Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Nelson

For one person, living is cheaper in Honiara: $1,718 a month against $1,833 in Nelson, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index

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Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honiara and in Nelson

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

A single person spends $1,718 per month in Honiara vs $1,833 in Nelson, rent included.

Honiara $1,718
Nelson $1,833

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Honiara vs $2,842 in Nelson, rent included.

Honiara $2,833
Nelson $2,842

A family of three spends $3,948 per month in Honiara vs $3,852 in Nelson, rent included.

Honiara $3,948
Nelson $3,852

Honiara is about 6% cheaper than Nelson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Honiara and Nelson sit above the global median – Honiara by 27%, Nelson by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.94 SBD 56.0

$13.86 NZ$24.51

-49.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 SBD 502

$64.6 NZ$114

-3.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 SBD 101

$8.53 NZ$15.08

47.25%

Cappuccino

$3.49 SBD 28.17

$3.24 NZ$5.74

7.72%

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

$1.58 SBD 12.75

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-8.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 SBD 8.90

$1.65 NZ$2.91

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.59

$7.13 NZ$12.61

-64.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 45.93

$5.53 NZ$9.79

3.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 SBD 20.01

$1.90 NZ$3.36

30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 SBD 12.42

$2.05 NZ$3.63

-24.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SBD 13.29

$1.83 NZ$3.24

-9.84%

Eggs

$5.51 SBD 44.40

$5.70 NZ$10.08

-3.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 SBD 51.8

$9.09 NZ$16.08

-29.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 SBD 69.2

$7.34 NZ$12.98

16.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 SBD 124

$13.70 NZ$24.22

12.41%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.4

$3.08 NZ$5.45

107.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 SBD 20.89

$2.19 NZ$3.88

18.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.44 SBD 68.1

$3.06 NZ$5.41

175.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 SBD 29.48

$5.61 NZ$9.92

-34.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 SBD 15.60

$2.05 NZ$3.63

-5.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 SBD 27.53

$1.28 NZ$2.27

166.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SBD 11.72

$1.97 NZ$3.48

-26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.62

$1.01 NZ$1.79

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 SBD 33.67

$24.79 NZ$43.85

-83.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 SBD 86.3

$9.44 NZ$16.69

13.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SBD 14.36

$3.06 NZ$5.41

-41.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 SBD 26.98

$2.75 NZ$4.86

21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 SBD 3.09

$2.22 NZ$3.92

-82.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 SBD 201

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 SBD 9.70

$1.82 NZ$3.21

-34.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.79

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-32.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.41 SBD 100

$33.41 NZ$59.1

-62.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 SBD 10.50

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-19.25%

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

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

$17.1K NZ$30.2K

10.18%

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

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

$21.9K NZ$38.7K

58.45%

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

$427 SBD 3,440

$131 NZ$231

226.93%

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

$27.52 SBD 222

$32.95 NZ$58.3

-16.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 SBD 716

$41.79 NZ$73.9

112.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 SBD 300

$99.3 NZ$176

-62.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.24 SBD 74.5

$33.61 NZ$59.4

-72.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 SBD 34.29

$11.01 NZ$19.48

-61.40%

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

$98.2 SBD 792

$440 NZ$777

-77.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

$12.7K NZ$22.4K

-77.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.02 SBD 218

$52.4 NZ$92.6

-48.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.7 SBD 756

$27.78 NZ$49.13

237.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 SBD 768

$101 NZ$179

-6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SBD 834

$138 NZ$245

-25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 SBD 7,263

$1,000 NZ$1,769

-9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 SBD 3,518

$795 NZ$1,406

-45.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

$1,704 NZ$3,014

9.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

$1,456 NZ$2,574

-2.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

$1,374 NZ$2,430

6212.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

$827 NZ$1,462

7535.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 SBD 3,574

$2,017 NZ$3,568

-78.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

5.39

190.72%

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

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nelson: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honiara

$543 31.6%

Nelson

$205 11.2% 62.2% $338

Accommodation & Living

Honiara

$436 25.4%

Nelson

$795 43.4% 82.1% $358

Groceries & Markets

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Nelson

$312 17% 9.6% $33

Eating Out

Honiara

$170 9.9%

Nelson

$236 12.9% 38.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Nelson

$144 7.9% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Nelson

$121 6.6% 165% $76

Getting Around

Honiara

$34 2%

Nelson

$20 * 1.1% 41.9% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Honiara versus $1,000 in Nelson. 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 355% higher in Nelson, 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 $62.0 in Honiara versus $65.0 in Nelson. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Honiara vs $312 in Nelson – so Nelson wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Honiara

🇳🇿 Nelson

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

23:01 11:01 PM

2 h ahead of Honiara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,600 Capital

51,100

💱 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 Nelson 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Honiara
Nelson

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 Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,718 in Honiara, $1,833 in Nelson – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in Honiara and $2,749 in Nelson. 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 $62.0 in Honiara and $65.0 in Nelson. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Nelson – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Honiara, where all-in costs run around $1,718, than in Nelson at $1,833. In Honiara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nelson 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, Nelson makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.