Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotorua and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Rotorua: $1,431 a month against $2,164 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Rotorua
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Rotorua Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
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Gizo Living Index

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Rotorua

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,431

/mo nomad

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,431 in Rotorua versus $2,164 in Gizo.

Rotorua $1,431
Gizo $2,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,308 in Rotorua versus $3,051 in Gizo.

Rotorua $2,308
Gizo $3,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Rotorua versus $3,938 in Gizo.

Rotorua $3,184
Gizo $3,938

Living in Rotorua costs roughly 34% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rotorua 6% above, Gizo 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.14 NZ$19.70

$3.01 SBD 24.25

270.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 NZ$120

$54.7 SBD 441

23.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 NZ$15.48

$15.57 SBD 126

-43.80%

Cappuccino

$3.15 NZ$5.56

$2.85 SBD 22.95

10.53%

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

$1.95 NZ$3.46

$1.26 SBD 10.13

54.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 NZ$3.06

$1.21 SBD 9.79

42.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 NZ$10.66

$2.47 SBD 19.88

144.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NZ$11.75

$2.41 SBD 19.41

175.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 NZ$3.10

$3.27 SBD 26.35

-46.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 NZ$2.23

$1.39 SBD 11.19

-9.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 NZ$2.15

$1.40 SBD 11.30

-13.57%

Eggs

$6.27 NZ$11.09

$7.24 SBD 58.4

-13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 NZ$12.54

$8.47 SBD 68.3

-16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 NZ$7.69

$6.20 SBD 50.0

-29.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.08 NZ$30.20

$8.41 SBD 67.8

103.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 NZ$4.89

$6.88 SBD 55.5

-59.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NZ$3.39

$6.34 SBD 51.1

-69.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 NZ$4.32

$6.06 SBD 48.84

-59.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 NZ$10.51

$3.02 SBD 24.32

97.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 NZ$2.53

$3.07 SBD 24.74

-53.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 NZ$1.43

$2.41 SBD 19.45

-66.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 NZ$1.03

$2.53 SBD 20.39

-77.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 NZ$1.82

$1.34 SBD 10.79

-23.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.83 NZ$42.15

$4.25 SBD 34.29

460.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.21 NZ$14.51

$12.36 SBD 99.6

-33.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 NZ$4.81

$1.83 SBD 14.77

48.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 NZ$5.72

$2.19 SBD 17.66

47.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 NZ$2.30

$0.39 SBD 3.11

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 NZ$102

$31.36 SBD 253

83.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$1.25 SBD 10.09

74.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.39

$2.43 SBD 19.56

-21.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.71 NZ$56.1

$12.52 SBD 101

153.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.75 SBD 14.10

-6.29%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.7K

$20.7K SBD 166.9K

8.36%

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

$20.1K NZ$35.6K

$21.9K SBD 176.9K

-8.20%

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

$64.5 NZ$114

$750 SBD 6,048

-91.40%

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

$25.75 NZ$45.54

$13.42 SBD 108

91.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.09 NZ$79.8

$123 SBD 989

-63.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.11 NZ$67.4

$18.49 SBD 149

106.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.14 SBD 49.54

Cinema Ticket

$8.81 NZ$15.58

$4.20 SBD 33.87

109.76%

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

$663 NZ$1,172

$126 SBD 1,014

427.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K NZ$34.2K

$1,242 SBD 10.0K

1457.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 NZ$136

$25.29 SBD 204

204.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.73 NZ$29.59

$94.4 SBD 761

-82.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 NZ$160

$99.8 SBD 804

-9.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NZ$194

$90.6 SBD 730

21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 NZ$1,209

$599 SBD 4,833

14.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 NZ$966

$580 SBD 4,678

-5.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 NZ$2,233

$630 SBD 5,081

100.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 NZ$1,870

$1,217 SBD 9,809

-13.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,013 NZ$7,097

$85.9K SBD 692.3K

-95.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,252 NZ$5,750

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,673 NZ$6,495

$389 SBD 3,140

843.08%

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 Rotorua: 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

Rotorua

$546 38.1%

Gizo

$580 26.8% 6.3% $34

Groceries & Markets

Rotorua

$276 19.3%

Gizo

$353 16.3% 27.8% $77

Eating Out

Rotorua

$211 14.8%

Gizo

$132 6.1% 37.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotorua

$135 9.5%

Gizo

$886 41% 555% $751

Clothing & Footwear

Rotorua

$132 9.2%

Gizo

$139 6.5% 5.4% $7.2

Getting Around

Rotorua

$75 5.2%

Gizo

$46 2.1% 37.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Rotorua

$56 3.9%

Gizo

$27 1.2% 51.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $683 in Rotorua and $599 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rotorua pays 843% 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 Rotorua vs $55.0 in Gizo. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $353, with Rotorua cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Rotorua

🇸🇧 Gizo

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

11:05 11:05 AM

2 h behind Rotorua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,400

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

Rotorua Gizo 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Rotorua
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

Rotorua vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rotorua wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rotorua the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 843% higher in Rotorua, 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: $683 in Rotorua 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 Rotorua – 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 $1,431 in Rotorua versus $2,164 in Gizo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rotorua but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Rotorua 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, Rotorua 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 Rotorua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.