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: $1,703 in Palau versus $2,081 in Solomon Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,741 in Palau versus $2,834 in Solomon Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,779 in Palau versus $3,587 in Solomon Islands.

Living in Palau costs about 18% less than in Solomon Islands on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Palau 27% above, Solomon Islands 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 $11.76

$4.54 SBD 36.03

159.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$53.3 SBD 423

41.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$12.13 SBD 96.3

-19.21%

Cappuccino

$4.14 $4.14

$3.02 SBD 23.95

37.09%

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

$1.41 $1.41

$1.47 SBD 11.65

-4.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.22 SBD 9.70

-10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.35 SBD 18.69

-34.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.36 SBD 26.70

-36.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.73 SBD 21.64

6.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.41 SBD 11.20

115.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.51 SBD 11.96

-82.78%

Eggs

$5.82 $5.82

$5.40 SBD 42.89

7.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$5.95 SBD 47.24

69.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$8.24 SBD 65.4

66.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.41 $19.41

$13.94 SBD 111

39.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$8.54 SBD 67.8

-37.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.74 SBD 21.75

-20.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$7.20 SBD 57.2

-25.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$16.28 $16.28

$3.12 SBD 24.74

421.79%

Potato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.30 SBD 18.28

94.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.25 SBD 25.82

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.48 SBD 11.77

37.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.13 SBD 8.97

50.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 $11.12

$3.96 SBD 31.45

180.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.29 $22.29

$12.62 SBD 100

76.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.85 SBD 14.72

81.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.93 SBD 23.23

15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 SBD 2.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.39 SBD 233

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.21 SBD 9.63

110.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 SBD 9.35

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 $5.94

$11.80 SBD 93.7

-49.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.42 SBD 11.25

21.83%

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

$17.3K $17.3K

$20.0K SBD 158.9K

-13.56%

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

$14.9K $14.9K

$20.7K SBD 164.1K

-27.96%

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

$168 $168

$711 SBD 5,647

-76.33%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$23.49 SBD 187

122.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$131 $131

$97.2 SBD 771

34.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 $55.3

$17.75 SBD 141

211.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.06 SBD 48.08

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 SBD 34.23

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

$202 $202

$118 SBD 937

71.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,906 $1,906

$2,201 SBD 17.5K

-13.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$24.66 SBD 196

156.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 $52.0

$89.5 SBD 711

-41.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 $149

$95.5 SBD 758

56.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 $191

$89.2 SBD 708

114.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 $762

$522 SBD 4,145

46.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 $559

$469 SBD 3,726

19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$1,122 SBD 8,909

54.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$895 SBD 7,108

6.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$85.4K SBD 677.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.8K SBD 498.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$787 $787

$465 SBD 3,690

69.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

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

Last update for Palau: April 21, 2026

Last update for Solomon Islands: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $791 in Palau, $548 in Solomon Islands. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 36% higher in Palau.

Dining out costs 44% more in Palau.

Salaries are 44% higher in Palau, giving Palau 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

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

At $1,703 per month in Palau and $2,081 in Solomon Islands, there's a 22% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Palau is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.