Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manukau and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Manukau: $1,753 a month against $2,164 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gizo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

85

Cost of Living Index in Manukau
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Manukau Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
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Gizo Living Index

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Manukau

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,753

/mo nomad

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manukau 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 Manukau and in Gizo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,753 in Manukau versus $2,164 in Gizo.

Manukau $1,753
Gizo $2,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,707 in Manukau versus $3,051 in Gizo.

Manukau $2,707
Gizo $3,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,661 in Manukau versus $3,938 in Gizo.

Manukau $3,661
Gizo $3,938

Living in Manukau costs roughly 19% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manukau 30% above, Gizo 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 NZ$21.04

$3.01 SBD 24.25

295.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 NZ$119

$54.7 SBD 441

22.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 NZ$14.77

$15.57 SBD 126

-46.37%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$6.00

$2.85 SBD 22.95

18.95%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$1.26 SBD 10.13

58.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.21 SBD 9.79

43.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 NZ$10.80

$2.47 SBD 19.88

147.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 NZ$9.83

$2.41 SBD 19.41

130.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 NZ$2.50

$3.27 SBD 26.35

-56.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 NZ$2.28

$1.39 SBD 11.19

-7.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$1.40 SBD 11.30

28.57%

Eggs

$5.19 NZ$9.18

$7.24 SBD 58.4

-28.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.64 NZ$9.97

$8.47 SBD 68.3

-33.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 NZ$12.79

$6.20 SBD 50.0

16.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.66 NZ$20.63

$8.41 SBD 67.8

38.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$6.88 SBD 55.5

-62.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.61

$6.34 SBD 51.1

-67.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.16

$6.06 SBD 48.84

-51.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.99

$3.02 SBD 24.32

87.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.45

$3.07 SBD 24.74

-36.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$2.41 SBD 19.45

-43.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$2.53 SBD 20.39

-21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NZ$1.60

$1.34 SBD 10.79

-32.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.28 NZ$44.71

$4.25 SBD 34.29

494.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 NZ$17.91

$12.36 SBD 99.6

-18.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 NZ$5.00

$1.83 SBD 14.77

54.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 NZ$5.89

$2.19 SBD 17.66

52.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 NZ$3.14

$0.39 SBD 3.11

353.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 NZ$161

$31.36 SBD 253

190.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$1.25 SBD 10.09

82.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 NZ$3.50

$2.43 SBD 19.56

-18.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.55 NZ$55.8

$12.52 SBD 101

152.00%

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)

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

$20.7K SBD 166.9K

19.73%

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

$22.3K NZ$39.4K

$21.9K SBD 176.9K

1.51%

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

$56.2 NZ$99.3

$750 SBD 6,048

-92.51%

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

$26.35 NZ$46.60

$13.42 SBD 108

96.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.91 NZ$88.3

$123 SBD 989

-59.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.03 NZ$67.3

$18.49 SBD 149

105.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 SBD 49.54

Cinema Ticket

$12.81 NZ$22.65

$4.20 SBD 33.87

205.00%

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

$675 NZ$1,194

$126 SBD 1,014

436.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K NZ$34.8K

$1,242 SBD 10.0K

1483.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 NZ$109

$25.29 SBD 204

144.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 NZ$65.5

$94.4 SBD 761

-60.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 NZ$165

$99.8 SBD 804

-6.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NZ$194

$90.6 SBD 730

21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 NZ$1,690

$599 SBD 4,833

59.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$817 NZ$1,444

$580 SBD 4,678

40.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NZ$2,821

$630 SBD 5,081

153.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NZ$2,552

$1,217 SBD 9,809

18.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,910 NZ$8,683

$85.9K SBD 692.3K

-94.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,309 NZ$5,852

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,744 NZ$3,085

$389 SBD 3,140

347.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

16.33

-63.87%

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

Last update for Manukau: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manukau

$817 46.6%

Gizo

$580 26.8% 28.9% $236

Groceries & Markets

Manukau

$276 15.8%

Gizo

$353 16.3% 27.7% $77

Eating Out

Manukau

$218 12.4%

Gizo

$132 6.1% 39.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Manukau

$136 7.8%

Gizo

$139 6.5% 2.6% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manukau

$132 7.6%

Gizo

$886 41% 569% $754

Getting Around

Manukau

$110 6.3%

Gizo

$46 2.1% 58.1% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Manukau

$64 3.6%

Gizo

$27 1.2% 57.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Manukau and $599 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manukau pays 348% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Manukau vs $55.0 in Gizo. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $353, with Manukau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Manukau

🇸🇧 Gizo

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

09:44 9:44 AM

2 h behind Manukau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,000

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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Between locations

Manukau Gizo 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Manukau
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

Manukau vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manukau wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Manukau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 348% higher in Manukau, 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: $956 in Manukau versus $599 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manukau – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,753 in Manukau versus $2,164 in Gizo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Manukau but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Manukau 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, Manukau 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 Manukau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.