Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Honiara

For one person, living costs are similar in Hamilton and in Honiara: $1,647 and $1,718 a month, rent and utilities included.

80

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,647

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Hamilton versus $1,718 in Honiara.

Hamilton $1,647
Honiara $1,718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,571 in Hamilton versus $2,833 in Honiara.

Hamilton $2,571
Honiara $2,833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Hamilton versus $3,948 in Honiara.

Hamilton $3,496
Honiara $3,948

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 4% less than in Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 22% above, Honiara 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 NZ$20.83

$6.94 SBD 56.0

69.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 NZ$130

$62.3 SBD 502

18.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$14.98

$12.56 SBD 101

-32.56%

Cappuccino

$3.32 NZ$5.86

$3.49 SBD 28.17

-4.87%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.99

$1.58 SBD 12.75

43.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 NZ$4.20

$1.10 SBD 8.90

116.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NZ$11.04

$2.55 SBD 20.59

144.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.63

$5.70 SBD 45.93

-4.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$2.48 SBD 20.01

-41.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.20

$1.54 SBD 12.42

-18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.46

$1.65 SBD 13.29

18.79%

Eggs

$5.25 NZ$9.29

$5.51 SBD 44.40

-4.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.56 NZ$9.84

$6.43 SBD 51.8

-13.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 NZ$12.95

$8.58 SBD 69.2

-14.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 NZ$20.92

$15.40 SBD 124

-23.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 NZ$4.68

$6.38 SBD 51.4

-58.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$2.59 SBD 20.89

-11.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.70

$8.44 SBD 68.1

-61.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 NZ$11.14

$3.66 SBD 29.48

72.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$1.94 SBD 15.60

1.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 NZ$2.46

$3.41 SBD 27.53

-59.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$1.45 SBD 11.72

76.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 NZ$1.70

$1.07 SBD 8.62

-10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.97 NZ$44.16

$4.18 SBD 33.67

497.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 NZ$18.95

$10.70 SBD 86.3

0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 NZ$6.87

$1.78 SBD 14.36

117.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$3.35 SBD 26.98

17.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 NZ$2.52

$0.38 SBD 3.09

273.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 NZ$71.3

$24.88 SBD 201

62.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 NZ$6.22

$1.20 SBD 9.70

193.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$1.30 SBD 10.50

30.77%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.6K

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

40.01%

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

$23.1K NZ$40.9K

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

-33.44%

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

$56.1 NZ$99.2

$427 SBD 3,440

-86.86%

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

$35.89 NZ$63.5

$27.52 SBD 222

30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 NZ$95.8

$88.8 SBD 716

-38.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.00 NZ$44.21

$37.21 SBD 300

-32.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 NZ$49.58

$9.24 SBD 74.5

203.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 NZ$24.52

$4.25 SBD 34.29

226.12%

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

$666 NZ$1,178

$98.2 SBD 792

578.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

674.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 NZ$108

$27.02 SBD 218

125.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 NZ$65.9

$93.7 SBD 756

-60.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NZ$163

$95.3 SBD 768

-3.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NZ$183

$104 SBD 834

0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NZ$1,913

$901 SBD 7,263

20.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 NZ$1,327

$436 SBD 3,518

72.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 NZ$2,632

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

-20.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 NZ$2,314

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

-7.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,890 NZ$6,880

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

-95.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,506 NZ$7,969

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

-92.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,634 NZ$4,658

$443 SBD 3,574

494.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

15.67

-56.41%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$751 45.6%

Honiara

$436 25.4% 41.9% $314

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$295 17.9%

Honiara

$345 20.1% 16.9% $50

Eating Out

Hamilton

$220 13.4%

Honiara

$170 9.9% 22.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$146 8.9%

Honiara

$543 31.6% 272% $397

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$132 8%

Honiara

$144 8.4% 8.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$53 3.2%

Honiara

$46 2.7% 13.3% $7

Getting Around

Hamilton

$50 * 3%

Honiara

$34 2% 32% $16

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 $1,082 in Hamilton and $901 in Honiara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 494% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Hamilton vs $62.0 in Honiara. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $345, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

05:13 5:13 AM

2 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,500

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

Hamilton Honiara 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 494% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,082 in Hamilton versus $901 in Honiara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $62.0 in Honiara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,647 per month in Hamilton versus $1,718 in Honiara – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,647 in Hamilton versus $1,718 in Honiara, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Honiara. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton 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, Hamilton 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 Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Honiara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.