Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,067 a month against $2,121 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
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Gizo Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,121

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gizo and in Kuala Lumpur

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 Kuala Lumpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,121 in Gizo versus $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur.

Gizo $2,121
Kuala Lumpur $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,041 in Gizo versus $1,662 in Kuala Lumpur.

Gizo $3,041
Kuala Lumpur $1,662

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Gizo versus $2,257 in Kuala Lumpur.

Gizo $3,960
Kuala Lumpur $2,257

Living in Gizo is roughly 99% more expensive than in Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 58% above, Kuala Lumpur is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 SBD 25.40

$4.80 MYR 19.60

-34.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 SBD 456

$28.82 MYR 118

95.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 SBD 127

$5.00 MYR 20.40

215.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 SBD 22.25

$3.05 MYR 12.47

-9.51%

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

$1.26 SBD 10.17

$0.85 MYR 3.46

48.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SBD 10.10

$0.45 MYR 1.84

177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.61

$4.51 MYR 18.41

-43.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SBD 20.43

$6.00 MYR 24.50

-57.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.29 SBD 26.57

$2.11 MYR 8.63

55.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SBD 10.65

$1.08 MYR 4.40

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 SBD 11.32

$2.02 MYR 8.24

-30.69%

Eggs

$7.24 SBD 58.5

$2.55 MYR 10.40

183.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 SBD 69.8

$13.85 MYR 56.6

-37.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 SBD 51.1

$4.39 MYR 17.91

44.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 SBD 70.6

$9.66 MYR 39.46

-9.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.88 SBD 55.5

$3.47 MYR 14.16

98.27%

Banana (1kg)

$6.01 SBD 48.50

$1.77 MYR 7.23

239.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 SBD 51.2

$2.25 MYR 9.21

181.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 SBD 24.56

$1.55 MYR 6.34

96.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 SBD 24.49

$1.33 MYR 5.43

127.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 SBD 19.50

$1.38 MYR 5.64

74.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.61

$1.17 MYR 4.79

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 SBD 10.77

$0.67 MYR 2.73

98.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 SBD 34.49

$4.38 MYR 17.87

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.57 SBD 102

$18.87 MYR 77.1

-33.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SBD 15.24

$3.62 MYR 14.78

-47.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SBD 17.67

$5.06 MYR 20.64

-56.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.12

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.04 SBD 251

$12.46 MYR 50.9

149.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 SBD 9.91

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 SBD 19.76

$1.24 MYR 5.05

97.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

$4.82 MYR 19.68

157.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SBD 14.25

$0.86 MYR 3.52

105.81%

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

$20.6K SBD 166.3K

$41.4K MYR 168.8K

-50.19%

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

$21.5K SBD 173.4K

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

-37.87%

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

$756 SBD 6,107

$61.5 MYR 251

1130.41%

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

$13.69 SBD 111

$8.60 MYR 35.12

59.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 SBD 1,008

$26.25 MYR 107

375.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.41 SBD 149

$49.06 MYR 200

-62.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.05 SBD 48.87

$7.69 MYR 31.39

-21.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 SBD 35.43

$4.95 MYR 20.23

-11.31%

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

$121 SBD 981

$295 MYR 1,204

-58.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,253 SBD 10.1K

$13.2K MYR 54.0K

-90.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.88 SBD 201

$72.6 MYR 296

-65.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.0 SBD 743

$41.57 MYR 170

121.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SBD 809

$85.7 MYR 350

16.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 SBD 731

$95.2 MYR 389

-5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 SBD 4,908

$625 MYR 2,553

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 SBD 4,799

$378 MYR 1,545

57.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 SBD 4,991

$1,177 MYR 4,806

-47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 SBD 9,964

$639 MYR 2,608

93.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.8K SBD 700.6K

$4,112 MYR 16.8K

2009.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 MYR 6,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 SBD 3,192

$1,491 MYR 6,088

-73.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

4.18

290.67%

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

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gizo

$895 40.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$96 8.8% 89.2% $799

Accommodation & Living

Gizo

$594 27.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$378 34.7% 36.3% $216

Groceries & Markets

Gizo

$354 16.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$273 25% 22.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Gizo

$138 6.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$133 12.2% 4% $5.6

Eating Out

Gizo

$133 6.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 11.9% 2.7% $3.6

Getting Around

Gizo

$46 2.1%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 50.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Gizo

$27 1.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.4% 117% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Gizo and $625 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Lumpur pays 277% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56.0 in Gizo vs $29.00 in Kuala Lumpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $273 per month, with Kuala Lumpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Gizo

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

16:36 4:36 PM

3 h behind Gizo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,177

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

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).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gizo Kuala Lumpur 6,240 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Gizo
Kuala Lumpur

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 Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Lumpur wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuala Lumpur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 277% lower in Kuala Lumpur. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $608 in Gizo versus $625 in Kuala Lumpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $56.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,067 in Kuala Lumpur versus $2,121 in Gizo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuala Lumpur but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Lumpur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kuala Lumpur delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,067 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kuala Lumpur hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gizo and Kuala Lumpur 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 Kuala Lumpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.