Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and the Cook Islands

Name: Cook Islands
Address: CK

For one person, living is cheaper in the Cook Islands: $1,568 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

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🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,568 in the Cook Islands.

United States $2,734
Cook Islands $1,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $2,058 in the Cook Islands.

United States $3,985
Cook Islands $2,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $2,548 in the Cook Islands.

United States $5,235
Cook Islands $2,548

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $1,117–$1,638 in the Cook Islands. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 74% more expensive than in the Cook Islands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 101% above, the Cook Islands 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$11.40 NZ$20.07

75.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$55.8 NZ$98.2

43.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$7.18 NZ$12.64

64.35%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$3.46 NZ$6.09

60.40%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.44 NZ$4.29

9.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.44 NZ$4.29

-11.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$5.69 NZ$10.01

7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$5.25 NZ$9.23

51.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.32 NZ$4.08

-55.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.15 NZ$5.55

13.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.68 NZ$2.95

169.05%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$5.56 NZ$9.79

-23.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$9.19 NZ$16.18

43.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$7.76 NZ$13.65

62.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$10.14 NZ$17.86

73.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.87 NZ$5.05

84.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.67 NZ$2.95

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.45 NZ$6.07

28.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$8.98 NZ$15.81

-46.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.83 NZ$4.98

4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.30 NZ$4.04

36.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.25 NZ$3.95

-2.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.83 NZ$4.97

-16.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$11.25 NZ$19.81

-2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.70 NZ$22.35

18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.32 NZ$5.84

-37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$4.68 NZ$8.23

-19.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.91 NZ$5.11

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$20.18 NZ$35.52

-82.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$34.06 NZ$60.0

-12.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.88 NZ$3.30

-45.74%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$11.3K NZ$20.0K

153.44%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

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

$218 $218

$105 NZ$184

108.20%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$48.58 NZ$85.5

28.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$103 NZ$181

-27.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

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

$1,489 $1,489

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$723 NZ$1,273

129.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$696 NZ$1,225

93.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$393 NZ$691

582.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$634 NZ$1,115

242.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$956 NZ$1,683

159.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$3,953 NZ$6,957

8.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 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

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Cook Islands

–

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Cook Islands

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Cook Islands

–

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Cook Islands

–

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Cook Islands

–

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Cook Islands

–

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Cook Islands

–

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $707 in the Cook Islands. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $968 in Avarua.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $3,985 in the Cook Islands. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 129% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 36% more in the United States.

Salaries are 14% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

6 h behind the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

14,222

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

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).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Cook Islands 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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

United States vs Cook Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,568 per month in the Cook Islands and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 74% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $707 in the Cook Islands. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In the Cook Islands, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: the Cook Islands wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.