Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Rarotonga: $1,099 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Rarotonga
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Rarotonga Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,099

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rarotonga and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,099 in Rarotonga versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Rarotonga $1,099
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Rarotonga versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Rarotonga $1,561
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,023 in Rarotonga versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Rarotonga $2,023
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Rarotonga costs roughly 59% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rarotonga is 18% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.15 NZ$25.21

$20.22 $20.22

-30.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 NZ$89.9

$85.0 $85.0

-40.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 NZ$10.14

$12.35 $12.35

-53.93%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$6.19

$5.47 $5.47

-36.38%

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

$2.24 NZ$4.00

$3.82 $3.82

-41.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NZ$4.11

$2.50 $2.50

-7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 NZ$8.95

$8.06 $8.06

-37.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 NZ$8.84

$8.99 $8.99

-44.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.87 NZ$5.11

$1.13 $1.13

153.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 NZ$4.94

$3.78 $3.78

-26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

Eggs

$6.19 NZ$11.02

$4.14 $4.14

49.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 NZ$13.32

$13.08 $13.08

-42.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.18 NZ$19.92

$9.81 $9.81

13.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 NZ$20.01

$14.72 $14.72

-23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NZ$6.21

$2.78 $2.78

25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 NZ$9.06

$3.48 $3.48

45.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 NZ$4.99

$1.49 $1.49

87.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.06 NZ$35.75

$2.67 $2.67

651.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 NZ$60.6

$35.29 $35.29

-3.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.10

$0.99 $0.99

75.76%

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

$11.2K NZ$20.0K

$35.8K $35.8K

-68.60%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$100 NZ$179

$219 $219

-54.21%

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

$47.47 NZ$84.6

$58.0 $58.0

-18.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 NZ$185

$68.4 $68.4

51.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,360 NZ$2,424

$21.5K $21.5K

-93.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 NZ$793

$1,932 $1,932

-76.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 NZ$806

$1,272 $1,272

-64.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NZ$1,219

$3,670 $3,670

-81.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 NZ$1,111

$2,525 $2,525

-75.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,906 NZ$6,961

$5,105 $5,105

-23.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Rarotonga: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rarotonga

$452 40.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 181% $820

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rarotonga

$251 22.6%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 37.4% $94

Eating Out

Rarotonga

$225 20.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 54.5% $123

Groceries & Markets

Rarotonga

$154 * 13.8%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 162% $249

Getting Around

Rarotonga

$31 * 2.8%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 82.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Rarotonga

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Rarotonga

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

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 $445 in Rarotonga and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 31% 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: $50.0 in Rarotonga vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $403 per month, with Rarotonga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

5 h ahead of Rarotonga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,373

974,447

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

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

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rarotonga Austin, TX 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rarotonga
Austin, TX

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

Rarotonga vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rarotonga wins on cost – living expenses run 146% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rarotonga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $445 in Rarotonga versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,099 per month in Rarotonga versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 162% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,099 in Rarotonga versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rarotonga but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rarotonga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rarotonga and Austin, TX 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 146% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.