Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paeroa and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Honiara: $1,718 a month against $1,838 in Paeroa, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Paeroa
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,838
/mo nomad
Honiara
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
$1,718
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paeroa and in Honiara

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

A single person spends $1,838 per month in Paeroa vs $1,718 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Paeroa $1,838
  • Honiara $1,718

A couple spends around $2,712 per month in Paeroa vs $2,833 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Paeroa $2,712
  • Honiara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,586 per month in Paeroa vs $3,948 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Paeroa $3,586
  • Honiara $3,948

Paeroa costs about 7% more than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Paeroa and Honiara sit above the global median – Paeroa by 36%, Honiara by 27%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.36 NZ$21.86
$6.94 SBD 56.0
78.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.9 NZ$125
$62.3 SBD 502
13.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.71 NZ$15.41
$12.56 SBD 101
-30.65%
Cappuccino
$2.81 NZ$4.97
$3.49 SBD 28.17
-19.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 NZ$3.85
$1.58 SBD 12.75
37.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 NZ$3.53
$1.10 SBD 8.90
80.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.08 NZ$10.75
$2.55 SBD 20.59
138.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.76 NZ$10.18
$5.70 SBD 45.93
1.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.80 NZ$3.18
$2.48 SBD 20.01
-27.42%
White Bread (500g)
$2.01 NZ$3.55
$1.54 SBD 12.42
30.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.73 NZ$3.07
$1.65 SBD 13.29
4.85%
Eggs
$5.79 NZ$10.24
$5.51 SBD 44.40
5.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.09 NZ$14.31
$6.43 SBD 51.8
25.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.11 NZ$16.11
$8.58 SBD 69.2
6.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.11 NZ$24.95
$15.40 SBD 124
-8.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.66 NZ$4.71
$6.38 SBD 51.4
-58.31%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 NZ$3.90
$2.59 SBD 20.89
-14.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.07 NZ$5.42
$8.44 SBD 68.1
-63.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.49 NZ$9.72
$3.66 SBD 29.48
50.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 NZ$3.46
$1.94 SBD 15.60
1.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.46 NZ$2.59
$3.41 SBD 27.53
-57.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.07 NZ$3.65
$1.45 SBD 11.72
42.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 NZ$1.96
$1.07 SBD 8.62
3.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$26.07 NZ$46.11
$4.18 SBD 33.67
523.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 NZ$15.58
$10.70 SBD 86.3
-17.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.29 NZ$5.82
$1.78 SBD 14.36
84.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 NZ$5.87
$3.35 SBD 26.98
-0.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.76 NZ$3.11
$0.38 SBD 3.09
363.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.9 NZ$127
$24.88 SBD 201
188.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.41 NZ$4.26
$1.20 SBD 9.70
100.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.83 NZ$3.24
$1.21 SBD 9.79
51.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.08 NZ$53.2
$12.41 SBD 100
142.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 NZ$3.05
$1.30 SBD 10.50
32.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.8K NZ$40.4K
$18.8K SBD 151.8K
21.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K NZ$42.4K
$34.7K SBD 279.9K
-30.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$110 NZ$194
$427 SBD 3,440
-74.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.93 NZ$49.40
$27.52 SBD 222
1.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.5 NZ$89.4
$88.8 SBD 716
-43.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.68 NZ$73.7
$37.21 SBD 300
12.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$9.24 SBD 74.5
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.54 NZ$18.64
$4.25 SBD 34.29
148.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$665 NZ$1,176
$98.2 SBD 792
576.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K NZ$29.8K
$2,891 SBD 23.3K
483.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 NZ$102
$27.02 SBD 218
113.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.74 NZ$70.3
$93.7 SBD 756
-57.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.9 NZ$157
$95.3 SBD 768
-6.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.0 NZ$172
$104 SBD 834
-6.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$978 NZ$1,729
$901 SBD 7,263
8.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$834 NZ$1,474
$436 SBD 3,518
91.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$879 NZ$1,554
$1,867 SBD 15.1K
-52.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,253 NZ$2,215
$1,422 SBD 11.5K
-11.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,878 NZ$8,626
$86.7K SBD 699.2K
-94.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,829 NZ$5,004
$63.1K SBD 508.8K
-95.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Paeroa
Honiara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$443 SBD 3,574
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
15.67
-64.45%

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

Last update for Paeroa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Paeroa
$834
Honiara
$436 47.7% $397
Groceries & Markets
Paeroa
$318
Honiara
$345 8.6% $27
Eating Out
Paeroa
$217
Honiara
$170 21.8% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paeroa
$188
Honiara
$543 188% $355
Clothing & Footwear
Paeroa
$128
Honiara
$144 12.7% $16
Getting Around
Paeroa
$91
Honiara
$34 62.8% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Paeroa
$63
Honiara
$46 27.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Paeroa versus $901 in Honiara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Paeroa versus $62.0 in Honiara. Groceries tell a different story – $318 in Paeroa vs $345 in Honiara – so Paeroa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Paeroa
🇸🇧 Honiara
🕒 Local time
13:09 1:09 PM
11:09 11:09 AM
2 h behind Paeroa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,000
54,600 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Paeroa Honiara 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Paeroa
  • Honiara

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
Paeroa vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Paeroa and in Honiara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,838 in Paeroa, $1,718 in Honiara – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Paeroa compared to Honiara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,757 per month in Paeroa and $2,577 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Paeroa and Honiara?
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.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Paeroa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Paeroa and $62.0 in Honiara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Honiara, where all-in costs run around $1,718, than in Paeroa at $1,838. In Honiara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paeroa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Paeroa or Honiara?
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.
Is Paeroa or Honiara safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Paeroa and Honiara?
If budget matters most, go with Honiara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Paeroa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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