Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apia and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $1,742 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Apia and in Honiara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Apia and in Honiara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $851 in Apia versus $1,742 in Honiara.

Apia $851
Honiara $1,742

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in Apia versus $2,873 in Honiara.

Apia $2,281
Honiara $2,873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,711 in Apia versus $4,004 in Honiara.

Apia $3,711
Honiara $4,004

Living in Apia costs roughly 51% less than in Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Apia is 36% below, Honiara is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.76 WST 133

$6.66 SBD 53.8

617.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.89 WST 103

$62.8 SBD 507

-41.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 WST 40.39

$12.53 SBD 101

15.80%

Cappuccino

$2.93 WST 8.15

$3.48 SBD 28.14

-15.80%

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

$1.80 WST 5.01

$1.60 SBD 12.89

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 WST 3.88

$1.05 SBD 8.49

32.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 WST 9.78

$2.42 SBD 19.58

45.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 WST 10.20

$5.70 SBD 46.04

-35.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 WST 5.09

$2.57 SBD 20.75

-28.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 WST 2.34

$1.49 SBD 12.00

-43.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 WST 5.17

$1.64 SBD 13.28

13.41%

Eggs

$4.15 WST 11.55

$5.48 SBD 44.27

-24.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.94 WST 2.62

$6.61 SBD 53.4

-85.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 WST 10.21

$8.34 SBD 67.4

-56.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 WST 23.92

$15.18 SBD 123

-43.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 WST 14.54

$6.39 SBD 51.6

-18.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 WST 4.99

$2.70 SBD 21.83

-33.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 WST 5.21

$8.70 SBD 70.2

-78.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 WST 12.07

$3.67 SBD 29.62

18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 WST 10.29

$1.99 SBD 16.09

85.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 WST 3.10

$3.47 SBD 28.01

-68.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 SBD 11.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 WST 3.40

$1.03 SBD 8.36

18.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 WST 17.55

$4.26 SBD 34.39

48.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.32 WST 45.41

$10.37 SBD 83.7

57.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 WST 5.19

$1.69 SBD 13.67

10.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 WST 10.24

$3.47 SBD 28.00

6.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 WST 9.94

$0.39 SBD 3.12

815.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 SBD 203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 WST 14.84

$1.27 SBD 10.28

319.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.42 WST 15.08

$1.20 SBD 9.72

351.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.64 WST 60.2

$12.60 SBD 102

71.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 WST 2.95

$1.35 SBD 10.92

-21.48%

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

$18.7K SBD 151.1K

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

$34.1K SBD 275.7K

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

$18.16 WST 50.6

$429 SBD 3,464

-95.77%

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

$18.40 WST 51.2

$27.02 SBD 218

-31.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 WST 102

$89.0 SBD 719

-58.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.76 SBD 297

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 SBD 72.2

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 SBD 35.65

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

$100 SBD 811

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,898 SBD 23.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 SBD 224

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.5 SBD 755

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 SBD 774

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SBD 829

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 SBD 7,024

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 SBD 3,507

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 SBD 14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 WST 4,982

$1,398 SBD 11.3K

28.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.4K SBD 698.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.1K SBD 501.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$444 SBD 3,583

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

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

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apia

–

Honiara

$545 31.8%

Accommodation & Living

Apia

–

Honiara

$434 25.3%

Groceries & Markets

Apia

–

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Eating Out

Apia

–

Honiara

$167 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Apia

–

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Apia

–

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Getting Around

Apia

–

Honiara

$34 2%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $37.00 in Apia vs $63.0 in Honiara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $345 per month, with Apia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Apia

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

20:12 8:12 PM

18:12 6:12 PM

2 h behind Apia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000 Capital

54,600 Capital

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Apia Honiara 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Apia
Honiara

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

Apia vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 105% lower than in Honiara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,277 in Apia and $2,614 in Honiara 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.

All in, you'll spend $851 per month in Apia versus $1,742 in Honiara – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Honiara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $851 in Apia versus $1,742 in Honiara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Honiara. The gap between the two cities makes Apia 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, Apia and Honiara 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Honiara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.