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 $1,889 per month in New Zealand vs $2,081 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,902 per month in New Zealand vs $2,834 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,915 per month in New Zealand vs $3,587 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

New Zealand is roughly 9% 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 55%.

New Zealand has a wider regional cost range ($1,457–$2,790) than Solomon Islands ($2,064–$2,098), so location matters more when choosing where to live in New Zealand.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 NZ$25.11

$4.54 SBD 36.17

227.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 NZ$132

$53.3 SBD 425

46.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 NZ$16.74

$12.13 SBD 96.7

-18.30%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.81

$3.02 SBD 24.04

13.91%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.81

$1.47 SBD 11.70

53.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NZ$3.58

$1.22 SBD 9.73

73.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 NZ$11.69

$2.35 SBD 18.76

194.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 NZ$11.10

$3.36 SBD 26.80

95.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.16

$2.73 SBD 21.72

-31.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NZ$3.30

$1.41 SBD 11.24

38.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.11

$1.51 SBD 12.01

21.85%

Eggs

$6.47 NZ$10.94

$5.40 SBD 43.05

19.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 NZ$14.15

$5.95 SBD 47.42

40.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NZ$16.62

$8.24 SBD 65.6

19.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 NZ$22.55

$13.94 SBD 111

-4.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 NZ$4.90

$8.54 SBD 68.0

-66.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$3.89

$2.74 SBD 21.83

-16.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.25

$7.20 SBD 57.4

-56.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NZ$7.85

$3.12 SBD 24.83

48.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.57

$2.30 SBD 18.35

-8.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.01

$3.25 SBD 25.91

-45.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NZ$3.89

$1.48 SBD 11.81

55.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$1.93

$1.13 SBD 9.00

0.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.48 NZ$41.38

$3.96 SBD 31.56

518.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 NZ$16.06

$12.62 SBD 101

-24.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.19

$1.85 SBD 14.77

65.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 NZ$6.00

$2.93 SBD 23.32

21.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 NZ$4.17

$0.35 SBD 2.77

605.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$183

$29.39 SBD 234

267.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 NZ$4.04

$1.21 SBD 9.66

97.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NZ$3.16

$1.18 SBD 9.39

58.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.63 NZ$61.9

$11.80 SBD 94.1

210.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.79

$1.42 SBD 11.29

16.20%

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

$27.7K NZ$46.8K

$20.0K SBD 159.5K

38.32%

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

$22.1K NZ$37.3K

$20.7K SBD 164.7K

6.93%

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

$138 NZ$232

$711 SBD 5,668

-80.66%

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

$35.16 NZ$59.4

$23.49 SBD 187

49.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 NZ$87.4

$97.2 SBD 774

-46.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.42 NZ$63.3

$17.75 SBD 141

110.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.67 NZ$24.79

$6.06 SBD 48.27

142.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.82 NZ$19.98

$4.31 SBD 34.36

174.25%

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

$769 NZ$1,299

$118 SBD 941

551.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K NZ$19.6K

$2,201 SBD 17.5K

427.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 NZ$115

$24.66 SBD 197

175.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.84 NZ$72.4

$89.5 SBD 713

-52.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 NZ$167

$95.5 SBD 761

3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$204

$89.2 SBD 711

35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 NZ$1,835

$522 SBD 4,160

108.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 NZ$1,584

$469 SBD 3,740

99.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 NZ$3,026

$1,122 SBD 8,943

59.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 NZ$2,553

$895 SBD 7,135

68.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,582 NZ$9,433

$85.4K SBD 680.4K

-93.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 NZ$6,284

$62.8K SBD 500.6K

-94.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,988 NZ$5,050

$465 SBD 3,704

542.89%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Solomon Islands: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $983 in New Zealand vs $559 in Solomon Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,318 in Wellington and $537 in Honiara.

Average salary: $3,066 in New Zealand vs $548 in Solomon Islands. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 76% higher in New Zealand.

Dining out costs 46% more in New Zealand.

Public transport is 156% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 459% 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

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

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

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Solomon Islands, but in New Zealand it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Solomon Islands 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.