Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Blenheim and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Blenheim: $1,366 a month against $1,718 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Blenheim
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Blenheim Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Blenheim

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,366

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,366 per month in Blenheim vs $1,718 in Honiara, rent included.

Blenheim $1,366
Honiara $1,718

A couple spends around $2,231 per month in Blenheim vs $2,833 in Honiara, rent included.

Blenheim $2,231
Honiara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Blenheim vs $3,948 in Honiara, rent included.

Blenheim $3,095
Honiara $3,948

Blenheim is about 20% cheaper than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Blenheim and Honiara sit above the global median – Blenheim by 1%, Honiara by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.77 NZ$24.35

$6.94 SBD 56.0

98.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$62.3 SBD 502

9.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$12.56 SBD 101

-37.02%

Cappuccino

$3.16 NZ$5.58

$3.49 SBD 28.17

-9.46%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.90

$1.58 SBD 12.75

39.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$3.10

$1.10 SBD 8.90

59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 NZ$9.81

$2.55 SBD 20.59

117.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 NZ$12.20

$5.70 SBD 45.93

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$2.48 SBD 20.01

-33.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 NZ$2.51

$1.54 SBD 12.42

-7.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 NZ$1.90

$1.65 SBD 13.29

-35.15%

Eggs

$5.38 NZ$9.51

$5.51 SBD 44.40

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 NZ$11.90

$6.43 SBD 51.8

4.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 NZ$8.78

$8.58 SBD 69.2

-42.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 NZ$18.26

$15.40 SBD 124

-32.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.55

$6.38 SBD 51.4

-59.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$3.03

$2.59 SBD 20.89

-33.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 NZ$4.65

$8.44 SBD 68.1

-68.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 NZ$6.75

$3.66 SBD 29.48

4.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 NZ$2.62

$1.94 SBD 15.60

-23.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 NZ$2.55

$3.41 SBD 27.53

-57.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 NZ$2.95

$1.45 SBD 11.72

15.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.16

$1.07 SBD 8.62

14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.74 NZ$41.98

$4.18 SBD 33.67

467.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 NZ$13.94

$10.70 SBD 86.3

-26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NZ$6.16

$1.78 SBD 14.36

95.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NZ$7.85

$3.35 SBD 26.98

32.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$0.38 SBD 3.09

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 NZ$143

$24.88 SBD 201

225.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$1.20 SBD 9.70

112.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 NZ$1.95

$1.21 SBD 9.79

-9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 NZ$50.2

$12.41 SBD 100

128.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 NZ$2.71

$1.30 SBD 10.50

17.69%

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

$10.6K NZ$18.7K

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

-43.73%

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

$17.4K NZ$30.7K

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

-49.96%

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

$44.61 NZ$78.9

$427 SBD 3,440

-89.55%

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

$22.46 NZ$39.72

$27.52 SBD 222

-18.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.00 NZ$81.4

$88.8 SBD 716

-48.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.16 NZ$39.19

$37.21 SBD 300

-40.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.54 NZ$8.03

$9.24 SBD 74.5

-50.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 NZ$9.15

$4.25 SBD 34.29

21.65%

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

$444 NZ$785

$98.2 SBD 792

351.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K NZ$38.5K

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

652.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.58 NZ$34.63

$27.02 SBD 218

-27.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.34 NZ$20.05

$93.7 SBD 756

-87.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 NZ$175

$95.3 SBD 768

4.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$216

$104 SBD 834

18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 NZ$1,182

$901 SBD 7,263

-25.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 NZ$931

$436 SBD 3,518

20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 NZ$2,130

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

-35.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 NZ$1,863

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

-25.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,178 NZ$9,157

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

-94.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,133 NZ$5,540

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

-95.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,398 NZ$4,241

$443 SBD 3,574

440.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

15.67

-62.28%

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

Last update for Blenheim: October 11, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Blenheim

$526 38.5%

Honiara

$436 25.4% 17.1% $90

Groceries & Markets

Blenheim

$256 18.7%

Honiara

$345 20.1% 34.8% $89

Eating Out

Blenheim

$229 16.8%

Honiara

$170 9.9% 25.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Blenheim

$114 8.3%

Honiara

$144 8.4% 26.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Blenheim

$113 8.3%

Honiara

$543 31.6% 380% $430

Getting Around

Blenheim

$96 7%

Honiara

$34 2% 64.8% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Blenheim

$33 2.4%

Honiara

$46 2.7% 40.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $669 in Blenheim versus $901 in Honiara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 441% higher in Blenheim, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Blenheim versus $62.0 in Honiara. Groceries tell a different story – $256 in Blenheim vs $345 in Honiara – so Blenheim wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Blenheim

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

2 h behind Blenheim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,800

54,600 Capital

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

Blenheim Honiara 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Blenheim
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

Blenheim vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Honiara is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,050 per month in Blenheim and $2,577 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Blenheim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,366 in Blenheim and $1,718 in Honiara. That's a gap of about 26%.

Public transport costs about 225% less in Blenheim. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Blenheim, where all-in costs run around $1,366, than in Honiara at $1,718. In Blenheim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Blenheim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Blenheim. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Honiara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.