Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Papamoa Beach and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Papamoa Beach: $2,053 a month against $2,164 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gizo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Papamoa Beach
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Papamoa Beach Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
Learn more

Gizo Living Index

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Papamoa Beach

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,053

/mo nomad

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,053 in Papamoa Beach versus $2,164 in Gizo.

Papamoa Beach $2,053
Gizo $2,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,092 in Papamoa Beach versus $3,051 in Gizo.

Papamoa Beach $3,092
Gizo $3,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,131 in Papamoa Beach versus $3,938 in Gizo.

Papamoa Beach $4,131
Gizo $3,938

Living in Papamoa Beach costs roughly 5% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Papamoa Beach 52% above, Gizo 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.90 NZ$24.59

$3.01 SBD 24.25

361.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 NZ$119

$54.7 SBD 441

22.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 NZ$15.48

$15.57 SBD 126

-43.80%

Cappuccino

$3.43 NZ$6.06

$2.85 SBD 22.95

20.35%

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

$1.93 NZ$3.42

$1.26 SBD 10.13

53.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 NZ$3.03

$1.21 SBD 9.79

41.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.81

$2.47 SBD 19.88

170.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 NZ$12.06

$2.41 SBD 19.41

182.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$3.27 SBD 26.35

-42.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$3.98

$1.39 SBD 11.19

61.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$1.40 SBD 11.30

35.00%

Eggs

$6.38 NZ$11.29

$7.24 SBD 58.4

-11.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$8.47 SBD 68.3

3.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 NZ$17.66

$6.20 SBD 50.0

60.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.19 NZ$30.39

$8.41 SBD 67.8

104.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$5.01

$6.88 SBD 55.5

-58.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.74

$6.34 SBD 51.1

-66.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 NZ$5.24

$6.06 SBD 48.84

-51.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.69 NZ$10.06

$3.02 SBD 24.32

88.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.80

$3.07 SBD 24.74

-29.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.70

$2.41 SBD 19.45

-36.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$2.53 SBD 20.39

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.92

$1.34 SBD 10.79

-18.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.81 NZ$47.41

$4.25 SBD 34.29

530.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 NZ$18.34

$12.36 SBD 99.6

-16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.89

$1.83 SBD 14.77

50.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NZ$6.00

$2.19 SBD 17.66

54.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 NZ$3.05

$0.39 SBD 3.11

341.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.8 NZ$162

$31.36 SBD 253

192.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$1.25 SBD 10.09

83.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$2.43 SBD 19.56

-16.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.49 NZ$55.7

$12.52 SBD 101

151.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$1.75 SBD 14.10

4.00%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

$20.7K SBD 166.9K

19.95%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.3K

$21.9K SBD 176.9K

-1.42%

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

$178 NZ$314

$750 SBD 6,048

-76.32%

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

$26.63 NZ$47.10

$13.42 SBD 108

98.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.80 NZ$88.1

$123 SBD 989

-59.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.99 NZ$65.4

$18.49 SBD 149

100.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 SBD 49.54

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 NZ$22.83

$4.20 SBD 33.87

207.38%

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

$1,104 NZ$1,952

$126 SBD 1,014

777.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K NZ$33.7K

$1,242 SBD 10.0K

1433.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 NZ$142

$25.29 SBD 204

217.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.21 NZ$71.1

$94.4 SBD 761

-57.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 NZ$166

$99.8 SBD 804

-6.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 NZ$193

$90.6 SBD 730

20.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 NZ$1,498

$599 SBD 4,833

41.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$898 NZ$1,588

$580 SBD 4,678

54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 NZ$2,786

$630 SBD 5,081

149.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 NZ$2,762

$1,217 SBD 9,809

28.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,690 NZ$8,294

$85.9K SBD 692.3K

-94.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,670 NZ$6,490

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 SBD 3,140

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

16.33

-67.12%

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

Last update for Papamoa Beach: October 13, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Papamoa Beach

$898 43.7%

Gizo

$580 26.8% 35.4% $318

Groceries & Markets

Papamoa Beach

$341 16.6%

Gizo

$353 16.3% 3.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Papamoa Beach

$254 12.4%

Gizo

$886 41% 249% $632

Eating Out

Papamoa Beach

$240 11.7%

Gizo

$132 6.1% 45.1% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Papamoa Beach

$146 7.1%

Gizo

$139 6.5% 4.2% $6.1

Getting Around

Papamoa Beach

$111 5.4%

Gizo

$46 2.1% 58.3% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Papamoa Beach

$63 3.1%

Gizo

$27 1.2% 57.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $847 in Papamoa Beach and $599 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Papamoa Beach vs $55.0 in Gizo. Groceries flip the comparison at $341 vs $353, with Papamoa Beach cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Papamoa Beach

🇸🇧 Gizo

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

02:49 2:49 AM

2 h behind Papamoa Beach

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,272

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 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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Papamoa Beach Gizo 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Papamoa Beach
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

Papamoa Beach vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Papamoa Beach wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Papamoa Beach the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,080 in Papamoa Beach and $3,246 in Gizo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $847 in Papamoa Beach versus $599 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Papamoa Beach – 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 $2,053 in Papamoa Beach versus $2,164 in Gizo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Papamoa Beach but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Papamoa Beach 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, Papamoa Beach 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 Papamoa Beach gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.