Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,121 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gizo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
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Gizo Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,121

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gizo and in Seoul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,121 in Gizo versus $1,822 in Seoul.

Gizo $2,121
Seoul $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,041 in Gizo versus $2,847 in Seoul.

Gizo $3,041
Seoul $2,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Gizo versus $3,872 in Seoul.

Gizo $3,960
Seoul $3,872

Living in Gizo is roughly 16% more expensive than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gizo 58% above, Seoul 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 SBD 25.40

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-65.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 SBD 456

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-15.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 SBD 127

$7.42 ₩9,941

112.40%

Cappuccino

$2.76 SBD 22.25

$4.08 ₩5,470

-32.35%

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

$1.26 SBD 10.17

$1.60 ₩2,141

-21.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SBD 10.10

$0.80 ₩1,078

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.61

$3.65 ₩4,886

-30.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SBD 20.43

$5.94 ₩7,956

-57.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.29 SBD 26.57

$2.05 ₩2,742

60.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SBD 10.65

$3.08 ₩4,130

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 SBD 11.32

$4.21 ₩5,646

-66.75%

Eggs

$7.24 SBD 58.5

$3.57 ₩4,784

102.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 SBD 69.8

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-51.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 SBD 51.1

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-40.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 SBD 70.6

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-66.94%

Apples (1kg)

$6.88 SBD 55.5

$7.42 ₩9,946

-7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$6.01 SBD 48.50

$3.53 ₩4,732

70.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 SBD 51.2

$5.87 ₩7,866

7.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 SBD 24.56

$6.37 ₩8,534

-52.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 SBD 24.49

$3.75 ₩5,028

-19.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 SBD 19.50

$2.49 ₩3,337

-3.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.61

$2.92 ₩3,911

-16.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 SBD 10.77

$1.15 ₩1,542

15.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 SBD 34.49

$3.29 ₩4,408

29.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.57 SBD 102

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SBD 15.24

$2.28 ₩3,057

-17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SBD 17.67

$3.28 ₩4,398

-33.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.12

$1.14 ₩1,526

-65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.04 SBD 251

$45.47 ₩60.9K

-31.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 SBD 9.91

$3.48 ₩4,663

-64.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 SBD 19.76

$0.60 ₩803

308.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

$8.70 ₩11.7K

42.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SBD 14.25

$1.50 ₩2,004

18.00%

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

$20.6K SBD 166.3K

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-29.27%

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

$21.5K SBD 173.4K

$28.2K ₩37.8M

-23.84%

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

$756 SBD 6,107

$209 ₩279.9K

262.11%

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

$13.69 SBD 111

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-61.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 SBD 1,008

$21.18 ₩28.4K

489.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.41 SBD 149

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-67.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.05 SBD 48.87

$15.89 ₩21.3K

-61.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 SBD 35.43

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-61.25%

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

$121 SBD 981

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-93.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,253 SBD 10.1K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-94.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.88 SBD 201

$58.9 ₩78.9K

-57.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.0 SBD 743

$32.12 ₩43.0K

186.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SBD 809

$70.1 ₩94.0K

42.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 SBD 731

$82.5 ₩110.5K

9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 SBD 4,908

$885 ₩1.2M

-31.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 SBD 4,799

$624 ₩835.5K

-4.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 SBD 4,991

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-75.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 SBD 9,964

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-3.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.8K SBD 700.6K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

190.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 SBD 3,192

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-89.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

4.08

300.25%

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

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gizo

$895 40.9%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 70.4% $630

Accommodation & Living

Gizo

$594 27.2%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 4.9% $29

Groceries & Markets

Gizo

$354 16.2%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 35.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Gizo

$138 6.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 20.8% $29

Eating Out

Gizo

$133 6.1%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 37.8% $50

Getting Around

Gizo

$46 2.1%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 22.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Gizo

$27 1.2%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 194% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Gizo and $885 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 823% 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 $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $479 per month, with Gizo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Gizo

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

14:10 2:10 PM

2 h behind Gizo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,177

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gizo Seoul 5,950 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Gizo
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seoul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 823% lower in Seoul. 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 $885 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Gizo pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $56.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,121 in Gizo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul 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 Seoul 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 Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.