Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Ba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba: $92.7 a month against $1,718 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Ba
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Ba Living Index

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Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

🇫🇯 Fiji

$92.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honiara and in Ba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Honiara and in Ba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Honiara versus $92.7 in Ba.

Honiara $1,718
Ba $92.7

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Honiara versus $207 in Ba.

Honiara $2,833
Ba $207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,948 in Honiara versus $321 in Ba.

Honiara $3,948
Ba $321

Living in Honiara is roughly 1752% more expensive than in Ba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Honiara is 27% above, Ba is 93% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.94 SBD 56.1

$2.05 FJD 4.59

238.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 SBD 503

$29.78 FJD 66.7

109.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 SBD 101

$6.10 FJD 13.67

105.90%

Cappuccino

$3.49 SBD 28.22

$1.96 FJD 4.39

78.06%

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

$1.58 SBD 12.77

$0.98 FJD 2.20

61.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 SBD 8.91

$0.98 FJD 2.19

12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.63

$3.95 FJD 8.84

-35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 46.01

$3.45 FJD 7.72

65.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 SBD 20.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 SBD 12.44

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SBD 13.31

Eggs

$5.51 SBD 44.48

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 SBD 51.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 SBD 69.3

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 SBD 124

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.5

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 SBD 20.92

Oranges (1kg)

$8.44 SBD 68.2

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 SBD 29.53

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 SBD 15.63

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 SBD 27.57

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SBD 11.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 SBD 33.73

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 SBD 86.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SBD 14.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 SBD 27.03

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 SBD 3.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 SBD 201

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 SBD 9.71

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 SBD 10.52

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

$18.8K SBD 152.0K

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

$34.7K SBD 280.3K

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

$427 SBD 3,446

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

$27.52 SBD 222

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 SBD 717

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 SBD 301

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.24 SBD 74.6

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 SBD 34.34

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

$98.2 SBD 793

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.02 SBD 218

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.7 SBD 757

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 SBD 769

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SBD 836

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 SBD 7,274

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 SBD 3,524

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 700.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.1K SBD 509.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 SBD 3,580

$385 FJD 863

15.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

291.75%

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

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honiara

$543 31.6%

- * 0% 100%

Accommodation & Living

Honiara

$436 25.4%

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Honiara

$345 20.1%

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Honiara

$170 9.9%

$93 100% 45.5% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Honiara

$144 8.4%

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Honiara

$46 2.7%

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Honiara

$34 2%

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

Honiara pays 15% 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 at a mid-range restaurant: $62.0 in Honiara vs $30.00 in Ba for two.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Honiara

🇫🇯 Ba

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

1 h ahead of Honiara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,600 Capital

15,000

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.111 EUR

1 FJD = 0.446 USD

1 FJD = 0.399 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to SBD – Solomon Islands Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.04 SBD (1 SBD = 0.111 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.446 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.399 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Honiara Ba 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Honiara
Ba

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

Honiara vs Ba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 1752% lower than in Honiara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Honiara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $62.0 in Honiara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,718 per month in Honiara versus $92.7 in Ba – a 1752% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $92.7 in Ba versus $1,718 in Honiara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Honiara. The gap between the two cities makes Ba 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.

Expats usually find Ba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1752% less than in Honiara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.