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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,132 per month in Honiara vs $1,015 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,750 per month in Honiara vs $1,740 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,369 per month in Honiara vs $2,464 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Honiara costs about 110% more than Paramaribo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Honiara sits 59% above the global median, while Paramaribo is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.10 SBD 48.96

$8.42 SRD 311

-27.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 SBD 410

$43.33 SRD 1,598

17.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 SBD 95.6

$10.32 SRD 381

15.50%

Cappuccino

$3.00 SBD 24.09

$2.66 SRD 98.1

12.78%

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

$1.39 SBD 11.13

$1.18 SRD 43.71

17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.61

$0.79 SRD 28.97

35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SBD 14.59

$2.95 SRD 109

-38.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 SBD 28.42

$4.16 SRD 154

-14.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 SBD 20.52

$1.80 SRD 66.5

42.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 SBD 11.92

$1.26 SRD 46.65

18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 SBD 12.33

$1.67 SRD 61.8

-7.78%

Eggs

$5.49 SBD 44.07

$3.46 SRD 128

58.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 SBD 31.70

$12.61 SRD 465

-68.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 SBD 67.4

$5.71 SRD 211

47.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 SBD 117

$9.77 SRD 361

48.72%

Apples (1kg)

$7.63 SBD 61.2

$4.39 SRD 162

73.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SBD 21.52

$1.96 SRD 72.5

36.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.83 SBD 62.8

$3.25 SRD 120

140.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 SBD 26.81

$5.51 SRD 203

-39.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 SBD 15.66

$1.28 SRD 47.11

52.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 SBD 26.64

$2.01 SRD 74.2

65.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 SBD 10.73

$1.91 SRD 70.3

-29.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.59

$1.53 SRD 56.3

-30.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 SBD 31.56

$5.71 SRD 211

-31.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 SBD 83.9

$7.84 SRD 289

33.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SBD 14.86

$2.21 SRD 81.7

-16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 SBD 25.72

$3.28 SRD 121

-2.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 SBD 3.73

$0.45 SRD 16.68

4.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.71 SBD 190

$91.4 SRD 3,370

-74.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 SBD 9.71

$3.02 SRD 111

-59.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 SBD 9.35

$2.46 SRD 90.7

-52.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.88 SBD 95.4

$9.93 SRD 366

19.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 SBD 10.36

$1.14 SRD 41.87

13.16%

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

$25.1K SRD 925.9K

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

$25.3K SRD 931.6K

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

$709 SBD 5,688

$39.72 SRD 1,465

1684.79%

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

$26.03 SBD 209

$25.69 SRD 948

1.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.9 SBD 689

$29.40 SRD 1,085

192.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.83 SRD 473

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.96 SBD 47.81

$20.21 SRD 745

-70.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.35 SBD 26.86

$4.57 SRD 169

-26.70%

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

$94.6 SBD 759

$63.4 SRD 2,338

49.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,788 SBD 22.4K

$1,939 SRD 71.5K

43.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.64 SBD 166

$35.87 SRD 1,323

-42.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.8 SBD 728

$28.12 SRD 1,037

222.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 SBD 607

$76.3 SRD 2,816

-0.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 SBD 602

$111 SRD 4,107

-32.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 SBD 4,390

$496 SRD 18.3K

10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 SBD 5,005

$214 SRD 7,878

192.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 SBD 9,913

$1,087 SRD 40.1K

13.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 SBD 6,707

$570 SRD 21.0K

46.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$85.7K SBD 687.5K

$479 SRD 17.7K

17791.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.9K SBD 504.9K

$395 SRD 14.6K

15821.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$699 SBD 5,606

$278 SRD 10.3K

151.14%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $547 in Honiara versus $496 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 $51.0 in Honiara versus $43.00 in Paramaribo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $288 – 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: $2,132 in Honiara, $1,015 in Paramaribo – roughly 110% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,198 per month in Honiara and $1,523 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 16% 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 $51.0 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 $1,015, than in Honiara at $2,132. 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.