Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Los Angeles, CA

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.

68

Cost of Living Index in Rarotonga
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Rarotonga Living Index
203

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

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Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,099

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Los Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Rarotonga costs roughly 74% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.15 NZ$25.21

$27.00 $27.00

-47.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 NZ$89.9

$122 $122

-58.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 NZ$10.14

$14.98 $14.98

-62.02%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NZ$6.19

$5.84 $5.84

-40.41%

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

$2.24 NZ$4.00

$3.77 $3.77

-40.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NZ$4.11

$2.67 $2.67

-13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 NZ$8.95

$8.05 $8.05

-37.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 NZ$8.84

$9.84 $9.84

-49.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.87 NZ$5.11

$1.30 $1.30

120.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 NZ$4.94

$4.84 $4.84

-42.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

Eggs

$6.19 NZ$11.02

$6.14 $6.14

0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 NZ$13.32

$11.32 $11.32

-33.92%

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)

$11.18 NZ$19.92

$12.78 $12.78

-12.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 NZ$20.01

$15.05 $15.05

-25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NZ$6.21

$2.96 $2.96

17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 NZ$9.06

$2.81 $2.81

80.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 NZ$4.99

$1.79 $1.79

56.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.06 NZ$35.75

$3.08 $3.08

551.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.02 NZ$60.6

$31.58 $31.58

7.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.10

$1.62 $1.62

7.41%

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

$11.2K NZ$20.0K

$37.7K $37.7K

-70.15%

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)

$100 NZ$179

$288 $288

-65.13%

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

$47.47 NZ$84.6

$77.9 $77.9

-39.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 NZ$185

$80.5 $80.5

28.69%

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)

$1,360 NZ$2,424

$31.9K $31.9K

-95.74%

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)

$445 NZ$793

$2,545 $2,545

-82.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 NZ$806

$2,443 $2,443

-81.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NZ$1,219

$5,518 $5,518

-87.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 NZ$1,111

$4,275 $4,275

-85.41%

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)

$3,906 NZ$6,961

$4,173 $4,173

-6.38%

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 Rarotonga: October 5, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rarotonga

$452 40.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.8% 440% $2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rarotonga

$251 22.6%

Los Angeles, CA

$446 10.6% 77.5% $195

Eating Out

Rarotonga

$225 20.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$417 9.9% 85% $191

Groceries & Markets

Rarotonga

$154 * 13.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$467 11.1% 204% $314

Getting Around

Rarotonga

$31 * 2.8%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 2.9% 295% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Rarotonga

- * 0%

Los Angeles, CA

$114 2.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Rarotonga

- * 0%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.2%

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 $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. 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: $50.0 in Rarotonga vs $122 in Los Angeles, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $467 per month, with Rarotonga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

3 h ahead of Rarotonga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,373

4,030,904

💱 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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Between locations

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

From you

Rarotonga
Los Angeles, CA

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

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

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Los Angeles, CA. 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 $2,545 in Los Angeles, CA. 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, Rarotonga and Los Angeles, CA 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.