Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Gizo: $2,121 a month against $2,342 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gizo
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
$2,121
/mo nomad
Wellington
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,342
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gizo and in Wellington

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,121 in Gizo versus $2,342 in Wellington.

  • Gizo $2,121
  • Wellington $2,342

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,041 in Gizo versus $3,316 in Wellington.

  • Gizo $3,041
  • Wellington $3,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Gizo versus $4,291 in Wellington.

  • Gizo $3,960
  • Wellington $4,291

Living in Gizo costs roughly 9% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gizo 58% above, Wellington 75% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.15 SBD 25.40
$13.89 NZ$24.74
-77.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.5 SBD 456
$64.2 NZ$114
-11.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.76 SBD 127
$8.95 NZ$15.95
76.09%
Cappuccino
$2.76 SBD 22.25
$3.29 NZ$5.86
-16.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 SBD 10.17
$2.35 NZ$4.19
-46.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 SBD 10.10
$1.67 NZ$2.97
-25.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 SBD 20.61
$7.24 NZ$12.90
-64.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 SBD 20.43
$6.75 NZ$12.03
-62.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.29 SBD 26.57
$1.90 NZ$3.38
73.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.32 SBD 10.65
$2.15 NZ$3.83
-38.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 SBD 11.32
$1.82 NZ$3.24
-23.08%
Eggs
$7.24 SBD 58.5
$6.73 NZ$11.99
7.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.64 SBD 69.8
$9.05 NZ$16.13
-4.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.33 SBD 51.1
$9.54 NZ$17.01
-33.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.74 SBD 70.6
$15.30 NZ$27.27
-42.88%
Apples (1kg)
$6.88 SBD 55.5
$3.16 NZ$5.64
117.72%
Banana (1kg)
$6.01 SBD 48.50
$2.23 NZ$3.98
169.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.33 SBD 51.2
$2.97 NZ$5.28
113.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.04 SBD 24.56
$6.33 NZ$11.27
-51.97%
Potato (1kg)
$3.03 SBD 24.49
$2.06 NZ$3.67
47.09%
Onion (1kg)
$2.41 SBD 19.50
$1.24 NZ$2.20
94.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 SBD 19.61
$1.99 NZ$3.55
22.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 SBD 10.77
$1.19 NZ$2.13
11.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 SBD 34.49
$25.37 NZ$45.20
-83.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.57 SBD 102
$11.37 NZ$20.26
10.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 SBD 15.24
$3.17 NZ$5.65
-40.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 SBD 17.67
$2.76 NZ$4.92
-20.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 SBD 3.12
$2.74 NZ$4.88
-85.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.04 SBD 251
$102 NZ$182
-69.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.23 SBD 9.91
$1.82 NZ$3.24
-32.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.45 SBD 19.76
$1.77 NZ$3.16
38.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.41 SBD 100
$33.17 NZ$59.1
-62.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 SBD 14.25
$1.83 NZ$3.26
-3.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.6K SBD 166.3K
$25.6K NZ$45.7K
-19.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K SBD 173.4K
$25.4K NZ$45.3K
-15.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$756 SBD 6,107
$199 NZ$354
280.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.69 SBD 111
$32.79 NZ$58.4
-58.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$125 SBD 1,008
$53.5 NZ$95.3
133.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.41 SBD 149
$38.58 NZ$68.8
-52.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.05 SBD 48.87
$16.40 NZ$29.22
-63.11%
Cinema Ticket
$4.39 SBD 35.43
$12.14 NZ$21.64
-63.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$121 SBD 981
$1,036 NZ$1,847
-88.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,253 SBD 10.1K
$12.9K NZ$22.9K
-90.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$24.88 SBD 201
$78.4 NZ$140
-68.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$92.0 SBD 743
$28.23 NZ$50.3
225.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 SBD 809
$103 NZ$184
-2.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.5 SBD 731
$155 NZ$276
-41.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$608 SBD 4,908
$1,228 NZ$2,187
-50.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$594 SBD 4,799
$1,139 NZ$2,030
-47.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$618 SBD 4,991
$2,171 NZ$3,869
-71.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,234 SBD 9,964
$1,670 NZ$2,975
-26.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$86.8K SBD 700.6K
$6,719 NZ$12.0K
1191.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,505 NZ$6,246
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gizo
Wellington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$395 SBD 3,192
$2,818 NZ$5,022
-85.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.33
5.39
202.97%

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

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gizo
$895
Wellington
$285 68.2% $610
Accommodation & Living
Gizo
$594
Wellington
$1.1K 91.7% $545
Groceries & Markets
Gizo
$354
Wellington
$343 3.1% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Gizo
$138
Wellington
$164 18.6% $26
Eating Out
Gizo
$133
Wellington
$243 82.3% $110
Getting Around
Gizo
$46
Wellington
$124 168% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Gizo
$27
Wellington
$63 131% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Gizo and $1,228 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 613% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Gizo vs $64.0 in Wellington. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $343, with Wellington cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇧 Gizo
🇳🇿 Wellington
🕒 Local time
01:23 1:23 AM
03:23 3:23 AM
2 h ahead of Gizo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,177
215,900 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.05 SBD (1 SBD = 0.111 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gizo Wellington 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Gizo
  • Wellington

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 Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Gizo or Wellington?
Gizo wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Wellington. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gizo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Gizo or in Wellington?
On paper, salaries run 613% lower in Wellington. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Gizo compared to Wellington?
Rent for a central apartment: $608 in Gizo versus $1,228 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Gizo or in Wellington?
Shoppers in Wellington pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How do dining costs compare in Gizo and in Wellington?
Dining out is cheaper in Gizo – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $64.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Gizo or in Wellington?
At $2,121 in Gizo versus $2,342 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gizo but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Gizo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Gizo or Wellington?
Both work as nomad bases, but Gizo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,121 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gizo hard to pass up.
How safe is Gizo compared to Wellington?
Safety-wise, Gizo and Wellington are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Gizo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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