Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $2,121 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,121

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gizo and in Shanghai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,121 in Gizo versus $1,250 in Shanghai.

Gizo $2,121
Shanghai $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,041 in Gizo versus $2,019 in Shanghai.

Gizo $3,041
Shanghai $2,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Gizo versus $2,789 in Shanghai.

Gizo $3,960
Shanghai $2,789

Living in Gizo is roughly 70% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 58% above, Shanghai is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 SBD 25.41

$4.55 ¥30.45

-30.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 SBD 456

$29.52 ¥198

91.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 SBD 127

$5.10 ¥34.13

209.02%

Cappuccino

$2.76 SBD 22.26

$3.42 ¥22.92

-19.30%

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

$1.26 SBD 10.17

$0.61 ¥4.12

106.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SBD 10.10

$0.36 ¥2.41

247.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.62

$1.21 ¥8.08

110.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SBD 20.44

$2.29 ¥15.33

10.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.29 SBD 26.58

$1.86 ¥12.48

76.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SBD 10.66

$2.01 ¥13.47

-34.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 SBD 11.33

$1.02 ¥6.84

37.25%

Eggs

$7.24 SBD 58.5

$1.72 ¥11.48

320.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 SBD 69.8

$17.19 ¥115

-49.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 SBD 51.1

$3.35 ¥22.43

88.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 SBD 70.6

$12.80 ¥85.7

-31.72%

Apples (1kg)

$6.88 SBD 55.6

$2.17 ¥14.54

217.05%

Banana (1kg)

$6.01 SBD 48.52

$1.74 ¥11.67

245.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 SBD 51.2

$1.94 ¥12.99

226.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 SBD 24.57

$1.68 ¥11.25

80.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 SBD 24.50

$0.77 ¥5.18

293.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 SBD 19.50

$0.93 ¥6.22

159.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.62

$0.62 ¥4.17

291.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 SBD 10.77

$0.58 ¥3.88

129.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 SBD 34.51

$3.83 ¥25.64

11.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.57 SBD 102

$10.94 ¥73.2

14.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SBD 15.25

$0.84 ¥5.60

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SBD 17.68

$1.60 ¥10.73

36.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.12

$0.59 ¥3.92

-33.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.04 SBD 251

$30.27 ¥203

2.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 SBD 9.91

$2.06 ¥13.79

-40.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 SBD 19.77

$0.47 ¥3.13

421.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

$8.80 ¥58.9

41.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SBD 14.26

$1.27 ¥8.53

39.37%

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

$20.6K SBD 166.4K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

5.10%

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

$21.5K SBD 173.5K

$18.6K ¥124.4K

15.57%

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

$756 SBD 6,110

$57.2 ¥383

1221.56%

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

$13.69 SBD 111

$8.06 ¥53.9

69.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 SBD 1,009

$10.52 ¥70.4

1087.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.41 SBD 149

$64.6 ¥433

-71.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.05 SBD 48.89

$17.63 ¥118

-65.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 SBD 35.44

$8.84 ¥59.1

-50.34%

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

$121 SBD 981

$1,437 ¥9,620

-91.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,253 SBD 10.1K

$28.1K ¥187.9K

-95.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.88 SBD 201

$54.7 ¥366

-54.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.0 SBD 743

$36.43 ¥244

152.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SBD 809

$75.4 ¥504

32.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 SBD 731

$104 ¥696

-12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 SBD 4,910

$1,039 ¥6,956

-41.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 SBD 4,801

$589 ¥3,940

0.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 SBD 4,993

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-75.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 SBD 9,968

$1,237 ¥8,282

-0.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.8K SBD 700.9K

$13.6K ¥90.9K

538.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 SBD 3,194

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-76.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

3.36

386.01%

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

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gizo

$895 40.9%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 91.5% $819

Accommodation & Living

Gizo

$594 27.2%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 1% $5.8

Groceries & Markets

Gizo

$354 16.2%

Shanghai

$237 19% 33.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Gizo

$138 6.3%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 12% $17

Eating Out

Gizo

$133 6.1%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 19.6% $26

Getting Around

Gizo

$46 2.1%

Shanghai

$37 3% 19.6% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Gizo

$27 1.2%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 203% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Gizo and $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 334% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $237 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Gizo

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

11:24 11:24 AM

3 h behind Gizo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,177

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gizo Shanghai 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Gizo
Shanghai

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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shanghai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 334% lower in Shanghai. 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 $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $56.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Shanghai versus $2,121 in Gizo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.