Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Rarotonga

For one person, living is cheaper in Rarotonga: $1,099 a month against $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $37,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Rarotonga
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Rarotonga Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,099

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Angeles, CA and in Rarotonga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,099 in Rarotonga.

Los Angeles, CA $4,259
Rarotonga $1,099

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,561 in Rarotonga.

Los Angeles, CA $6,260
Rarotonga $1,561

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,260 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,023 in Rarotonga.

Los Angeles, CA $8,260
Rarotonga $2,023

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 287% more expensive than in Rarotonga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Angeles, CA is 218% above, Rarotonga is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$14.15 NZ$25.21

90.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$50.4 NZ$89.9

142.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.98 $14.98

$5.69 NZ$10.14

163.27%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$3.48 NZ$6.19

67.82%

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

$3.77 $3.77

$2.24 NZ$4.00

68.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.31 NZ$4.11

15.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.02 NZ$8.95

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.96 NZ$8.84

98.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$2.87 NZ$5.11

-54.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.77 NZ$4.94

74.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

Eggs

$6.14 $6.14

$6.19 NZ$11.02

-0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$7.48 NZ$13.32

51.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 $19.94

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.78 $12.78

$11.18 NZ$19.92

14.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.23 NZ$20.01

34.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.48 NZ$6.21

-14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$5.08 NZ$9.06

-44.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.80 NZ$4.99

-36.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$20.06 NZ$35.75

-84.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.58 $31.58

$34.02 NZ$60.6

-7.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.74 NZ$3.10

-6.90%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$11.2K NZ$20.0K

235.05%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

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

$288 $288

$100 NZ$179

186.78%

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

$77.9 $77.9

$47.47 NZ$84.6

64.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$104 NZ$185

-22.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.2 $74.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 $11.90

Cinema Ticket

$19.79 $19.79

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

$1,678 $1,678

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$1,360 NZ$2,424

2246.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 $91.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 $206

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$445 NZ$793

471.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,443 $2,443

$452 NZ$806

440.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,518 $5,518

$684 NZ$1,219

706.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,275 $4,275

$624 NZ$1,111

585.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,211 $7,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,930 $6,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,173 $4,173

$3,906 NZ$6,961

6.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Rarotonga: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8%

Rarotonga

$452 40.6% 81.5% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1%

Rarotonga

$154 * 13.8% 67.1% $314

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6%

Rarotonga

$251 22.6% 43.7% $195

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9%

Rarotonga

$225 20.2% 46% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

Rarotonga

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9%

Rarotonga

$31 * 2.8% 74.7% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

Rarotonga

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA and $445 in Rarotonga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Angeles, CA pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $122 in Los Angeles, CA vs $50.0 in Rarotonga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $154 per month, with Rarotonga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

3 h behind Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

13,373

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Rarotonga 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Angeles, CA
Rarotonga

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

Los Angeles, CA vs Rarotonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rarotonga is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 287% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Los Angeles, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA versus $445 in Rarotonga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 204% higher in Los Angeles, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rarotonga – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $122 in Los Angeles, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,099 in Rarotonga versus $4,259 in Los Angeles, CA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rarotonga but tight or insufficient in Los Angeles, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Rarotonga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rarotonga is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Los Angeles, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Los Angeles, CA and Rarotonga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rarotonga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 287% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.