.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.31 FJD 18.54
$11.17 NZ$20.16
-25.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 FJD 4.94
$3.39 NZ$6.11
-34.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 FJD 8.29
$5.18 NZ$9.34
-28.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.71 FJD 1.59
$2.89 NZ$5.22
-75.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.19 FJD 56.2
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 FJD 2.05
$20.00 NZ$36.08
-95.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 FJD 1.41
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.71 FJD 19.44
$34.05 NZ$61.4
-74.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 FJD 2.96
$1.90 NZ$3.43
-30.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K FJD 54.2K
$11.2K NZ$20.2K
116.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K FJD 58.8K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.7 FJD 126
$99.9 NZ$180
-43.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.49 FJD 32.34
$47.07 NZ$84.9
-69.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.75 FJD 46.32
$101 NZ$183
-79.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.11 FJD 82.8
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.08 FJD 15.80
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.65 FJD 8.14
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$195 FJD 435
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.5K FJD 54.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.84 FJD 62.1
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.76 FJD 77.6
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.1 FJD 152
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$62.3 FJD 139
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$927 FJD 2,070
$713 NZ$1,285
30.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$415 FJD 925
$715 NZ$1,289
-41.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,975 FJD 4,409
$395 NZ$713
399.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$924 FJD 2,063
$610 NZ$1,100
51.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,224 FJD 2,732
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$832 FJD 1,856
$959 NZ$1,730
-13.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fiji
Cook Islands
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$793 FJD 1,770
$3,941 NZ$7,109
-79.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.38
0
-

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

Last update for Fiji: November 1, 2026

Last update for the Cook Islands: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fiji
$415
Cook Islands
–
Groceries & Markets
Fiji
$256
Cook Islands
–
Eating Out
Fiji
$138
Cook Islands
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fiji
$92
Cook Islands
–
Clothing & Footwear
Fiji
$87
Cook Islands
–
Sport & Entertainment
Fiji
$44
Cook Islands
–
Getting Around
Fiji
$32
Cook Islands
–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $777 in Fiji, $716 in the Cook Islands. Capital cities: $893 in Suva vs $971 in Avarua.

National salary averages: $677 in Fiji, $3,929 in the Cook Islands. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 9% higher in Fiji.

Dining out costs 18% more in the Cook Islands.

Salaries are about 5.8 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know
🇫🇯 Fiji
🇨🇰 Cook Islands
🕒 Local time
14:09 2:09 PM
16:09 4:09 PM
22 h behind Fiji
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
926,276
14,222
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.49 FJD (1 FJD = 0.401 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.8 NZD (1 NZD = 0.554 USD). 1 EUR = 2.02 NZD (1 NZD = 0.496 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fiji Cook Islands 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fiji
  • Cook Islands

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
Fiji vs Cook Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: the Cook Islands or Fiji?
At $1,353 per month in the Cook Islands and $1,064 in Fiji, Fiji comes out about 21% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Fiji 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.
How do I choose between living in the Cook Islands and in Fiji?
It depends on what you’re after: Fiji wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Fiji vs other spots: cost of living compared

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