Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Cromwell

For one person, living is cheaper in Honiara: $1,718 a month against $1,877 in Cromwell, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index

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Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honiara and in Cromwell

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 Cromwell actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Honiara versus $1,877 in Cromwell.

Honiara $1,718
Cromwell $1,877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Honiara versus $2,785 in Cromwell.

Honiara $2,833
Cromwell $2,785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,948 in Honiara versus $3,692 in Cromwell.

Honiara $3,948
Cromwell $3,692

Living in Honiara costs roughly 8% less than in Cromwell, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Honiara 27% above, Cromwell 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.94 SBD 56.0

$13.76 NZ$24.33

-49.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 SBD 502

$60.5 NZ$107

2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 SBD 101

$11.14 NZ$19.70

12.75%

Cappuccino

$3.49 SBD 28.17

$3.35 NZ$5.92

4.18%

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

$1.58 SBD 12.75

$2.12 NZ$3.74

-25.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 SBD 8.90

$2.09 NZ$3.70

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.59

$6.81 NZ$12.04

-62.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 45.93

$6.05 NZ$10.69

-5.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 SBD 20.01

$2.08 NZ$3.68

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 SBD 12.42

$2.01 NZ$3.55

-23.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SBD 13.29

$1.69 NZ$2.98

-2.37%

Eggs

$5.51 SBD 44.40

$5.70 NZ$10.08

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 SBD 51.8

$8.54 NZ$15.10

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 SBD 69.2

$9.35 NZ$16.54

-8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 SBD 124

$16.22 NZ$28.69

-5.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.4

$2.98 NZ$5.28

114.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 SBD 20.89

$2.34 NZ$4.13

10.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.44 SBD 68.1

$3.11 NZ$5.51

171.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 SBD 29.48

$5.10 NZ$9.02

-28.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 SBD 15.60

$1.87 NZ$3.31

3.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 SBD 27.53

$1.85 NZ$3.28

84.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SBD 11.72

$2.35 NZ$4.15

-38.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.62

$0.58 NZ$1.03

84.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 SBD 33.67

$21.18 NZ$37.45

-80.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 SBD 86.3

$8.89 NZ$15.73

20.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SBD 14.36

$3.21 NZ$5.68

-44.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 SBD 26.98

$1.19 NZ$2.10

181.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 SBD 3.09

$1.73 NZ$3.07

-78.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 SBD 201

$93.9 NZ$166

-73.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 SBD 9.70

$2.17 NZ$3.85

-44.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.79

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

$28.41 NZ$50.2

-56.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 SBD 10.50

$1.74 NZ$3.07

-25.29%

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

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

-24.47%

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

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

$25.1K NZ$44.3K

38.49%

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

$427 SBD 3,440

$110 NZ$194

288.86%

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

$27.52 SBD 222

$28.00 NZ$49.52

-1.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 SBD 716

$51.0 NZ$90.2

74.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 SBD 300

$38.81 NZ$68.6

-4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.24 SBD 74.5

$6.76 NZ$11.95

36.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 SBD 34.29

$8.16 NZ$14.44

-47.92%

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

$98.2 SBD 792

$786 NZ$1,389

-87.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

$12.4K NZ$21.9K

-76.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.02 SBD 218

$59.2 NZ$105

-54.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.7 SBD 756

$35.50 NZ$62.8

164.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 SBD 768

$92.1 NZ$163

3.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SBD 834

$132 NZ$233

-21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 SBD 7,263

$955 NZ$1,690

-5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 SBD 3,518

$811 NZ$1,434

-46.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

$1,602 NZ$2,834

16.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

$1,269 NZ$2,244

12.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

$4,811 NZ$8,509

1702.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

$3,361 NZ$5,944

1778.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 SBD 3,574

$2,917 NZ$5,159

-84.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

6.6

137.42%

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

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honiara

$543 31.6%

Cromwell

$189 10.1% 65.2% $354

Accommodation & Living

Honiara

$436 25.4%

Cromwell

$811 43.2% 85.8% $374

Groceries & Markets

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Cromwell

$320 17.1% 7.2% $25

Eating Out

Honiara

$170 9.9%

Cromwell

$247 13.1% 45% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Cromwell

$143 7.6% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Cromwell

$55 2.9% 20.6% $9.4

Getting Around

Honiara

$34 2%

Cromwell

$112 6% 233% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $901 in Honiara and $955 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 558% 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: $62.0 in Honiara vs $61.0 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $320 per month, with Cromwell cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Honiara

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

22:05 10:05 PM

2 h ahead of Honiara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,600 Capital

5,000

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Honiara Cromwell 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Honiara
Cromwell

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 Cromwell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Honiara is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 558% lower in Cromwell. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $901 in Honiara versus $955 in Cromwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cromwell pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Honiara – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $61.0 in Cromwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,718 in Honiara versus $1,877 in Cromwell, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Honiara but tight or insufficient in Cromwell. 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, Honiara and Cromwell 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 9% less than in Cromwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.