Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Hamilton

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

84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honiara and in Hamilton

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

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

Honiara $1,718
Hamilton $1,647

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

Honiara $2,833
Hamilton $2,571

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

Honiara $3,948
Hamilton $3,496

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.94 SBD 56.0

$11.78 NZ$20.83

-41.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 SBD 502

$73.6 NZ$130

-15.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 SBD 101

$8.47 NZ$14.98

48.29%

Cappuccino

$3.49 SBD 28.17

$3.32 NZ$5.86

5.12%

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

$1.58 SBD 12.75

$2.26 NZ$3.99

-30.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 SBD 8.90

$2.38 NZ$4.20

-53.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.59

$6.24 NZ$11.04

-59.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 45.93

$5.44 NZ$9.63

4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 SBD 20.01

$1.46 NZ$2.59

69.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 SBD 12.42

$1.25 NZ$2.20

23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SBD 13.29

$1.96 NZ$3.46

-15.82%

Eggs

$5.51 SBD 44.40

$5.25 NZ$9.29

4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 SBD 51.8

$5.56 NZ$9.84

15.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 SBD 69.2

$7.32 NZ$12.95

17.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 SBD 124

$11.83 NZ$20.92

30.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.4

$2.64 NZ$4.68

141.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 SBD 20.89

$2.29 NZ$4.05

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.44 SBD 68.1

$3.22 NZ$5.70

162.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 SBD 29.48

$6.30 NZ$11.14

-41.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 SBD 15.60

$1.97 NZ$3.48

-1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 SBD 27.53

$1.39 NZ$2.46

145.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SBD 11.72

$2.56 NZ$4.52

-43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.62

$0.96 NZ$1.70

11.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 SBD 33.67

$24.97 NZ$44.16

-83.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 SBD 86.3

$10.71 NZ$18.95

-0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SBD 14.36

$3.88 NZ$6.87

-54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 SBD 26.98

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-14.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 SBD 3.09

$1.42 NZ$2.52

-73.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 SBD 201

$40.33 NZ$71.3

-38.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 SBD 9.70

$3.52 NZ$6.22

-65.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 SBD 10.50

$1.70 NZ$3.01

-23.53%

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

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

$26.4K NZ$46.6K

-28.58%

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

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

$23.1K NZ$40.9K

50.24%

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

$427 SBD 3,440

$56.1 NZ$99.2

661.08%

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

$27.52 SBD 222

$35.89 NZ$63.5

-23.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 SBD 716

$54.2 NZ$95.8

63.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 SBD 300

$25.00 NZ$44.21

48.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.24 SBD 74.5

$28.03 NZ$49.58

-67.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 SBD 34.29

$13.86 NZ$24.52

-69.34%

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

$98.2 SBD 792

$666 NZ$1,178

-85.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

-87.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.02 SBD 218

$60.8 NZ$108

-55.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.7 SBD 756

$37.29 NZ$65.9

151.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 SBD 768

$92.0 NZ$163

3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SBD 834

$104 NZ$183

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 SBD 7,263

$1,082 NZ$1,913

-16.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 SBD 3,518

$751 NZ$1,327

-41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

$1,488 NZ$2,632

25.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

$1,309 NZ$2,314

8.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

$3,890 NZ$6,880

2129.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

$4,506 NZ$7,969

1300.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 SBD 3,574

$2,634 NZ$4,658

-83.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

6.83

129.43%

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

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honiara

$543 31.6%

Hamilton

$146 8.9% 73.1% $397

Accommodation & Living

Honiara

$436 25.4%

Hamilton

$751 45.6% 72% $314

Groceries & Markets

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Hamilton

$295 17.9% 14.4% $50

Eating Out

Honiara

$170 9.9%

Hamilton

$220 13.4% 29.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Hamilton

$132 8% 8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Hamilton

$53 3.2% 15.3% $7

Getting Around

Honiara

$34 2%

Hamilton

$50 * 3% 47% $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 $901 in Honiara and $1,082 in Hamilton. 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: $62.0 in Honiara vs $74.0 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $295, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Honiara

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

2 h ahead of Honiara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,600 Capital

169,500

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

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Between locations

Honiara Hamilton 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Honiara
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: 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.

On paper, salaries run 494% lower in Hamilton. 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 $1,082 in Hamilton. 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 $1,718 per month in Honiara versus $1,647 in Hamilton – 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, Honiara and Hamilton 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.