Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Rolleston: $1,142 a month against $2,164 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Rolleston
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Rolleston Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
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Gizo Living Index

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Rolleston

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,142

/mo nomad

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,142 in Rolleston versus $2,164 in Gizo.

Rolleston $1,142
Gizo $2,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,160 in Rolleston versus $3,051 in Gizo.

Rolleston $2,160
Gizo $3,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,178 in Rolleston versus $3,938 in Gizo.

Rolleston $3,178
Gizo $3,938

Living in Rolleston costs roughly 47% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rolleston is 15% below, Gizo is 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.22 NZ$25.14

$3.01 SBD 24.25

372.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 NZ$120

$54.7 SBD 441

24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 NZ$15.54

$15.57 SBD 126

-43.55%

Cappuccino

$3.28 NZ$5.81

$2.85 SBD 22.95

15.09%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$1.26 SBD 10.13

69.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 NZ$3.12

$1.21 SBD 9.79

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 NZ$11.70

$2.47 SBD 19.88

168.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 NZ$10.93

$2.41 SBD 19.41

156.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$3.27 SBD 26.35

-49.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 NZ$3.19

$1.39 SBD 11.19

30.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.66

$1.40 SBD 11.30

7.14%

Eggs

$5.66 NZ$10.02

$7.24 SBD 58.4

-21.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 NZ$12.53

$8.47 SBD 68.3

-16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 NZ$16.58

$6.20 SBD 50.0

51.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 NZ$24.25

$8.41 SBD 67.8

63.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.55

$6.88 SBD 55.5

-62.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NZ$4.11

$6.34 SBD 51.1

-63.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$6.06 SBD 48.84

-54.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 NZ$9.01

$3.02 SBD 24.32

68.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$3.07 SBD 24.74

-41.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.57

$2.41 SBD 19.45

-39.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$2.53 SBD 20.39

-9.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NZ$1.05

$1.34 SBD 10.79

-55.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.39 NZ$41.36

$4.25 SBD 34.29

450.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 NZ$14.43

$12.36 SBD 99.6

-33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NZ$5.89

$1.83 SBD 14.77

81.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.83

$2.19 SBD 17.66

50.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 NZ$2.02

$0.39 SBD 3.11

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 SBD 253

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 NZ$4.32

$1.25 SBD 10.09

95.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$2.43 SBD 19.56

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 NZ$48.65

$12.52 SBD 101

119.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.75 SBD 14.10

-0.57%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

$20.7K SBD 166.9K

19.71%

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

$24.0K NZ$42.5K

$21.9K SBD 176.9K

9.37%

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

$108 NZ$191

$750 SBD 6,048

-85.59%

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

$22.38 NZ$39.58

$13.42 SBD 108

66.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.15 NZ$79.9

$123 SBD 989

-63.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.49 SBD 149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 SBD 49.54

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NZ$17.82

$4.20 SBD 33.87

140.00%

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

$341 NZ$602

$126 SBD 1,014

170.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,755 NZ$11.9K

$1,242 SBD 10.0K

443.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 NZ$102

$25.29 SBD 204

127.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.21 NZ$62.3

$94.4 SBD 761

-62.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 NZ$158

$99.8 SBD 804

-10.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$215

$90.6 SBD 730

34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 NZ$491

$599 SBD 4,833

-53.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 NZ$449

$580 SBD 4,678

-56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 NZ$1,813

$630 SBD 5,081

62.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NZ$1,914

$1,217 SBD 9,809

-11.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 NZ$3,576

$85.9K SBD 692.3K

-97.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,805 NZ$3,192

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,358 NZ$7,707

$389 SBD 3,140

1018.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

16.33

-63.81%

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

Last update for Rolleston: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Rolleston

$300 26.3%

Gizo

$353 16.3% 17.8% $53

Accommodation & Living

Rolleston

$254 22.2%

Gizo

$580 26.8% 129% $326

Eating Out

Rolleston

$241 21.1%

Gizo

$132 6.1% 45.1% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rolleston

$176 15.4%

Gizo

$886 41% 405% $711

Clothing & Footwear

Rolleston

$137 12%

Gizo

$139 6.5% 2% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Rolleston

$20 * 1.8%

Gizo

$27 1.2% 33.4% $6.7

Getting Around

Rolleston

$16 * 1.4%

Gizo

$46 2.1% 197% $31

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 $278 in Rolleston and $599 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 1019% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Rolleston vs $55.0 in Gizo. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $353, with Rolleston cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Rolleston

🇸🇧 Gizo

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

16:47 4:47 PM

2 h behind Rolleston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,000

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 18, 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 18, 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

Rolleston Gizo 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rolleston
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

Rolleston vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rolleston wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rolleston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1019% higher in Rolleston, 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: $278 in Rolleston versus $599 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $341 in Rolleston versus $126 in Gizo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rolleston – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,142 in Rolleston versus $2,164 in Gizo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rolleston but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Rolleston 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, Rolleston 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 Rolleston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.