Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Solomon Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Solomon Islands

Name: Solomon Islands
Address: SB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,185 per month in Australia vs $2,129 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $2,857 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $3,585 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 3% higher than in Solomon Islands on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Solomon Islands are pricier than the global median – Australia by 64%, Solomon Islands by 59%.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,575–$2,824) than in Solomon Islands ($2,120–$2,137), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.17

$4.59 SBD 37.03

252.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$53.7 SBD 433

43.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.56

$11.84 SBD 95.6

-20.02%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.95

$3.04 SBD 24.52

13.82%

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

$2.68 A$3.84

$1.46 SBD 11.77

83.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.13

$1.18 SBD 9.52

85.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.46

$2.35 SBD 18.93

181.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.17

$3.28 SBD 26.46

116.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$2.68 SBD 21.65

-42.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.54

$1.47 SBD 11.85

68.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$1.44 SBD 11.59

45.83%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.07

$5.64 SBD 45.52

-24.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.27

$5.79 SBD 46.69

48.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.31

$8.16 SBD 65.8

5.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.78

$13.84 SBD 112

-0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.55

$8.55 SBD 69.0

-62.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.89

$2.66 SBD 21.45

2.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.24

$7.52 SBD 60.7

-60.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$3.15 SBD 25.45

36.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.53

$2.25 SBD 18.13

9.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$3.13 SBD 25.25

-32.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.46 SBD 11.80

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.19

$1.09 SBD 8.79

40.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.80

$4.01 SBD 32.35

680.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.96

$12.62 SBD 102

10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.39

$1.88 SBD 15.20

137.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.17

$2.92 SBD 23.60

71.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.30

$0.35 SBD 2.82

757.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$30.46 SBD 246

215.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$1.22 SBD 9.85

191.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$1.16 SBD 9.35

50.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.2

$11.84 SBD 95.5

219.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.37 SBD 11.05

-16.06%

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

$29.4K A$42.0K

$20.4K SBD 165.0K

43.61%

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$21.1K SBD 170.4K

9.31%

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

$174 A$248

$732 SBD 5,903

-76.28%

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

$26.88 A$38.49

$23.24 SBD 188

15.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.5

$99.1 SBD 799

-46.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.3

$17.98 SBD 145

165.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.64

$6.09 SBD 49.13

171.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.66

$4.16 SBD 33.59

230.05%

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

$1,555 A$2,226

$118 SBD 949

1222.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$2,218 SBD 17.9K

471.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.6

$24.46 SBD 197

184.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.4

$89.1 SBD 718

-42.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$95.8 SBD 773

6.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$89.6 SBD 723

25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,946

$517 SBD 4,170

162.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,546

$473 SBD 3,820

128.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,294

$1,122 SBD 9,050

105.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,507

$918 SBD 7,406

90.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$88.4K SBD 713.6K

-91.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,249

$61.2K SBD 494.1K

-90.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,760

$468 SBD 3,775

759.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

16.33

-61.11%

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

Last update for Australia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Solomon Islands: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $557 in Solomon Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $532 in Honiara.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $546 in Solomon Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 121% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 45% more in Australia.

Public transport is 148% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 591% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Solomon Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solomon Islands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 3% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Solomon Islands, contributing to the overall 3% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Solomon Islands, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Solomon Islands is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.