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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,718 per month in Honiara vs $1,071 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,864 per month in Honiara vs $1,782 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,010 per month in Honiara vs $2,493 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Honiara costs about 60% more than Paramaribo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Honiara sits 25% above the global median, while Paramaribo is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.93 SBD 55.4

$13.05 SRD 490

-46.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 SBD 498

$52.6 SRD 1,976

18.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.50 SBD 99.8

$11.18 SRD 420

11.81%

Cappuccino

$3.52 SBD 28.12

$2.89 SRD 109

21.80%

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

$1.60 SBD 12.74

$1.42 SRD 53.4

12.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 SBD 8.86

$0.86 SRD 32.32

29.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 SBD 19.76

$2.63 SRD 98.7

-6.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 SBD 43.94

$3.86 SRD 145

42.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 SBD 20.61

$1.84 SRD 69.2

40.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 SBD 12.31

$1.34 SRD 50.2

14.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 SBD 13.28

$1.59 SRD 59.8

4.40%

Eggs

$5.59 SBD 44.63

$2.96 SRD 111

88.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 SBD 51.0

$10.96 SRD 411

-41.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 SBD 67.1

$6.30 SRD 236

33.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 SBD 120

$10.42 SRD 391

43.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 SBD 49.54

$4.83 SRD 181

28.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SBD 20.53

$2.42 SRD 91.0

6.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.80 SBD 70.3

$3.64 SRD 137

141.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 SBD 30.05

$6.15 SRD 231

-38.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 SBD 15.37

$1.40 SRD 52.7

37.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 SBD 28.20

$1.93 SRD 72.5

82.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 SBD 11.40

$1.49 SRD 55.8

-4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.21

$1.51 SRD 56.8

-31.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 SBD 32.74

$5.83 SRD 219

-29.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 SBD 84.0

$8.07 SRD 303

30.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SBD 14.26

$2.07 SRD 77.6

-13.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 SBD 28.12

$3.83 SRD 144

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.08

$0.78 SRD 29.38

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.79 SBD 198

$88.6 SRD 3,326

-72.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 SBD 10.18

$3.04 SRD 114

-57.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SBD 9.71

$1.98 SRD 74.4

-38.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.48 SBD 99.7

$10.05 SRD 377

24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 SBD 10.31

$1.13 SRD 42.33

14.16%

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

$18.8K SBD 150.2K

$25.3K SRD 948.2K

-25.49%

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

$35.1K SBD 280.3K

$25.0K SRD 938.3K

40.47%

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

$444 SBD 3,544

$38.04 SRD 1,428

1066.93%

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

$27.88 SBD 223

$25.85 SRD 971

7.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.0 SBD 727

$30.37 SRD 1,141

199.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.67 SBD 293

$12.40 SRD 466

195.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.90 SBD 71.1

$19.01 SRD 714

-53.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 SBD 35.26

$4.53 SRD 170

-2.43%

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

$98.5 SBD 786

$63.7 SRD 2,392

54.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,849 SBD 22.7K

$1,777 SRD 66.7K

60.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.89 SBD 215

$37.89 SRD 1,423

-29.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.2 SBD 737

$27.05 SRD 1,016

241.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 SBD 790

$73.0 SRD 2,740

35.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SBD 834

$104 SRD 3,895

0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 SBD 7,201

$491 SRD 18.4K

83.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 SBD 3,515

$261 SRD 9,788

68.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 SBD 15.0K

$1,148 SRD 43.1K

63.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SBD 11.2K

$500 SRD 18.8K

179.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.4K SBD 697.6K

$476 SRD 17.9K

18252.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.8K SBD 501.1K

$398 SRD 14.9K

15663.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$716 SBD 5,714

$285 SRD 10.7K

151.28%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $902 in Honiara versus $491 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 $62.0 in Honiara versus $53.0 in Paramaribo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $296 – 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: $1,718 in Honiara, $1,071 in Paramaribo – roughly 60% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in Honiara and $1,607 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 $62.0 in Honiara and $53.0 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 $1,071, than in Honiara at $1,718. 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.