Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gizo and Whangarei

For one person, living is cheaper in Whangarei: $1,437 a month against $2,121 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
Learn more

Gizo Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Whangarei
Learn more

Whangarei Living Index

Jump to prices

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,121

/mo nomad

Whangarei

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gizo and in Whangarei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,121 in Gizo versus $1,437 in Whangarei.

Gizo $2,121
Whangarei $1,437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,041 in Gizo versus $2,302 in Whangarei.

Gizo $3,041
Whangarei $2,302

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Gizo versus $3,167 in Whangarei.

Gizo $3,960
Whangarei $3,167

Living in Gizo is roughly 48% more expensive than in Whangarei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gizo 58% above, Whangarei 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.15 SBD 25.40

$12.15 NZ$21.65

-74.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 SBD 456

$73.8 NZ$132

-23.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 SBD 127

$8.21 NZ$14.63

91.96%

Cappuccino

$2.76 SBD 22.25

$3.41 NZ$6.08

-19.06%

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

$1.26 SBD 10.17

$2.00 NZ$3.56

-37.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 SBD 10.10

$1.59 NZ$2.84

-21.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.61

$5.98 NZ$10.65

-57.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SBD 20.43

$5.53 NZ$9.85

-54.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.29 SBD 26.57

$1.48 NZ$2.63

122.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SBD 10.65

$1.30 NZ$2.31

1.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 SBD 11.32

$1.62 NZ$2.89

-13.58%

Eggs

$7.24 SBD 58.5

$5.30 NZ$9.44

36.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 SBD 69.8

$5.60 NZ$9.98

54.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 SBD 51.1

$7.40 NZ$13.18

-14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 SBD 70.6

$14.64 NZ$26.09

-40.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.88 SBD 55.5

$2.62 NZ$4.68

162.60%

Banana (1kg)

$6.01 SBD 48.50

$2.15 NZ$3.83

179.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.33 SBD 51.2

$2.99 NZ$5.32

111.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 SBD 24.56

$2.92 NZ$5.20

4.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 SBD 24.49

$2.23 NZ$3.97

35.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 SBD 19.50

$1.72 NZ$3.06

40.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.61

$1.64 NZ$2.92

48.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 SBD 10.77

$1.21 NZ$2.15

9.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 SBD 34.49

$25.58 NZ$45.58

-83.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.57 SBD 102

$9.36 NZ$16.68

34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SBD 15.24

$2.22 NZ$3.95

-14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SBD 17.67

$2.81 NZ$5.01

-22.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.12

$1.66 NZ$2.96

-76.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.04 SBD 251

$127 NZ$226

-75.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 SBD 9.91

$3.71 NZ$6.61

-66.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 SBD 19.76

$1.63 NZ$2.91

50.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

$13.35 NZ$23.79

-7.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SBD 14.25

$1.70 NZ$3.02

4.12%

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

$20.6K SBD 166.3K

$26.8K NZ$47.7K

-23.12%

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

$21.5K SBD 173.4K

$21.7K NZ$38.7K

-1.03%

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

$756 SBD 6,107

$152 NZ$271

396.44%

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

$13.69 SBD 111

$27.05 NZ$48.20

-49.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 SBD 1,008

$50.1 NZ$89.3

149.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.41 SBD 149

$35.43 NZ$63.1

-48.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.05 SBD 48.87

$2.75 NZ$4.90

120.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 SBD 35.43

$10.22 NZ$18.21

-57.05%

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

$121 SBD 981

$695 NZ$1,239

-82.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,253 SBD 10.1K

$22.1K NZ$39.4K

-94.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.88 SBD 201

$70.0 NZ$125

-64.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.0 SBD 743

$32.07 NZ$57.2

186.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 SBD 809

$69.6 NZ$124

43.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 SBD 731

$92.2 NZ$164

-1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 SBD 4,908

$418 NZ$745

45.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 SBD 4,799

$408 NZ$726

45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 SBD 4,991

$753 NZ$1,342

-17.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 SBD 9,964

$750 NZ$1,336

64.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.8K SBD 700.6K

$4,306 NZ$7,673

1914.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,210 NZ$5,720

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$395 SBD 3,192

$2,283 NZ$4,068

-82.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

5.75

184.00%

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

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gizo

$895 40.9%

Whangarei

$230 15.9% 74.4% $665

Accommodation & Living

Gizo

$594 27.2%

Whangarei

$408 28.2% 31.4% $187

Groceries & Markets

Gizo

$354 16.2%

Whangarei

$272 18.8% 23.1% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Gizo

$138 6.3%

Whangarei

$119 8.2% 14.2% $20

Eating Out

Gizo

$133 6.1%

Whangarei

$218 15.1% 63.5% $85

Getting Around

Gizo

$46 2.1%

Whangarei

$145 10.1% 216% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Gizo

$27 1.2%

Whangarei

$56 3.9% 106% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Gizo and $418 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whangarei pays 477% 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 $74.0 in Whangarei. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $272, with Whangarei cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Gizo

🇳🇿 Whangarei

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

00:26 12:26 AM

2 h ahead of Gizo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,177

54,300

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.111 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 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 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).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gizo Whangarei 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Gizo
Whangarei

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 Whangarei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whangarei wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Whangarei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 477% lower in Whangarei. 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 $418 in Whangarei. 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 Whangarei – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $56.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,437 in Whangarei versus $2,121 in Gizo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Whangarei but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Whangarei 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 Whangarei 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 Whangarei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.