Cost of Living Comparison Between Palau and Solomon Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between Palau and Solomon Islands

Name: Solomon Islands
Address: SB

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,813 in Palau versus $1,967 in Solomon Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,853 in Palau versus $2,988 in Solomon Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,892 in Palau versus $4,009 in Solomon Islands.

Living in Palau costs about 8% less than in Solomon Islands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Palau 32% above, Solomon Islands 43% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Palau: monthly costs span $1,813 to $1,813, compared to $1,718–$2,216 in Solomon Islands. City choice carries more weight in Palau.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 $11.77

$6.37 SBD 51.0

84.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 $74.0

$64.8 SBD 518

14.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$12.36 SBD 98.9

-19.82%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$3.44 SBD 27.51

15.70%

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

$1.39 $1.39

$1.49 SBD 11.90

-6.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.13 SBD 9.03

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.82 SBD 22.58

-47.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.76 SBD 38.10

-52.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.86 SBD 22.87

-5.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.48 SBD 11.82

116.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.60 SBD 12.81

-83.75%

Eggs

$5.80 $5.80

$5.97 SBD 47.72

-2.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 $9.88

$7.02 SBD 56.2

40.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 $13.67

$8.05 SBD 64.4

69.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.59 $19.59

$14.74 SBD 118

32.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$6.59 SBD 52.7

-20.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.70 SBD 21.63

-19.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$8.38 SBD 67.0

-35.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$16.59 $16.59

$3.71 SBD 29.68

347.17%

Potato (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.21 SBD 17.67

105.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.41 SBD 27.25

-1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.63 SBD 13.04

20.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.21 SBD 9.65

34.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 $11.43

$4.33 SBD 34.62

163.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.94 $22.94

$12.27 SBD 98.1

86.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.75 SBD 13.98

100.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.22 SBD 25.72

1.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 SBD 2.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.83 SBD 255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.22 SBD 9.76

109.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 SBD 10.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 $6.07

$12.56 SBD 100

-51.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.43 SBD 11.42

37.06%

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

$17.7K $17.7K

$20.1K SBD 160.5K

-11.69%

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

$14.9K $14.9K

$28.2K SBD 225.6K

-47.16%

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

$168 $168

$551 SBD 4,408

-69.44%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$24.42 SBD 195

107.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$198 $198

$102 SBD 817

93.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.2 $79.2

$27.59 SBD 221

187.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.31 SBD 74.5

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 SBD 34.46

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

$245 $245

$123 SBD 987

98.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,325 SBD 18.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 $85.6

$26.51 SBD 212

222.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 $65.0

$94.6 SBD 756

-31.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 $197

$99.4 SBD 795

97.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 $193

$101 SBD 808

91.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 $729

$599 SBD 4,793

21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 $516

$522 SBD 4,173

-1.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 $2,178

$1,603 SBD 12.8K

35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$1,349 SBD 10.8K

-29.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.7K SBD 701.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$61.5K SBD 491.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 $783

$475 SBD 3,801

64.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.83

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

Last update for Palau: August 30, 2026

Last update for Solomon Islands: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $786 in Palau, $558 in Solomon Islands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 25% more in Palau.

Salaries are 41% higher in Palau, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Palau.

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

Palau vs Solomon Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,813 per month in Palau and $1,967 in Solomon Islands, there's a 8% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Palau: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Solomon Islands is consistently higher than in Palau across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Palau, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Solomon Islands it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Palau wins on affordability; Solomon Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.