Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apia and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $2,121 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
Learn more

Gizo Living Index

Jump to prices

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Apia and in Gizo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $851 in Apia versus $2,121 in Gizo.

Apia $851
Gizo $2,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in Apia versus $3,041 in Gizo.

Apia $2,281
Gizo $3,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,711 in Apia versus $3,960 in Gizo.

Apia $3,711
Gizo $3,960

Living in Apia costs roughly 60% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Apia is 36% below, Gizo is 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.76 WST 133

$3.15 SBD 25.41

1416.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.89 WST 103

$56.5 SBD 456

-34.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 WST 40.39

$15.76 SBD 127

-7.93%

Cappuccino

$2.93 WST 8.15

$2.76 SBD 22.26

6.16%

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

$1.80 WST 5.01

$1.26 SBD 10.17

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 WST 3.88

$1.25 SBD 10.10

11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 WST 9.78

$2.55 SBD 20.62

37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 WST 10.20

$2.53 SBD 20.44

45.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 WST 5.09

$3.29 SBD 26.58

-44.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 WST 2.34

$1.32 SBD 10.66

-36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 WST 5.17

$1.40 SBD 11.33

32.86%

Eggs

$4.15 WST 11.55

$7.24 SBD 58.5

-42.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.94 WST 2.62

$8.64 SBD 69.8

-89.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 WST 10.21

$6.33 SBD 51.1

-42.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 WST 23.92

$8.74 SBD 70.6

-1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 WST 14.54

$6.88 SBD 55.6

-24.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 WST 4.99

$6.01 SBD 48.52

-70.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 WST 5.21

$6.33 SBD 51.2

-70.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 WST 12.07

$3.04 SBD 24.57

42.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 WST 10.29

$3.03 SBD 24.50

22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 WST 3.10

$2.41 SBD 19.50

-53.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.62

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 WST 3.40

$1.33 SBD 10.77

-8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 WST 17.55

$4.27 SBD 34.51

47.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.32 WST 45.41

$12.57 SBD 102

29.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 WST 5.19

$1.89 SBD 15.25

-1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 WST 10.24

$2.19 SBD 17.68

68.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 WST 9.94

$0.39 SBD 3.12

815.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.04 SBD 251

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 WST 14.84

$1.23 SBD 9.91

333.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.42 WST 15.08

$2.45 SBD 19.77

121.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.64 WST 60.2

$12.41 SBD 100

74.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 WST 2.95

$1.77 SBD 14.26

-40.11%

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

$20.6K SBD 166.4K

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

$21.5K SBD 173.5K

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

$18.16 WST 50.6

$756 SBD 6,110

-97.60%

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

$18.40 WST 51.2

$13.69 SBD 111

34.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 WST 102

$125 SBD 1,009

-70.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.41 SBD 149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.05 SBD 48.89

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 SBD 35.44

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

$121 SBD 981

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,253 SBD 10.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.88 SBD 201

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.0 SBD 743

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SBD 809

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 SBD 731

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 SBD 4,910

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 SBD 4,801

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 SBD 4,993

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 WST 4,982

$1,234 SBD 9,968

45.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.8K SBD 700.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 SBD 3,194

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

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

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apia

–

Gizo

$895 40.9%

Accommodation & Living

Apia

–

Gizo

$594 27.2%

Groceries & Markets

Apia

–

Gizo

$354 16.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Apia

–

Gizo

$138 6.3%

Eating Out

Apia

–

Gizo

$133 6.1%

Getting Around

Apia

–

Gizo

$46 2.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Apia

–

Gizo

$27 1.2%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $37.00 in Apia vs $56.0 in Gizo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $354 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Apia

🇸🇧 Gizo

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

20:05 8:05 PM

2 h behind Apia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000 Capital

7,177

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Apia Gizo 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Apia
Gizo

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

Apia vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 149% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,277 in Apia and $3,182 in Gizo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $851 per month in Apia versus $2,121 in Gizo – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $2,121 in Gizo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Apia 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, Apia and Gizo 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.