Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,169 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
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Gizo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,169

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gizo and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $2,169 per month in Gizo vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gizo $2,169
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,078 per month in Gizo vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gizo $3,078
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,987 per month in Gizo vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Gizo $3,987
Chiang Mai $1,979

Gizo costs about 132% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Gizo sits 59% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.16 SBD 25.48

$2.24 ฿75.6

41.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 SBD 451

$19.00 ฿641

194.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.52 SBD 125

$5.55 ฿187

179.64%

Cappuccino

$2.75 SBD 22.12

$1.67 ฿56.5

64.67%

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

$1.27 SBD 10.26

$0.64 ฿21.55

98.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 SBD 9.81

$0.31 ฿10.31

293.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 SBD 19.58

$2.36 ฿79.6

2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SBD 19.83

$3.66 ฿124

-32.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 SBD 25.83

$1.95 ฿65.8

64.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 SBD 11.25

$1.44 ฿48.48

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 SBD 11.68

$1.33 ฿45.04

9.02%

Eggs

$7.03 SBD 56.6

$2.28 ฿77.1

208.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 SBD 71.9

$16.45 ฿555

-45.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.27 SBD 50.5

$2.78 ฿93.9

125.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 SBD 68.8

$9.31 ฿314

-8.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 SBD 53.8

$2.35 ฿79.4

184.26%

Banana (1kg)

$6.09 SBD 49.07

$0.97 ฿32.80

527.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 SBD 48.95

$1.60 ฿53.9

280.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 SBD 25.29

$1.50 ฿50.6

109.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 SBD 24.64

$1.28 ฿43.12

139.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 SBD 19.59

$1.10 ฿37.19

120.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 SBD 20.38

$0.71 ฿23.82

256.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 SBD 11.08

$0.49 ฿16.37

181.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 SBD 34.14

$4.14 ฿140

2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.30 SBD 99.1

$17.52 ฿591

-29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SBD 14.77

$1.61 ฿54.5

13.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SBD 18.10

$2.78 ฿94.0

-19.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.11

$0.87 ฿29.31

-55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.48 SBD 246

$54.1 ฿1,826

-43.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 SBD 10.15

$1.16 ฿39.06

8.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 SBD 20.52

$0.53 ฿17.80

381.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.61 SBD 102

$2.42 ฿81.8

421.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SBD 14.19

$1.45 ฿48.90

21.38%

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

$20.8K SBD 167.7K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

-1.12%

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

$21.8K SBD 175.5K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-19.16%

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

$749 SBD 6,033

$62.2 ฿2,098

1104.60%

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

$13.86 SBD 112

$12.17 ฿411

13.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 SBD 1,011

$20.12 ฿679

523.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.34 SBD 148

$37.31 ฿1,259

-50.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.30 SBD 50.7

$3.77 ฿127

67.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.36 SBD 35.10

$6.49 ฿219

-32.82%

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

$125 SBD 1,010

$736 ฿24.8K

-82.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,246 SBD 10.0K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-91.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.56 SBD 206

$53.4 ฿1,801

-52.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.2 SBD 759

$24.64 ฿831

282.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SBD 814

$91.5 ฿3,087

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 SBD 707

$71.9 ฿2,428

22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 SBD 4,776

$482 ฿16.3K

22.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 SBD 4,708

$309 ฿10.4K

89.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 SBD 5,015

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-38.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 SBD 10.2K

$633 ฿21.4K

99.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$85.7K SBD 690.0K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

3524.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$401 SBD 3,234

$590 ฿19.9K

-31.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

5.57

193.18%

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

Last update for Gizo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gizo

$888 41%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 89.4% $794

Accommodation & Living

Gizo

$584 26.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 47.1% $276

Groceries & Markets

Gizo

$353 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 33.5% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Gizo

$139 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 21.7% $30

Eating Out

Gizo

$132 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 41.2% $54

Getting Around

Gizo

$46 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 33.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Gizo

$27 1.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 85.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $593 in Gizo versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Gizo versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Gizo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

14:07 2:07 PM

4 h behind Gizo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,177

127,240

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.111 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SBD – Solomon Islands Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 8.99 SBD (1 SBD = 0.111 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gizo Chiang Mai 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Gizo
Chiang Mai

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

Gizo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gizo costs about 132% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,254 per month in Gizo and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $593 in Gizo.

Kindergarten costs $125 per month in Gizo and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Gizo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,169 in Gizo and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,169 in Gizo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.