Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $1,647 a month against $2,164 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gizo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
Learn more

Gizo Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,647

/mo nomad

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Gizo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hamilton and in Gizo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Hamilton versus $2,164 in Gizo.

Hamilton $1,647
Gizo $2,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,571 in Hamilton versus $3,051 in Gizo.

Hamilton $2,571
Gizo $3,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Hamilton versus $3,938 in Gizo.

Hamilton $3,496
Gizo $3,938

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 24% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 22% above, Gizo 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 NZ$20.83

$3.01 SBD 24.25

291.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 NZ$130

$54.7 SBD 441

34.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$14.98

$15.57 SBD 126

-45.60%

Cappuccino

$3.32 NZ$5.86

$2.85 SBD 22.95

16.49%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.99

$1.26 SBD 10.13

79.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 NZ$4.20

$1.21 SBD 9.79

96.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NZ$11.04

$2.47 SBD 19.88

152.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.63

$2.41 SBD 19.41

125.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$3.27 SBD 26.35

-55.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.20

$1.39 SBD 11.19

-10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.46

$1.40 SBD 11.30

40.00%

Eggs

$5.25 NZ$9.29

$7.24 SBD 58.4

-27.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.56 NZ$9.84

$8.47 SBD 68.3

-34.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 NZ$12.95

$6.20 SBD 50.0

18.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 NZ$20.92

$8.41 SBD 67.8

40.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 NZ$4.68

$6.88 SBD 55.5

-61.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$6.34 SBD 51.1

-63.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.70

$6.06 SBD 48.84

-46.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 NZ$11.14

$3.02 SBD 24.32

108.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$3.07 SBD 24.74

-35.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 NZ$2.46

$2.41 SBD 19.45

-42.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$2.53 SBD 20.39

1.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 NZ$1.70

$1.34 SBD 10.79

-28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.97 NZ$44.16

$4.25 SBD 34.29

487.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 NZ$18.95

$12.36 SBD 99.6

-13.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 NZ$6.87

$1.83 SBD 14.77

112.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$2.19 SBD 17.66

79.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 NZ$2.52

$0.39 SBD 3.11

264.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 NZ$71.3

$31.36 SBD 253

28.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 NZ$6.22

$1.25 SBD 10.09

181.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 SBD 19.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 SBD 101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$1.75 SBD 14.10

-2.86%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.6K

$20.7K SBD 166.9K

27.28%

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

$23.1K NZ$40.9K

$21.9K SBD 176.9K

5.29%

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

$56.1 NZ$99.2

$750 SBD 6,048

-92.53%

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

$35.89 NZ$63.5

$13.42 SBD 108

167.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 NZ$95.8

$123 SBD 989

-55.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.00 NZ$44.21

$18.49 SBD 149

35.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 NZ$49.58

$6.14 SBD 49.54

356.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 NZ$24.52

$4.20 SBD 33.87

230.00%

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

$666 NZ$1,178

$126 SBD 1,014

429.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

$1,242 SBD 10.0K

1703.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 NZ$108

$25.29 SBD 204

140.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 NZ$65.9

$94.4 SBD 761

-60.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NZ$163

$99.8 SBD 804

-7.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NZ$183

$90.6 SBD 730

14.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NZ$1,913

$599 SBD 4,833

80.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 NZ$1,327

$580 SBD 4,678

29.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 NZ$2,632

$630 SBD 5,081

136.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 NZ$2,314

$1,217 SBD 9,809

7.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,890 NZ$6,880

$85.9K SBD 692.3K

-95.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,506 NZ$7,969

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,634 NZ$4,658

$389 SBD 3,140

576.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

16.33

-58.18%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$751 45.6%

Gizo

$580 26.8% 22.7% $170

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$295 17.9%

Gizo

$353 16.3% 19.6% $58

Eating Out

Hamilton

$220 13.4%

Gizo

$132 6.1% 40% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$146 8.9%

Gizo

$886 41% 507% $740

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$132 8%

Gizo

$139 6.5% 5.5% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$53 3.2%

Gizo

$27 1.2% 49% $26

Getting Around

Hamilton

$50 * 3%

Gizo

$46 2.1% 6.6% $3.3

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 $1,082 in Hamilton and $599 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 576% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Hamilton vs $55.0 in Gizo. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $353, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🇸🇧 Gizo

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

2 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,500

7,177

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hamilton Gizo 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Gizo

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

Hamilton vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hamilton the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 576% higher in Hamilton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,082 in Hamilton versus $599 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,647 in Hamilton versus $2,164 in Gizo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton 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, Hamilton and Gizo 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 Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.