Cost of Living Comparison Between New Zealand and Solomon Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between New Zealand and Solomon Islands

Name: Solomon Islands
Address: SB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,883 per month in New Zealand vs $2,117 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,895 per month in New Zealand vs $2,846 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,906 per month in New Zealand vs $3,574 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

New Zealand is roughly 11% cheaper than Solomon Islands on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both New Zealand and Solomon Islands are pricier than the global median – New Zealand by 41%, Solomon Islands by 58%.

New Zealand has a wider regional cost range ($1,438–$2,730) than Solomon Islands ($2,103–$2,132), so location matters more when choosing where to live in New Zealand.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.99 NZ$25.85

$4.45 SBD 35.84

236.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 NZ$136

$54.3 SBD 436

45.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 NZ$16.67

$12.00 SBD 96.6

-19.42%

Cappuccino

$3.54 NZ$6.10

$3.02 SBD 24.30

17.22%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.06

$1.51 SBD 12.19

56.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NZ$3.77

$1.17 SBD 9.41

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 NZ$11.47

$2.46 SBD 19.83

170.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 NZ$11.36

$3.24 SBD 26.07

103.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.09

$2.63 SBD 21.19

-31.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NZ$3.44

$1.47 SBD 11.80

36.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.15

$1.43 SBD 11.53

27.97%

Eggs

$6.35 NZ$10.95

$5.43 SBD 43.67

16.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 NZ$14.51

$5.86 SBD 47.16

43.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 NZ$16.44

$8.30 SBD 66.8

14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.40 NZ$23.11

$14.33 SBD 115

-6.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 NZ$4.94

$8.29 SBD 66.7

-65.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 NZ$3.91

$2.65 SBD 21.29

-14.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.24

$7.34 SBD 59.0

-58.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 NZ$8.36

$3.23 SBD 26.03

50.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.45

$2.31 SBD 18.58

-13.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$2.96

$3.14 SBD 25.26

-45.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$3.94

$1.47 SBD 11.80

55.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.07

$1.14 SBD 9.17

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.38 NZ$42.05

$3.96 SBD 31.88

515.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 NZ$16.64

$12.63 SBD 102

-23.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 NZ$5.10

$1.85 SBD 14.89

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 NZ$6.31

$2.92 SBD 23.48

25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 NZ$4.21

$0.34 SBD 2.76

617.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 NZ$188

$29.78 SBD 240

265.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 NZ$4.12

$1.19 SBD 9.57

100.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.21

$1.22 SBD 9.82

52.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.86 NZ$61.9

$11.92 SBD 95.9

200.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.00

$1.39 SBD 11.20

25.18%

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

$28.2K NZ$48.7K

$19.8K SBD 159.0K

42.93%

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

$21.9K NZ$37.8K

$21.3K SBD 171.1K

2.93%

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

$136 NZ$235

$728 SBD 5,854

-81.31%

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

$35.36 NZ$61.0

$23.37 SBD 188

51.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$88.8

$97.2 SBD 782

-47.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.11 NZ$64.0

$18.03 SBD 145

105.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 NZ$25.45

$5.88 SBD 47.28

151.02%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 NZ$21.21

$4.30 SBD 34.62

186.05%

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

$778 NZ$1,342

$119 SBD 961

551.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

$2,249 SBD 18.1K

432.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 NZ$119

$24.41 SBD 196

183.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 NZ$74.4

$89.1 SBD 717

-51.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 NZ$172

$96.2 SBD 774

3.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 NZ$206

$90.0 SBD 724

33.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NZ$1,898

$523 SBD 4,205

110.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 NZ$1,560

$474 SBD 3,813

90.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 NZ$3,032

$1,106 SBD 8,900

58.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 NZ$2,657

$910 SBD 7,325

69.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,843 NZ$10.1K

$86.7K SBD 697.6K

-93.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,792 NZ$6,541

$61.6K SBD 495.4K

-93.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,040 NZ$5,243

$472 SBD 3,801

543.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

16.33

-58.73%

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

Last update for New Zealand: June 2, 2026

Last update for Solomon Islands: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $987 in New Zealand vs $563 in Solomon Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,339 in Wellington and $547 in Honiara.

Average salary: $3,151 in New Zealand vs $545 in Solomon Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 75% higher in New Zealand.

Dining out costs 42% more in New Zealand.

Public transport is 156% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 478% higher in New Zealand, giving New Zealand stronger purchasing power.

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

New Zealand vs Solomon Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 2% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Solomon Islands, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Solomon Islands consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in New Zealand, contributing to the overall 2% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand, but in Solomon Islands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

New Zealand is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.