Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Rolleston

For one person, living is cheaper in Rolleston: $1,142 a month against $2,164 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Rolleston
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Rolleston Living Index

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Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,164

/mo nomad

Rolleston

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gizo and in Rolleston

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,164 in Gizo versus $1,142 in Rolleston.

Gizo $2,164
Rolleston $1,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,051 in Gizo versus $2,160 in Rolleston.

Gizo $3,051
Rolleston $2,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,938 in Gizo versus $3,178 in Rolleston.

Gizo $3,938
Rolleston $3,178

Living in Gizo is roughly 89% more expensive than in Rolleston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 60% above, Rolleston is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.01 SBD 24.25

$14.22 NZ$25.14

-78.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 SBD 441

$68.1 NZ$120

-19.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.57 SBD 126

$8.79 NZ$15.54

77.13%

Cappuccino

$2.85 SBD 22.95

$3.28 NZ$5.81

-13.11%

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

$1.26 SBD 10.13

$2.13 NZ$3.77

-40.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 SBD 9.79

$1.76 NZ$3.12

-31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 SBD 19.88

$6.62 NZ$11.70

-62.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SBD 19.41

$6.18 NZ$10.93

-61.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 SBD 26.35

$1.65 NZ$2.92

98.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 SBD 11.19

$1.81 NZ$3.19

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 SBD 11.30

$1.50 NZ$2.66

-6.67%

Eggs

$7.24 SBD 58.4

$5.66 NZ$10.02

27.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 SBD 68.3

$7.09 NZ$12.53

19.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 SBD 50.0

$9.38 NZ$16.58

-33.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 SBD 67.8

$13.71 NZ$24.25

-38.66%

Apples (1kg)

$6.88 SBD 55.5

$2.57 NZ$4.55

167.70%

Banana (1kg)

$6.34 SBD 51.1

$2.32 NZ$4.11

173.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.06 SBD 48.84

$2.73 NZ$4.82

121.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 SBD 24.32

$5.10 NZ$9.01

-40.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 SBD 24.74

$1.79 NZ$3.16

71.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 SBD 19.45

$1.45 NZ$2.57

66.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 SBD 20.39

$2.29 NZ$4.05

10.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SBD 10.79

$0.59 NZ$1.05

127.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 SBD 34.29

$23.39 NZ$41.36

-81.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 SBD 99.6

$8.16 NZ$14.43

51.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SBD 14.77

$3.33 NZ$5.89

-45.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SBD 17.66

$3.30 NZ$5.83

-33.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.11

$1.14 NZ$2.02

-65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 SBD 253

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 SBD 10.09

$2.44 NZ$4.32

-48.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 SBD 19.56

$1.71 NZ$3.02

42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 SBD 101

$27.51 NZ$48.65

-54.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SBD 14.10

$1.74 NZ$3.07

0.57%

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

$20.7K SBD 166.9K

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

-16.46%

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

$21.9K SBD 176.9K

$24.0K NZ$42.5K

-8.57%

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

$750 SBD 6,048

$108 NZ$191

594.15%

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

$13.42 SBD 108

$22.38 NZ$39.58

-40.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$123 SBD 989

$45.15 NZ$79.9

171.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.49 SBD 149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 SBD 49.54

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 SBD 33.87

$10.08 NZ$17.82

-58.33%

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

$126 SBD 1,014

$341 NZ$602

-63.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,242 SBD 10.0K

$6,755 NZ$11.9K

-81.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.29 SBD 204

$57.5 NZ$102

-56.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.4 SBD 761

$35.21 NZ$62.3

167.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 SBD 804

$89.5 NZ$158

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 SBD 730

$122 NZ$215

-25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 SBD 4,833

$278 NZ$491

115.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 SBD 4,678

$254 NZ$449

128.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 SBD 5,081

$1,025 NZ$1,813

-38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 SBD 9,809

$1,082 NZ$1,914

12.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$85.9K SBD 692.3K

$2,022 NZ$3,576

4147.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,805 NZ$3,192

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 SBD 3,140

$4,358 NZ$7,707

-91.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

5.91

176.31%

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

Last update for Gizo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rolleston: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gizo

$886 41%

Rolleston

$176 15.4% 80.2% $711

Accommodation & Living

Gizo

$580 26.8%

Rolleston

$254 22.2% 56.3% $326

Groceries & Markets

Gizo

$353 16.3%

Rolleston

$300 26.3% 15.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Gizo

$139 6.5%

Rolleston

$137 12% 2% $2.8

Eating Out

Gizo

$132 6.1%

Rolleston

$241 21.1% 82.3% $109

Getting Around

Gizo

$46 2.1%

Rolleston

$16 * 1.4% 66.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Gizo

$27 1.2%

Rolleston

$20 * 1.8% 25.1% $6.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $599 in Gizo and $278 in Rolleston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 1019% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Gizo vs $68.0 in Rolleston. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $300, with Rolleston cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Gizo

🇳🇿 Rolleston

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

19:02 7:02 PM

2 h ahead of Gizo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,177

28,000

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gizo Rolleston 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Gizo
Rolleston

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 Rolleston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rolleston wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rolleston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1019% lower in Rolleston. 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: $599 in Gizo versus $278 in Rolleston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $126 in Gizo versus $341 in Rolleston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rolleston – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,142 in Rolleston versus $2,164 in Gizo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rolleston but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Rolleston 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, Gizo and Rolleston 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 Rolleston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.