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 $1,718 per month in Honiara vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,864 per month in Honiara vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,010 per month in Honiara vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Honiara costs about 33% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Honiara sits 25% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.93 SBD 55.4

$11.71 MX$199

-40.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 SBD 498

$46.59 MX$791

33.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.50 SBD 99.8

$11.65 MX$198

7.30%

Cappuccino

$3.52 SBD 28.12

$4.09 MX$69.5

-13.94%

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

$1.60 SBD 12.74

$1.37 MX$23.34

16.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 SBD 8.86

$0.83 MX$14.16

33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 SBD 19.76

$3.35 MX$56.9

-26.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 SBD 43.94

$6.91 MX$117

-20.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 SBD 20.61

$1.73 MX$29.33

49.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 SBD 12.31

$2.26 MX$38.39

-31.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 SBD 13.28

$1.77 MX$30.05

-6.21%

Eggs

$5.59 SBD 44.63

$2.73 MX$46.41

104.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 SBD 51.0

$9.18 MX$156

-30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 SBD 67.1

$8.92 MX$151

-5.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 SBD 120

$12.60 MX$214

19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 SBD 49.54

$3.02 MX$51.3

105.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SBD 20.53

$1.57 MX$26.68

63.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.80 SBD 70.3

$2.13 MX$36.10

313.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 SBD 30.05

$2.26 MX$38.46

66.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 SBD 15.37

$2.00 MX$34.04

-3.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 SBD 28.20

$2.06 MX$35.06

71.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 SBD 11.40

$1.18 MX$20.04

21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.21

$1.20 MX$20.45

-14.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 SBD 32.74

$4.63 MX$78.7

-11.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 SBD 84.0

$10.69 MX$182

-1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SBD 14.26

$1.62 MX$27.50

10.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 SBD 28.12

$2.88 MX$48.93

22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.08

$0.57 MX$9.74

-31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.79 SBD 198

$29.83 MX$507

-16.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 SBD 10.18

$5.45 MX$92.5

-76.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SBD 9.71

$3.70 MX$62.9

-67.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.48 SBD 99.7

$5.98 MX$102

108.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 SBD 10.31

$1.55 MX$26.38

-16.77%

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

$18.8K SBD 150.2K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

-15.73%

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

$35.1K SBD 280.3K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

35.26%

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

$444 SBD 3,544

$89.1 MX$1,514

398.04%

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

$27.88 SBD 223

$25.04 MX$425

11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.0 SBD 727

$31.50 MX$535

188.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.67 SBD 293

$67.8 MX$1,151

-45.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.90 SBD 71.1

$28.92 MX$491

-69.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 SBD 35.26

$5.05 MX$85.8

-12.48%

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

$98.5 SBD 786

$225 MX$3,820

-56.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,849 SBD 22.7K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

-32.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.89 SBD 215

$47.44 MX$806

-43.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.2 SBD 737

$44.98 MX$764

105.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 SBD 790

$82.0 MX$1,392

20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SBD 834

$92.1 MX$1,564

13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 SBD 7,201

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 SBD 3,515

$405 MX$6,884

8.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 SBD 15.0K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-2.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SBD 11.2K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

7.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.4K SBD 697.6K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

2086.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.8K SBD 501.1K

$6,626 MX$112.5K

847.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$716 SBD 5,714

$749 MX$12.7K

-4.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

11.45

36.86%

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

Last update for Honiara: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $902 in Honiara versus $1,069 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 Playa del Carmen, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $277 – 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: $1,718 in Honiara, $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 33% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,577 per month in Honiara and $1,940 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 25% 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 $47.00 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 $1,293, than in Honiara at $1,718. 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen to $1,718 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.