Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and the Cook Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Cook Islands: $1,568 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Spain
Cook Islands
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,775
/mo nomad
🇨🇰 Cook Islands
$1,568
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain 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 Spain and in the Cook Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Spain versus $1,568 in the Cook Islands.

  • Spain $1,775
  • Cook Islands $1,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Spain versus $2,058 in the Cook Islands.

  • Spain $2,606
  • Cook Islands $2,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Spain versus $2,548 in the Cook Islands.

  • Spain $3,438
  • Cook Islands $2,548

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $931 to $2,610, compared to $1,117–$1,638 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Living in Spain is roughly 13% more expensive than in the Cook Islands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Spain 30% above, the Cook Islands 15% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €15.00
$11.40 NZ$20.07
46.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7 €50.0
$55.8 NZ$98.2
-0.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 €10.21
$7.18 NZ$12.64
58.36%
Cappuccino
$2.42 €2.17
$3.46 NZ$6.09
-30.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 €2.41
$2.44 NZ$4.29
9.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 €1.61
$2.44 NZ$4.29
-26.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.08
$5.69 NZ$10.01
-39.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 €3.48
$5.25 NZ$9.23
-26.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.08
$2.32 NZ$4.08
-48.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.48 €1.33
$3.15 NZ$5.55
-53.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.67 €1.50
$1.68 NZ$2.95
-0.60%
Eggs
$3.42 €3.07
$5.56 NZ$9.79
-38.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.17 €12.73
$9.19 NZ$16.18
54.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.33 €7.48
$7.76 NZ$13.65
7.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 €14.56
$10.14 NZ$17.86
59.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$2.87 NZ$5.05
-14.63%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.83
$1.67 NZ$2.95
21.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 €1.87
$3.45 NZ$6.07
-39.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.58 €2.32
$8.98 NZ$15.81
-71.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$2.83 NZ$4.98
-35.34%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 €1.80
$2.30 NZ$4.04
-13.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 €1.18
$2.25 NZ$3.95
-41.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$2.83 NZ$4.97
-72.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36 €5.72
$11.25 NZ$19.81
-43.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.07
$12.70 NZ$22.35
-55.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.17
$3.32 NZ$5.84
-60.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.87
$4.68 NZ$8.23
-55.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.64 €1.48
$2.91 NZ$5.11
-43.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.91 €29.57
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.43 €3.98
$20.18 NZ$35.52
-78.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 €1.32
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.98 €22.45
$34.06 NZ$60.0
-26.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 €1.59
$1.88 NZ$3.30
-5.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.9K
$11.3K NZ$20.0K
213.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K €27.5K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 €134
$105 NZ$184
42.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67 €15.88
$48.58 NZ$85.5
-63.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88 €28.64
$103 NZ$181
-69.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.24 €39.75
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29 €13.74
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.66 €8.68
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$544 €489
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K €9,530
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9 €76.3
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11 €33.35
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.2 €80.1
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €95.0
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,056 €949
$723 NZ$1,273
46.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$808 €726
$696 NZ$1,225
16.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 €1,456
$393 NZ$691
312.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,246 €1,120
$634 NZ$1,115
96.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,135 €3,716
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,633 €2,365
$956 NZ$1,683
175.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Cook Islands
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,999 €1,796
$3,953 NZ$6,957
-49.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
0
-

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

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Last update for the Cook Islands: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Spain
$808
Cook Islands
–
Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272
Cook Islands
–
Eating Out
Spain
$239
Cook Islands
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199
Cook Islands
–
Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143
Cook Islands
–
Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64
Cook Islands
–
Getting Around
Spain
$51
Cook Islands
–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $920 in Spain, $707 in the Cook Islands. Capital cities: $1,508 in Madrid vs $968 in Avarua.

National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $3,985 in the Cook Islands. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in Spain.

Salaries are about 2 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Spain
🇨🇰 Cook Islands
🕒 Local time
16:10 4:10 PM
05:10 5:10 AM
11 h behind Spain
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,415,750
14,222
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Spain Cook Islands 16,910 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Spain
  • 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
Spain vs Cook Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: the Cook Islands or Spain?
At $1,568 per month in the Cook Islands and $1,775 in Spain, there’s a 13% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do rents compare between the Cook Islands and Spain?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $920 in Spain and $707 in the Cook Islands. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in the Cook Islands and in Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: the Cook Islands wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Spain vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?