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 $1,879 per month in New Zealand vs $2,092 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,895 per month in New Zealand vs $2,853 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,911 per month in New Zealand vs $3,614 in Solomon Islands, rent included.

The cost of living in New Zealand is roughly 10% lower than in 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 57%.

The regional cost range is wider in New Zealand ($1,416–$2,791) than in Solomon Islands ($2,055–$2,129), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.11 NZ$25.99

$4.61 SBD 37.19

227.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 NZ$137

$53.3 SBD 431

49.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 NZ$16.93

$11.83 SBD 95.6

-16.82%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NZ$6.00

$3.14 SBD 25.38

11.15%

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

$2.32 NZ$3.99

$1.54 SBD 12.45

50.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NZ$3.78

$1.23 SBD 9.97

78.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.48

$2.38 SBD 19.18

180.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 NZ$11.46

$3.38 SBD 27.32

97.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.22

$2.74 SBD 22.15

-31.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NZ$3.36

$1.46 SBD 11.75

33.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.11

$1.50 SBD 12.14

20.67%

Eggs

$6.53 NZ$11.22

$5.61 SBD 45.34

16.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 NZ$14.61

$5.78 SBD 46.67

46.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 NZ$16.31

$8.20 SBD 66.2

15.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.11 NZ$22.55

$14.15 SBD 114

-7.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 NZ$4.84

$8.26 SBD 66.7

-65.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$4.01

$2.77 SBD 22.40

-15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.13

$7.21 SBD 58.2

-58.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NZ$8.19

$3.26 SBD 26.36

46.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.44

$2.26 SBD 18.27

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.08

$3.14 SBD 25.33

-42.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 NZ$4.11

$1.47 SBD 11.88

62.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.05

$1.13 SBD 9.12

5.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.81 NZ$40.94

$3.95 SBD 31.93

502.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.43 NZ$16.22

$12.41 SBD 100

-24.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 NZ$5.33

$1.80 SBD 14.57

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.05

$2.90 SBD 23.45

21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 NZ$4.12

$0.35 SBD 2.81

585.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$185

$30.36 SBD 245

254.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 NZ$4.26

$1.21 SBD 9.77

104.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.33

$1.16 SBD 9.39

67.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 NZ$62.5

$11.87 SBD 95.8

206.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.89

$1.41 SBD 11.42

19.15%

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

$27.4K NZ$47.1K

$19.7K SBD 159.4K

38.72%

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

$21.8K NZ$37.5K

$20.8K SBD 168.1K

4.67%

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

$139 NZ$239

$717 SBD 5,793

-80.64%

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

$34.82 NZ$59.9

$23.45 SBD 189

48.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 NZ$88.7

$97.8 SBD 790

-47.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.78 NZ$63.3

$18.32 SBD 148

100.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 NZ$26.07

$6.04 SBD 48.80

150.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NZ$20.61

$4.15 SBD 33.47

188.67%

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

$769 NZ$1,322

$120 SBD 968

541.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K NZ$20.3K

$2,212 SBD 17.9K

434.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 NZ$117

$24.81 SBD 200

173.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.35 NZ$72.8

$88.2 SBD 712

-51.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 NZ$166

$95.2 SBD 769

1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$204

$88.9 SBD 718

33.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 NZ$1,880

$516 SBD 4,167

111.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 NZ$1,592

$478 SBD 3,857

93.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 NZ$3,027

$1,143 SBD 9,229

54.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,546 NZ$2,659

$921 SBD 7,439

67.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,677 NZ$9,761

$87.7K SBD 708.0K

-93.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,675 NZ$6,319

$60.7K SBD 490.4K

-93.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,864 NZ$4,926

$455 SBD 3,674

529.57%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Solomon Islands: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $985 in New Zealand vs $563 in Solomon Islands. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,295 in Wellington and $547 in Honiara.

Average salary: $3,054 in New Zealand vs $550 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 152% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 455% higher in New Zealand, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Zealand.

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 1% 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 1% 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.