Cook Islands, Avarua

Country Full Name: Cook Islands.

Location: The Cook Islands is in Oceana. A group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand.

Country Climate: Tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; dry season (April to November) and more humid season (December to March).

Country Terrain: Low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south.

Major Languages: English and Cook Islands Maori.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.005 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The Economy of the Cook Islands is isolated from foreign markets, has inadequate infrastructure, lacks major natural resources and suffers greatly from natural disasters. Agriculture is the main economic base while there is limited manufacturing. The Cook Islands economy is reliant on foreign aid, mostly from New Zealand.

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD). Make an international currency transfer to the Cook Islands.

Inflation: 1.9% (2011 est.).

Avarua is the capital and largest town in the Cook Islands.

Avarua has several supermarkets, two banks, several restaurants and other shops specializing in the sale of black pearls and other handicrafts. The economy is based on tourism, trade, fishing and agriculture.

The cost of living in Avarua in the Cook Islands is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Avarua in the Cook Islands is currently ranked 116 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 106 places that are more expensive, and 673 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 625 places that are more expensive, and 154 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 304 places that are more expensive, and 475 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 502 places that are more expensive, and 277 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 132 places that are more expensive, and 647 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 139 places that are more expensive, and 640 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are high compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 257 places that are more expensive, and 522 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 168 places that are more expensive, and 611 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 664 places that are more expensive, and 115 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 204 places that are more expensive, and 575 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 99 places that are more expensive, and 680 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 195 places that are more expensive, and 584 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 73 places that are more expensive, and 706 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Avarua in the Cook Islands are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Avarua in the Cook Islands is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Avarua in the Cook Islands are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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