Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Honiara: $1,718 a month against $2,044 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cambridge outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Cambridge

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,044

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,044 in Cambridge versus $1,718 in Honiara.

Cambridge $2,044
Honiara $1,718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,830 in Cambridge versus $2,833 in Honiara.

Cambridge $2,830
Honiara $2,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,617 in Cambridge versus $3,948 in Honiara.

Cambridge $3,617
Honiara $3,948

Living in Cambridge is roughly 19% more expensive than in Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 51% above, Honiara 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 NZ$24.32

$6.94 SBD 56.0

98.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 NZ$121

$62.3 SBD 502

9.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 NZ$15.45

$12.56 SBD 101

-30.41%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NZ$6.10

$3.49 SBD 28.17

-1.15%

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

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$1.58 SBD 12.75

22.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$1.10 SBD 8.90

80.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 NZ$10.75

$2.55 SBD 20.59

138.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 NZ$11.73

$5.70 SBD 45.93

16.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 NZ$2.67

$2.48 SBD 20.01

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.54 SBD 12.42

44.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$1.65 SBD 13.29

14.55%

Eggs

$5.95 NZ$10.53

$5.51 SBD 44.40

7.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 NZ$14.73

$6.43 SBD 51.8

29.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.68

$8.58 SBD 69.2

9.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 NZ$23.01

$15.40 SBD 124

-15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$6.38 SBD 51.4

-60.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$2.59 SBD 20.89

-11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.34

$8.44 SBD 68.1

-64.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.99

$3.66 SBD 29.48

54.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$1.94 SBD 15.60

8.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 NZ$2.76

$3.41 SBD 27.53

-54.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.02

$1.45 SBD 11.72

56.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NZ$1.92

$1.07 SBD 8.62

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.11 NZ$44.41

$4.18 SBD 33.67

500.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 NZ$18.39

$10.70 SBD 86.3

-2.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NZ$6.08

$1.78 SBD 14.36

93.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 NZ$6.79

$3.35 SBD 26.98

14.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 NZ$4.81

$0.38 SBD 3.09

615.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 SBD 201

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$1.20 SBD 9.70

81.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.43

$1.21 SBD 9.79

60.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.37 NZ$55.5

$12.41 SBD 100

152.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$1.30 SBD 10.50

30.77%

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

$25.1K NZ$44.4K

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

33.47%

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

$22.1K NZ$39.1K

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

-36.30%

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

$99.4 NZ$176

$427 SBD 3,440

-76.71%

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

$26.44 NZ$46.77

$27.52 SBD 222

-3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 NZ$89.8

$88.8 SBD 716

-42.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 SBD 300

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.24 SBD 74.5

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 NZ$23.90

$4.25 SBD 34.29

217.88%

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

$673 NZ$1,190

$98.2 SBD 792

584.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K NZ$34.1K

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

567.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 NZ$110

$27.02 SBD 218

129.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 NZ$66.1

$93.7 SBD 756

-60.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$165

$95.3 SBD 768

-2.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NZ$186

$104 SBD 834

1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 NZ$1,033

$901 SBD 7,263

-35.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 NZ$1,985

$436 SBD 3,518

157.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$2,048

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

-37.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,563

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

1.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,539 NZ$8,027

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

-94.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,931 NZ$6,953

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

-93.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,585 NZ$4,571

$443 SBD 3,574

482.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

-61.71%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.1K 54.9%

Honiara

$436 25.4% 61.1% $686

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$324 15.9%

Honiara

$345 20.1% 6.5% $21

Eating Out

Cambridge

$237 11.6%

Honiara

$170 9.9% 28.2% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$177 8.6%

Honiara

$543 31.6% 208% $366

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$134 6.6%

Honiara

$144 8.4% 7.3% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$27 * 1.3%

Honiara

$46 2.7% 69.2% $19

Getting Around

Cambridge

$23 * 1.1%

Honiara

$34 2% 48% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $584 in Cambridge and $901 in Honiara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 483% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Cambridge vs $62.0 in Honiara. Groceries flip the comparison at $324 vs $345, with Cambridge cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cambridge

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

2 h behind Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,400

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cambridge Honiara 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
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

Cambridge vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Honiara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 483% higher in Cambridge, 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: $584 in Cambridge versus $901 in Honiara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $673 in Cambridge versus $98.2 in Honiara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Honiara – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $68.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,718 in Honiara versus $2,044 in Cambridge, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Honiara but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Honiara 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, Cambridge 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 Honiara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.