Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Plymouth and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in New Plymouth: $1,821 a month against $2,164 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gizo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

New Plymouth
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,821
/mo nomad
Gizo
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
$2,164
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,821 in New Plymouth versus $2,164 in Gizo.

  • New Plymouth $1,821
  • Gizo $2,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,787 in New Plymouth versus $3,051 in Gizo.

  • New Plymouth $2,787
  • Gizo $3,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,753 in New Plymouth versus $3,938 in Gizo.

  • New Plymouth $3,753
  • Gizo $3,938

Living in New Plymouth costs roughly 16% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Plymouth 35% above, Gizo 60% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.79 NZ$20.86
$3.01 SBD 24.25
291.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.5 NZ$118
$54.7 SBD 441
21.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.42 NZ$14.89
$15.57 SBD 126
-45.92%
Cappuccino
$3.31 NZ$5.85
$2.85 SBD 22.95
16.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 NZ$3.71
$1.26 SBD 10.13
66.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 NZ$3.25
$1.21 SBD 9.79
52.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.25 NZ$9.28
$2.47 SBD 19.88
112.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.51 NZ$9.75
$2.41 SBD 19.41
128.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 NZ$2.58
$3.27 SBD 26.35
-55.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 NZ$2.21
$1.39 SBD 11.19
-10.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 NZ$2.86
$1.40 SBD 11.30
15.71%
Eggs
$5.35 NZ$9.47
$7.24 SBD 58.4
-26.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.48 NZ$9.69
$8.47 SBD 68.3
-35.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.23 NZ$12.79
$6.20 SBD 50.0
16.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.60 NZ$20.52
$8.41 SBD 67.8
37.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 NZ$4.33
$6.88 SBD 55.5
-64.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 NZ$3.36
$6.34 SBD 51.1
-70.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 NZ$5.22
$6.06 SBD 48.84
-51.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.26 NZ$11.08
$3.02 SBD 24.32
107.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.03 NZ$3.60
$3.07 SBD 24.74
-33.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.40 NZ$2.48
$2.41 SBD 19.45
-41.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 NZ$3.14
$2.53 SBD 20.39
-30.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 NZ$2.22
$1.34 SBD 10.79
-5.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.05 NZ$39.00
$4.25 SBD 34.29
418.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.41 NZ$14.88
$12.36 SBD 99.6
-31.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 NZ$5.14
$1.83 SBD 14.77
58.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76 NZ$6.65
$2.19 SBD 17.66
71.69%
🚌 Getting Around
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 NZ$3.00
$0.39 SBD 3.11
335.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 NZ$131
$31.36 SBD 253
136.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.61 NZ$6.39
$1.25 SBD 10.09
188.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.43 SBD 19.56
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$12.52 SBD 101
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 NZ$2.92
$1.75 SBD 14.10
-5.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K NZ$46.8K
$20.7K SBD 166.9K
27.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K NZ$39.9K
$21.9K SBD 176.9K
2.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$127 NZ$225
$750 SBD 6,048
-83.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.63 NZ$48.87
$13.42 SBD 108
105.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.97 NZ$84.8
$123 SBD 989
-60.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.55 NZ$75.3
$18.49 SBD 149
130.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.14 SBD 49.54
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.00 NZ$14.14
$4.20 SBD 33.87
90.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$669 NZ$1,183
$126 SBD 1,014
431.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K NZ$40.2K
$1,242 SBD 10.0K
1732.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.6 NZ$109
$25.29 SBD 204
143.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.35 NZ$67.8
$94.4 SBD 761
-59.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.7 NZ$155
$99.8 SBD 804
-12.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 NZ$182
$90.6 SBD 730
13.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$911 NZ$1,612
$599 SBD 4,833
52.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$853 NZ$1,508
$580 SBD 4,678
47.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,719 NZ$3,040
$630 SBD 5,081
172.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,542 NZ$2,727
$1,217 SBD 9,809
26.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,136 NZ$5,547
$85.9K SBD 692.3K
-96.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,566 NZ$4,539
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
New Plymouth
Gizo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,766 NZ$4,891
$389 SBD 3,140
610.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.93
16.33
-63.69%

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

Last update for New Plymouth: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New Plymouth
$853
Gizo
$580 32% $273
Groceries & Markets
New Plymouth
$279
Gizo
$353 26.5% $74
Eating Out
New Plymouth
$212
Gizo
$132 37.8% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Plymouth
$203
Gizo
$886 337% $684
Clothing & Footwear
New Plymouth
$131
Gizo
$139 6.8% $8.8
Getting Around
New Plymouth
$85 *
Gizo
$46 45.3% $38
Sport & Entertainment
New Plymouth
$59
Gizo
$27 54.1% $32

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 $911 in New Plymouth and $599 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Plymouth pays 610% 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 New Plymouth vs $55.0 in Gizo. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $353, with New Plymouth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇿 New Plymouth
🇸🇧 Gizo
🕒 Local time
06:05 6:05 AM
04:05 4:05 AM
2 h behind New Plymouth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,400
7,177
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New Plymouth Gizo 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • New Plymouth
  • 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
New Plymouth vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, New Plymouth or Gizo?
New Plymouth wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making New Plymouth the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in New Plymouth or in Gizo?
Average pay runs 610% higher in New Plymouth, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in New Plymouth compared to Gizo?
Rent for a central apartment: $911 in New Plymouth versus $599 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in New Plymouth or in Gizo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in New Plymouth and in Gizo?
Dining out is cheaper in New Plymouth – 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.
Can you live on $3,000/month in New Plymouth or in Gizo?
At $1,821 in New Plymouth versus $2,164 in Gizo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in New Plymouth but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes New Plymouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: New Plymouth or Gizo?
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.
How safe is New Plymouth compared to Gizo?
Safety-wise, New Plymouth 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find New Plymouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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