Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,619 a month against $1,718 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Budapest
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,619
/mo nomad
Honiara
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
$1,718
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Budapest vs $1,718 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Budapest $1,619
  • Honiara $1,718

A couple spends around $2,524 per month in Budapest vs $2,833 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Budapest $2,524
  • Honiara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,429 per month in Budapest vs $3,948 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Budapest $3,429
  • Honiara $3,948

Budapest is about 6% cheaper than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Budapest and Honiara sit above the global median – Budapest by 20%, Honiara by 27%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.94 Ft 4,503
$6.94 SBD 56.0
100.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.2 Ft 19.8K
$62.3 SBD 502
-1.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.19 Ft 3,291
$12.56 SBD 101
-18.87%
Cappuccino
$3.26 Ft 1,055
$3.49 SBD 28.17
-6.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 Ft 690
$1.58 SBD 12.75
35.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 Ft 577
$1.10 SBD 8.90
61.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.71 Ft 1,198
$2.55 SBD 20.59
45.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.77 Ft 1,217
$5.70 SBD 45.93
-33.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 Ft 371
$2.48 SBD 20.01
-53.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.79 Ft 578
$1.54 SBD 12.42
16.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.49 Ft 804
$1.65 SBD 13.29
50.91%
Eggs
$3.90 Ft 1,261
$5.51 SBD 44.40
-29.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.10 Ft 3,587
$6.43 SBD 51.8
72.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.62 Ft 2,139
$8.58 SBD 69.2
-22.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.69 Ft 4,745
$15.40 SBD 124
-4.61%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 591
$6.38 SBD 51.4
-71.32%
Banana (1kg)
$2.05 Ft 661
$2.59 SBD 20.89
-20.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.37 Ft 765
$8.44 SBD 68.1
-71.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,260
$3.66 SBD 29.48
6.56%
Potato (1kg)
$0.99 Ft 320
$1.94 SBD 15.60
-48.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 Ft 322
$3.41 SBD 27.53
-70.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.58 Ft 511
$1.45 SBD 11.72
8.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 Ft 216
$1.07 SBD 8.62
-37.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.96 Ft 2,572
$4.18 SBD 33.67
90.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.22 Ft 2,009
$10.70 SBD 86.3
-41.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 Ft 411
$1.78 SBD 14.36
-28.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 Ft 654
$3.35 SBD 26.98
-39.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 Ft 490
$0.38 SBD 3.09
300.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.02 Ft 9,053
$24.88 SBD 201
12.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 Ft 1,070
$1.20 SBD 9.70
175.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 Ft 442
$1.21 SBD 9.79
13.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.83 Ft 6,406
$12.41 SBD 100
59.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 Ft 589
$1.30 SBD 10.50
40.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K Ft 9.6M
$18.8K SBD 151.8K
58.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K Ft 10.9M
$34.7K SBD 279.9K
-2.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 Ft 55.3K
$427 SBD 3,440
-59.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.51 Ft 7,596
$27.52 SBD 222
-14.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.29 Ft 7,526
$88.8 SBD 716
-73.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.5 Ft 21.8K
$37.21 SBD 300
81.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.89 Ft 6,104
$9.24 SBD 74.5
104.44%
Cinema Ticket
$9.30 Ft 3,004
$4.25 SBD 34.29
118.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$533 Ft 172.3K
$98.2 SBD 792
442.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K Ft 5.4M
$2,891 SBD 23.3K
479.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.6 Ft 32.2K
$27.02 SBD 218
268.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.49 Ft 14.0K
$93.7 SBD 756
-53.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 Ft 35.7K
$95.3 SBD 768
15.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 Ft 38.4K
$104 SBD 834
14.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$830 Ft 268.3K
$901 SBD 7,263
-7.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$622 Ft 200.9K
$436 SBD 3,518
42.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 Ft 514.9K
$1,867 SBD 15.1K
-14.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 Ft 378.1K
$1,422 SBD 11.5K
-17.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,832 Ft 1.9M
$86.7K SBD 699.2K
-93.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,889 Ft 1.3M
$63.1K SBD 508.8K
-93.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Budapest
Honiara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,651 Ft 533.4K
$443 SBD 3,574
272.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.45
15.67
-58.84%

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

Last update for Budapest: October 13, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Budapest
$622
Honiara
$436 29.8% $186
Groceries & Markets
Budapest
$258
Honiara
$345 33.8% $87
Eating Out
Budapest
$223
Honiara
$170 23.7% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Budapest
$218
Honiara
$543 149% $325
Clothing & Footwear
Budapest
$168
Honiara
$144 14.2% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Budapest
$86
Honiara
$46 46.9% $40
Getting Around
Budapest
$44
Honiara
$34 23.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Budapest 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 272% higher in Budapest, 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 $61.0 in Budapest versus $62.0 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $345 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Budapest
🇸🇧 Honiara
🕒 Local time
02:15 2:15 AM
11:15 11:15 AM
9 h ahead of Budapest
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,686,222 Capital
54,600 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Budapest Honiara 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Budapest
  • 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
Budapest vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Honiara cheaper than Budapest?
Yes – Honiara is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,428 per month in Budapest and $2,577 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 13% less in Budapest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $533 per month in Budapest and $98.2 in Honiara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Budapest or in Honiara?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Honiara at $1,718. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Budapest or Honiara more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Budapest or Honiara?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Budapest. 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.

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