Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Gizo

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,395 a month against $2,121 in Gizo, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
Learn more

Taipei Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Gizo
Learn more

Gizo Living Index

Jump to prices

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Gizo

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$2,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Taipei versus $2,121 in Gizo.

Taipei $1,395
Gizo $2,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,227 in Taipei versus $3,041 in Gizo.

Taipei $2,227
Gizo $3,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Taipei versus $3,960 in Gizo.

Taipei $3,059
Gizo $3,960

Living in Taipei costs roughly 34% less than in Gizo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipei 4% above, Gizo 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 NT$152

$3.15 SBD 25.40

51.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,537

$56.5 SBD 456

-14.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 NT$183

$15.76 SBD 127

-63.52%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NT$112

$2.76 SBD 22.25

26.45%

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

$0.88 NT$28.03

$1.26 SBD 10.17

-30.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.61

$1.25 SBD 10.10

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$91.4

$2.55 SBD 20.61

12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NT$117

$2.53 SBD 20.43

45.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.5

$3.29 SBD 26.57

-6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$65.5

$1.32 SBD 10.65

55.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.5

$1.40 SBD 11.32

118.57%

Eggs

$2.70 NT$86.0

$7.24 SBD 58.5

-62.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 NT$627

$8.64 SBD 69.8

127.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NT$314

$6.33 SBD 51.1

55.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.11 NT$674

$8.74 SBD 70.6

141.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 NT$162

$6.88 SBD 55.5

-26.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 NT$108

$6.01 SBD 48.50

-43.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.8

$6.33 SBD 51.2

-52.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NT$146

$3.04 SBD 24.56

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.8

$3.03 SBD 24.49

-10.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.9

$2.41 SBD 19.50

-5.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$53.7

$2.43 SBD 19.61

-30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.81

$1.33 SBD 10.77

-13.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

$4.27 SBD 34.49

-5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 NT$457

$12.57 SBD 102

13.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$54.2

$1.89 SBD 15.24

-10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

$2.19 SBD 17.67

4.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.46

$0.39 SBD 3.12

56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 NT$1,228

$31.04 SBD 251

23.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.0

$1.23 SBD 9.91

121.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.02

$2.45 SBD 19.76

-69.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 NT$306

$12.41 SBD 100

-22.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.56

$1.77 SBD 14.25

-42.37%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$20.6K SBD 166.3K

65.50%

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

$24.2K NT$771.9K

$21.5K SBD 173.4K

12.66%

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

$86.4 NT$2,756

$756 SBD 6,107

-88.58%

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

$17.12 NT$546

$13.69 SBD 111

25.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 NT$864

$125 SBD 1,008

-78.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 NT$1,301

$18.41 SBD 149

121.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 NT$512

$6.05 SBD 48.87

165.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$307

$4.39 SBD 35.43

119.36%

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

$656 NT$20.9K

$121 SBD 981

440.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$524.1K

$1,253 SBD 10.1K

1210.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$2,001

$24.88 SBD 201

152.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 NT$1,261

$92.0 SBD 743

-57.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,677

$100 SBD 809

-16.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,392

$90.5 SBD 731

17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 NT$32.4K

$608 SBD 4,908

67.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 NT$15.3K

$594 SBD 4,799

-19.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NT$50.0K

$618 SBD 4,991

153.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 NT$30.4K

$1,234 SBD 9,964

-22.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.2K

$86.8K SBD 700.6K

-85.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 NT$230.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,772 NT$56.5K

$395 SBD 3,192

348.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

16.33

-85.30%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Gizo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$479 34.8%

Gizo

$594 27.2% 24.2% $116

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$401 29.2%

Gizo

$354 16.2% 11.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$132 9.6%

Gizo

$138 6.3% 5.2% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$131 9.5%

Gizo

$895 40.9% 586% $764

Eating Out

Taipei

$125 9.1%

Gizo

$133 6.1% 6.7% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Gizo

$27 1.2% 54.7% $33

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Gizo

$46 2.1% 2.8% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Taipei and $608 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei 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: $48.00 in Taipei vs $56.0 in Gizo. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $354, with Gizo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇸🇧 Gizo

🕒 Local time

19:25 7:25 PM

22:25 10:25 PM

3 h ahead of Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

7,177

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.111 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.76 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.05 SBD (1 SBD = 0.111 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taipei Gizo 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
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

Taipei vs Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taipei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 348% higher in Taipei, 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: $1,016 in Taipei versus $608 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Gizo pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Taipei – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $56.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,395 in Taipei versus $2,121 in Gizo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Taipei 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, Taipei 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 Taipei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.