Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Nuku'alofa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuku'alofa: $1,019 a month against $1,742 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Nuku'alofa
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Nuku'alofa Living Index

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Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,742

/mo nomad

Nuku'alofa

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honiara and in Nuku'alofa

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

A single person spends $1,742 per month in Honiara vs $1,019 in Nuku'alofa, rent included.

Honiara $1,742
Nuku'alofa $1,019

A couple spends around $2,873 per month in Honiara vs $1,886 in Nuku'alofa, rent included.

Honiara $2,873
Nuku'alofa $1,886

A family of three spends $4,004 per month in Honiara vs $2,752 in Nuku'alofa, rent included.

Honiara $4,004
Nuku'alofa $2,752

Honiara costs about 71% more than Nuku'alofa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Honiara sits 30% above the global median, while Nuku'alofa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 SBD 53.8

$8.52 TOP 20.26

-21.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 SBD 507

$61.8 TOP 147

1.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 SBD 101

$10.32 TOP 24.54

21.41%

Cappuccino

$3.48 SBD 28.15

$2.93 TOP 6.96

18.77%

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

$1.60 SBD 12.90

$2.82 TOP 6.70

-43.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 SBD 8.49

$2.52 TOP 5.99

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 SBD 19.59

$3.38 TOP 8.02

-28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 46.05

$5.03 TOP 11.97

13.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 SBD 20.76

$1.52 TOP 3.61

69.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 SBD 12.00

$1.07 TOP 2.54

39.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 SBD 13.29

$2.11 TOP 5.02

-22.27%

Eggs

$5.48 SBD 44.29

$4.97 TOP 11.81

10.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 SBD 53.4

$8.75 TOP 20.81

-24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 SBD 67.4

$5.91 TOP 14.04

41.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 SBD 123

$7.82 TOP 18.60

94.12%

Apples (1kg)

$6.39 SBD 51.7

$2.79 TOP 6.63

129.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SBD 21.84

$2.71 TOP 6.44

-0.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.70 SBD 70.3

$2.87 TOP 6.81

203.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 SBD 29.63

$3.68 TOP 8.75

-0.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 SBD 16.10

$3.16 TOP 7.51

-37.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 SBD 28.03

$2.65 TOP 6.29

30.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 SBD 11.31

$2.28 TOP 5.42

-38.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.36

$1.42 TOP 3.37

-27.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 SBD 34.40

$10.24 TOP 24.34

-58.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 SBD 83.7

$17.36 TOP 41.28

-40.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SBD 13.67

$3.14 TOP 7.45

-46.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 SBD 28.02

$3.41 TOP 8.11

1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.12

$2.14 TOP 5.08

-81.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 SBD 203

$41.65 TOP 99.0

-39.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 SBD 10.28

$2.05 TOP 4.88

-38.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 SBD 9.72

$2.07 TOP 4.92

-42.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.60 SBD 102

$41.16 TOP 97.9

-69.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SBD 10.92

$1.47 TOP 3.50

-8.16%

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

$18.7K SBD 151.1K

$5,817 TOP 13.8K

221.61%

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

$34.1K SBD 275.9K

$8,461 TOP 20.1K

303.58%

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

$429 SBD 3,466

$188 TOP 446

128.68%

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

$27.02 SBD 218

$22.27 TOP 52.9

21.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.0 SBD 719

$123 TOP 291

-27.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.76 SBD 297

$31.62 TOP 75.2

16.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 SBD 72.2

$40.72 TOP 96.8

-78.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 SBD 35.66

$40.75 TOP 96.9

-89.18%

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

$100 SBD 811

$157 TOP 373

-35.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,898 SBD 23.4K

$248 TOP 589

1070.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 SBD 224

$14.35 TOP 34.11

93.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.5 SBD 755

$17.98 TOP 42.74

420.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 SBD 774

$20.42 TOP 48.53

369.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SBD 830

$29.28 TOP 69.6

250.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 SBD 7,027

$619 TOP 1,472

40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 SBD 3,508

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 SBD 14.9K

$831 TOP 1,976

122.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 SBD 11.3K

$560 TOP 1,331

149.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.4K SBD 698.3K

$418 TOP 993

20601.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.1K SBD 501.4K

$252 TOP 598

24554.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$444 SBD 3,585

$680 TOP 1,616

-34.73%

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 Nuku'alofa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honiara

$545 31.8%

Nuku'alofa

$332 32.6% 39% $213

Accommodation & Living

Honiara

$434 25.3%

Nuku'alofa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Nuku'alofa

$292 28.6% 15.3% $53

Eating Out

Honiara

$167 9.7%

Nuku'alofa

$183 17.9% 9.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Nuku'alofa

$37 3.6% 74.4% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Nuku'alofa

$113 11.1% 148% $68

Getting Around

Honiara

$34 2%

Nuku'alofa

$63 6.1% 84.3% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $870 in Honiara versus $619 in Nuku'alofa. 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 53% higher in Nuku'alofa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Honiara versus $62.0 in Nuku'alofa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $292 – making Nuku'alofa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Honiara

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

22:45 10:45 PM

2 h ahead of Honiara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,600 Capital

24,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

1 TOP = 0.421 USD

1 TOP = 0.375 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, 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).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.38 TOP (1 TOP = 0.421 USD). 1 EUR = 2.66 TOP (1 TOP = 0.375 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Honiara Nuku'alofa 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Honiara
Nuku'alofa

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 Nuku'alofa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,742 in Honiara, $1,019 in Nuku'alofa – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,614 per month in Honiara and $1,529 in Nuku'alofa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 18% more in Honiara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Honiara and $62.0 in Nuku'alofa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nuku'alofa, where all-in costs run around $1,019, than in Honiara at $1,742. In Nuku'alofa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nuku'alofa – 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 Nuku'alofa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Honiara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.