Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,132 per month in Honiara vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,750 per month in Honiara vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,369 per month in Honiara vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Honiara costs about 64% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Honiara sits 59% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.10 SBD 48.96

$11.73 MX$203

-48.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 SBD 410

$41.62 MX$720

22.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 SBD 95.6

$10.64 MX$184

12.03%

Cappuccino

$3.00 SBD 24.09

$3.52 MX$60.9

-14.77%

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

$1.39 SBD 11.13

$1.51 MX$26.12

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.61

$0.97 MX$16.84

10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SBD 14.59

$2.95 MX$51.0

-38.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 SBD 28.42

$4.45 MX$77.0

-20.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 SBD 20.52

$1.38 MX$23.93

85.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 SBD 11.92

$1.89 MX$32.72

-21.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 SBD 12.33

$1.64 MX$28.32

-6.10%

Eggs

$5.49 SBD 44.07

$2.51 MX$43.34

118.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 SBD 31.70

$8.34 MX$144

-52.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 SBD 67.4

$8.34 MX$144

0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 SBD 117

$10.73 MX$186

35.41%

Apples (1kg)

$7.63 SBD 61.2

$2.60 MX$45.04

193.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SBD 21.52

$1.46 MX$25.20

83.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.83 SBD 62.8

$1.90 MX$32.87

312.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 SBD 26.81

$2.08 MX$35.91

60.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 SBD 15.66

$1.78 MX$30.71

9.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 SBD 26.64

$2.19 MX$37.80

51.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 SBD 10.73

$1.04 MX$17.99

28.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SBD 8.59

$1.08 MX$18.62

-0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 SBD 31.56

$4.08 MX$70.6

-3.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 SBD 83.9

$10.32 MX$178

1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SBD 14.86

$1.71 MX$29.61

8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 SBD 25.72

$2.58 MX$44.54

24.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 SBD 3.73

$0.51 MX$8.81

-7.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.71 SBD 190

$26.46 MX$458

-10.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 SBD 9.71

$3.26 MX$56.4

-62.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 SBD 9.35

$2.49 MX$43.09

-53.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.88 SBD 95.4

$3.25 MX$56.2

265.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 SBD 10.36

$1.31 MX$22.61

-1.53%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

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

$709 SBD 5,688

$82.9 MX$1,433

755.46%

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

$26.03 SBD 209

$22.22 MX$384

17.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.9 SBD 689

$29.34 MX$507

192.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.96 SBD 47.81

$18.32 MX$317

-67.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.35 SBD 26.86

$5.07 MX$87.6

-33.93%

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

$94.6 SBD 759

$201 MX$3,473

-52.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,788 SBD 22.4K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-46.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.64 SBD 166

$36.92 MX$639

-44.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.8 SBD 728

$39.79 MX$688

128.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 SBD 607

$78.5 MX$1,357

-3.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 SBD 602

$87.1 MX$1,506

-13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 SBD 4,390

$973 MX$16.8K

-43.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 SBD 5,005

$468 MX$8,090

33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 SBD 9,913

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 SBD 6,707

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-31.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$85.7K SBD 687.5K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

2071.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.9K SBD 504.9K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

868.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$699 SBD 5,606

$664 MX$11.5K

5.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

11.42

37.22%

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

Last update for Honiara: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $547 in Honiara versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. 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 5% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen 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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,132 in Honiara, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 64% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,198 per month in Honiara and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 35% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Honiara at $2,132. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $2,132 in Honiara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. 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.