Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Paramaribo Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Paramaribo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,120 per month in Honiara vs $999 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,756 per month in Honiara vs $1,716 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,393 per month in Honiara vs $2,433 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Honiara costs about 112% more than Paramaribo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Honiara sits 59% above the global median, while Paramaribo is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 SBD 47.33

$8.27 SRD 310

-29.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.8 SBD 418

$42.85 SRD 1,606

20.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 SBD 96.0

$10.58 SRD 397

12.48%

Cappuccino

$3.10 SBD 25.01

$2.70 SRD 101

14.81%

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

$1.38 SBD 11.15

$1.24 SRD 46.36

11.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.32

$0.83 SRD 31.04

24.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SBD 14.86

$3.07 SRD 115

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 SBD 29.50

$4.01 SRD 150

-8.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 SBD 21.30

$1.72 SRD 64.6

53.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 SBD 11.88

$1.28 SRD 47.88

14.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 SBD 12.58

$1.67 SRD 62.6

-6.59%

Eggs

$5.29 SBD 42.72

$3.50 SRD 131

51.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 SBD 31.90

$12.35 SRD 463

-68.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 SBD 67.3

$5.55 SRD 208

50.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 SBD 119

$9.84 SRD 369

50.30%

Apples (1kg)

$7.59 SBD 61.3

$4.44 SRD 167

70.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SBD 21.17

$2.04 SRD 76.6

28.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.53 SBD 60.8

$3.13 SRD 117

140.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 SBD 26.97

$5.39 SRD 202

-38.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 SBD 16.19

$1.28 SRD 48.16

57.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 SBD 26.35

$2.08 SRD 78.1

57.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 SBD 10.77

$1.84 SRD 69.0

-27.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 SBD 8.97

$1.48 SRD 55.6

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 SBD 31.36

$5.58 SRD 209

-30.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 SBD 83.6

$7.92 SRD 297

30.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 SBD 14.59

$2.28 SRD 85.3

-20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 SBD 25.81

$3.32 SRD 124

-3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 SBD 4.01

$0.46 SRD 17.19

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.80 SBD 192

$89.4 SRD 3,352

-73.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 SBD 9.92

$2.98 SRD 112

-58.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 SBD 9.42

$2.54 SRD 95.3

-53.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 SBD 95.9

$10.07 SRD 377

18.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 SBD 10.49

$1.10 SRD 41.23

18.18%

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

$24.6K SRD 920.9K

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

$25.3K SRD 947.6K

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

$705 SBD 5,688

$39.43 SRD 1,478

1687.80%

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

$26.04 SBD 210

$26.19 SRD 982

-0.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 SBD 696

$29.06 SRD 1,089

196.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.67 SRD 475

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.16 SBD 49.67

$19.82 SRD 743

-68.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.23 SBD 26.09

$4.58 SRD 172

-29.48%

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

$95.3 SBD 769

$61.8 SRD 2,317

54.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,775 SBD 22.4K

$1,950 SRD 73.1K

42.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.99 SBD 161

$36.10 SRD 1,353

-44.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.1 SBD 719

$28.89 SRD 1,083

208.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 SBD 619

$75.3 SRD 2,822

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 SBD 618

$110 SRD 4,133

-30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 SBD 4,290

$503 SRD 18.9K

5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 SBD 5,056

$217 SRD 8,128

189.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 SBD 9,822

$1,091 SRD 40.9K

11.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 SBD 6,803

$568 SRD 21.3K

48.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.3K SBD 704.2K

$465 SRD 17.4K

18650.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$61.9K SBD 499.1K

$407 SRD 15.2K

15105.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$692 SBD 5,584

$276 SRD 10.3K

150.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

-2.06%

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

Last update for Honiara: July 13, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $532 in Honiara versus $503 in Paramaribo. 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 151% higher in Honiara, 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 $52.0 in Honiara versus $43.00 in Paramaribo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $286 – making Paramaribo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Paramaribo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,120 in Honiara, $999 in Paramaribo – roughly 112% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,180 per month in Honiara and $1,499 in Paramaribo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 17% 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 $52.0 in Honiara and $43.00 in Paramaribo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paramaribo, where all-in costs run around $999, than in Honiara at $2,120. In Paramaribo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Paramaribo. 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.