Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Honiara and Seoul

For one person, living costs are similar in Honiara and in Seoul: $1,742 and $1,822 a month, rent and utilities included.

83

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,742

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Honiara and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Honiara and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,742 per month in Honiara vs $1,822 in Seoul, rent included.

Honiara $1,742
Seoul $1,822

A couple spends around $2,873 per month in Honiara vs $2,847 in Seoul, rent included.

Honiara $2,873
Seoul $2,847

A family of three spends $4,004 per month in Honiara vs $3,872 in Seoul, rent included.

Honiara $4,004
Seoul $3,872

Honiara is about 4% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Honiara and Seoul sit above the global median – Honiara by 30%, Seoul by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 SBD 53.8

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-26.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 SBD 507

$67.0 ₩89.8K

-6.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 SBD 101

$7.42 ₩9,941

68.87%

Cappuccino

$3.48 SBD 28.14

$4.08 ₩5,470

-14.71%

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

$1.60 SBD 12.89

$1.60 ₩2,141

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 SBD 8.49

$0.80 ₩1,078

31.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 SBD 19.58

$3.65 ₩4,886

-33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 46.04

$5.94 ₩7,956

-4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 SBD 20.75

$2.05 ₩2,742

25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 SBD 12.00

$3.08 ₩4,130

-51.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 SBD 13.28

$4.21 ₩5,646

-61.05%

Eggs

$5.48 SBD 44.27

$3.57 ₩4,784

53.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 SBD 53.4

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-63.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 SBD 67.4

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-21.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 SBD 123

$26.44 ₩35.4K

-42.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.39 SBD 51.6

$7.42 ₩9,946

-13.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SBD 21.83

$3.53 ₩4,732

-23.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.70 SBD 70.2

$5.87 ₩7,866

48.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 SBD 29.62

$6.37 ₩8,534

-42.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 SBD 16.09

$3.75 ₩5,028

-46.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 SBD 28.01

$2.49 ₩3,337

39.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 SBD 11.30

$2.92 ₩3,911

-52.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.36

$1.15 ₩1,542

-10.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 SBD 34.39

$3.29 ₩4,408

29.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 SBD 83.7

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-43.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SBD 13.67

$2.28 ₩3,057

-25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 SBD 28.00

$3.28 ₩4,398

5.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.12

$1.14 ₩1,526

-65.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 SBD 203

$45.47 ₩60.9K

-44.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 SBD 10.28

$3.48 ₩4,663

-63.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 SBD 9.72

$0.60 ₩803

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.60 SBD 102

$8.70 ₩11.7K

44.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SBD 10.92

$1.50 ₩2,004

-10.00%

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

$18.7K SBD 151.1K

$29.1K ₩39.0M

-35.74%

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

$34.1K SBD 275.7K

$28.2K ₩37.8M

21.12%

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

$429 SBD 3,464

$209 ₩279.9K

105.40%

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

$27.02 SBD 218

$35.13 ₩47.1K

-23.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.0 SBD 719

$21.18 ₩28.4K

320.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.76 SBD 297

$57.3 ₩76.8K

-35.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 SBD 72.2

$15.89 ₩21.3K

-43.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 SBD 35.65

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-61.08%

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

$100 SBD 811

$1,902 ₩2.5M

-94.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,898 SBD 23.4K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-87.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 SBD 224

$58.9 ₩78.9K

-52.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.5 SBD 755

$32.12 ₩43.0K

191.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 SBD 774

$70.1 ₩94.0K

36.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SBD 829

$82.5 ₩110.5K

24.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 SBD 7,024

$885 ₩1.2M

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 SBD 3,507

$624 ₩835.5K

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 SBD 14.9K

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-25.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 SBD 11.3K

$1,275 ₩1.7M

9.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.4K SBD 698.0K

$29.8K ₩40.0M

189.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.1K SBD 501.2K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

423.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$444 SBD 3,583

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-87.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

4.08

284.07%

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

Last update for Honiara: October 3, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Honiara

$545 31.8%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 51.3% $280

Accommodation & Living

Honiara

$434 25.3%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 43.6% $189

Groceries & Markets

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 39.1% $135

Eating Out

Honiara

$167 9.7%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 10.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 23.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 75.5% $34

Getting Around

Honiara

$34 2%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 66.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $870 in Honiara versus $885 in Seoul. 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 722% higher in Seoul, 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 $63.0 in Honiara versus $67.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $479 – making Honiara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Honiara

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

14:13 2:13 PM

2 h behind Honiara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,600 Capital

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to SBD – Solomon Islands Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Honiara Seoul 6,250 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Honiara
Seoul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,742 in Honiara, $1,822 in Seoul – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,614 per month in Honiara and $2,733 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 39% more in Seoul, 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 $63.0 in Honiara and $67.0 in Seoul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Honiara, where all-in costs run around $1,742, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Honiara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Honiara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.