Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $1,718 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

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Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honiara and in Palmerston North

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

A single person spends $1,718 per month in Honiara vs $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent included.

Honiara $1,718
Palmerston North $1,562

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Honiara vs $2,537 in Palmerston North, rent included.

Honiara $2,833
Palmerston North $2,537

A family of three spends $3,948 per month in Honiara vs $3,511 in Palmerston North, rent included.

Honiara $3,948
Palmerston North $3,511

Honiara costs about 10% more than Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Honiara and Palmerston North sit above the global median – Honiara by 27%, Palmerston North by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.94 SBD 56.0

$13.50 NZ$23.87

-48.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 SBD 502

$63.7 NZ$113

-2.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 SBD 101

$8.80 NZ$15.56

42.73%

Cappuccino

$3.49 SBD 28.17

$3.13 NZ$5.54

11.50%

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

$1.58 SBD 12.75

$2.36 NZ$4.18

-33.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 SBD 8.90

$1.68 NZ$2.97

-34.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.59

$6.43 NZ$11.38

-60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 45.93

$6.52 NZ$11.53

-12.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 SBD 20.01

$1.84 NZ$3.26

34.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 SBD 12.42

$2.14 NZ$3.78

-28.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SBD 13.29

$1.37 NZ$2.42

20.44%

Eggs

$5.51 SBD 44.40

$4.85 NZ$8.58

13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 SBD 51.8

$6.41 NZ$11.34

0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 SBD 69.2

$9.50 NZ$16.80

-9.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 SBD 124

$10.78 NZ$19.06

42.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.4

$2.54 NZ$4.48

151.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 SBD 20.89

$2.23 NZ$3.94

16.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.44 SBD 68.1

$2.30 NZ$4.07

266.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 SBD 29.48

$5.53 NZ$9.78

-33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 SBD 15.60

$1.41 NZ$2.49

37.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 SBD 27.53

$0.86 NZ$1.53

296.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SBD 11.72

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.62

$0.75 NZ$1.33

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 SBD 33.67

$22.06 NZ$39.00

-81.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 SBD 86.3

$7.91 NZ$13.99

35.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SBD 14.36

$2.65 NZ$4.69

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 SBD 26.98

$2.78 NZ$4.91

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 SBD 3.09

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-90.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 SBD 201

$82.3 NZ$146

-69.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 SBD 9.70

$1.87 NZ$3.30

-35.83%

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

$16.63 NZ$29.40

-25.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 SBD 10.50

$1.64 NZ$2.90

-20.73%

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

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

-12.71%

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

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

45.11%

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

$427 SBD 3,440

$68.2 NZ$121

525.54%

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

$27.52 SBD 222

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-14.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 SBD 716

$34.64 NZ$61.3

156.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 SBD 300

$21.79 NZ$38.54

70.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.24 SBD 74.5

$14.08 NZ$24.90

-34.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 SBD 34.29

$11.60 NZ$20.52

-63.36%

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

$98.2 SBD 792

$1,034 NZ$1,829

-90.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

-66.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.02 SBD 218

$69.5 NZ$123

-61.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.7 SBD 756

$27.70 NZ$48.98

238.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 SBD 768

$83.1 NZ$147

14.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SBD 834

$82.5 NZ$146

25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 SBD 7,263

$906 NZ$1,602

-0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 SBD 3,518

$639 NZ$1,129

-31.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

$1,587 NZ$2,807

17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

$1,311 NZ$2,318

8.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

$2,023 NZ$3,577

4187.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

$1,836 NZ$3,247

3337.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$443 SBD 3,574

$2,494 NZ$4,411

-82.23%

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 Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honiara

$543 31.6%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 75.1% $408

Accommodation & Living

Honiara

$436 25.4%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 46.4% $202

Groceries & Markets

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 17.9% $62

Eating Out

Honiara

$170 9.9%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 37.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 17.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 1.6% $0.7

Getting Around

Honiara

$34 2%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 223% $75

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Honiara versus $906 in Palmerston North. 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 463% higher in Palmerston North, 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 $62.0 in Honiara versus $64.0 in Palmerston North. Groceries tell a different story – $345 in Honiara vs $283 in Palmerston North – so Palmerston North wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Honiara

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

2 h ahead of Honiara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,600 Capital

90,500

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Honiara Palmerston North 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Honiara
Palmerston North

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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,718 in Honiara, $1,562 in Palmerston North – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in Honiara and $2,343 in Palmerston North. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 22% 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 $62.0 in Honiara and $64.0 in Palmerston North. 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 Palmerston North, where all-in costs run around $1,562, than in Honiara at $1,718. In Palmerston North it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palmerston North – 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 Palmerston North. 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.