Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Mata Utu

For one person, living is cheaper in Honiara: $1,742 a month against $5,241 in Mata Utu, rent and utilities included – about $42,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,742

/mo nomad

Mata Utu

🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna

$5,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honiara and in Mata Utu

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

A single person spends $1,742 per month in Honiara vs $5,241 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Honiara $1,742
Mata Utu $5,241

A couple spends around $2,873 per month in Honiara vs $6,656 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Honiara $2,873
Mata Utu $6,656

A family of three spends $4,004 per month in Honiara vs $8,071 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Honiara $4,004
Mata Utu $8,071

Honiara is about 67% cheaper than Mata Utu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Honiara and Mata Utu sit above the global median – Honiara by 30%, Mata Utu by 291%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 SBD 53.8

$11.06 CFPF 1,176

-39.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 SBD 507

$111 CFPF 11.8K

-43.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 SBD 101

Cappuccino

$3.48 SBD 28.15

$7.68 CFPF 817

-54.69%

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

$1.60 SBD 12.90

$5.73 CFPF 610

-72.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 SBD 8.49

$3.29 CFPF 350

-68.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 SBD 19.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 46.05

$5.55 CFPF 590

2.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 SBD 20.76

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 SBD 12.00

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 SBD 13.29

Eggs

$5.48 SBD 44.29

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 SBD 53.4

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 SBD 67.4

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 SBD 123

Apples (1kg)

$6.39 SBD 51.7

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SBD 21.84

Oranges (1kg)

$8.70 SBD 70.3

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 SBD 29.63

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 SBD 16.10

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 SBD 28.03

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 SBD 11.31

$11.17 CFPF 1,189

-87.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.36

$4.43 CFPF 471

-76.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 SBD 34.40

$16.77 CFPF 1,784

-74.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 SBD 83.7

$16.69 CFPF 1,776

-37.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SBD 13.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 SBD 28.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.12

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 SBD 203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 SBD 10.28

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 SBD 9.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.60 SBD 102

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SBD 10.92

$1.83 CFPF 194

-26.23%

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

$18.7K SBD 151.1K

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

$34.1K SBD 275.9K

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

$429 SBD 3,466

$145 CFPF 15.4K

196.45%

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

$27.02 SBD 218

$112 CFPF 12.0K

-75.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.0 SBD 719

$3,335 CFPF 354.8K

-97.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.76 SBD 297

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 SBD 72.2

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 SBD 35.66

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

$100 SBD 811

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,898 SBD 23.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 SBD 224

$220 CFPF 23.4K

-87.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.5 SBD 755

$91.5 CFPF 9,736

2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 SBD 774

$228 CFPF 24.3K

-57.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SBD 830

$283 CFPF 30.1K

-63.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 SBD 7,027

$898 CFPF 95.5K

-3.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 SBD 3,508

$913 CFPF 97.1K

-52.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 SBD 14.9K

$2,238 CFPF 238.1K

-17.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 SBD 11.3K

$2,282 CFPF 242.8K

-38.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.4K SBD 698.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.1K SBD 501.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$444 SBD 3,585

$3,338 CFPF 355.2K

-86.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

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

Last update for Honiara: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mata Utu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honiara

$545 31.8%

Mata Utu

–

Accommodation & Living

Honiara

$434 25.3%

Mata Utu

–

Groceries & Markets

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Mata Utu

–

Eating Out

Honiara

$167 9.7%

Mata Utu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Mata Utu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Mata Utu

–

Getting Around

Honiara

$34 2%

Mata Utu

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $870 in Honiara versus $898 in Mata Utu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 652% higher in Mata Utu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Honiara versus $111 in Mata Utu. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Honiara vs $131 in Mata Utu – so Mata Utu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Honiara

🇼🇫 Mata Utu

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

23:16 11:16 PM

1 h ahead of Honiara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,600 Capital

1,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.05 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.39 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Honiara Mata Utu 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Honiara
Mata Utu

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 Mata Utu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,742 in Honiara, $5,241 in Mata Utu – roughly 201% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,614 per month in Honiara and $7,862 in Mata Utu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Honiara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Honiara and $111 in Mata Utu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,742 in Honiara and $5,241 in Mata Utu. That's a gap of about 201%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Honiara, where all-in costs run around $1,742, than in Mata Utu at $5,241. In Honiara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mata Utu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Honiara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Honiara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mata Utu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.