Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $1,718 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North and in Honiara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,562 per month in Palmerston North vs $1,718 in Honiara, rent included.

Palmerston North $1,562
Honiara $1,718

A couple spends around $2,537 per month in Palmerston North vs $2,833 in Honiara, rent included.

Palmerston North $2,537
Honiara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,511 per month in Palmerston North vs $3,948 in Honiara, rent included.

Palmerston North $3,511
Honiara $3,948

Palmerston North is about 9% cheaper than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Palmerston North and Honiara sit above the global median – Palmerston North by 16%, Honiara by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$6.94 SBD 56.0

94.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$62.3 SBD 502

2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$12.56 SBD 101

-29.94%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$3.49 SBD 28.17

-10.32%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$1.58 SBD 12.75

49.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$1.10 SBD 8.90

52.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$2.55 SBD 20.59

152.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$5.70 SBD 45.93

14.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$2.48 SBD 20.01

-25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$1.54 SBD 12.42

38.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.65 SBD 13.29

-16.97%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$5.51 SBD 44.40

-11.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$6.43 SBD 51.8

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$8.58 SBD 69.2

10.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$15.40 SBD 124

-30.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$6.38 SBD 51.4

-60.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$2.59 SBD 20.89

-13.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$8.44 SBD 68.1

-72.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$3.66 SBD 29.48

51.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$1.94 SBD 15.60

-27.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$3.41 SBD 27.53

-74.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$1.45 SBD 11.72

18.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$1.07 SBD 8.62

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$4.18 SBD 33.67

427.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$10.70 SBD 86.3

-26.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$1.78 SBD 14.36

48.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$3.35 SBD 26.98

-17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$0.38 SBD 3.09

934.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$24.88 SBD 201

230.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$1.20 SBD 9.70

55.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$1.21 SBD 9.79

47.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$12.41 SBD 100

34.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.30 SBD 10.50

26.15%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

14.56%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

-31.09%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$427 SBD 3,440

-84.01%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$27.52 SBD 222

16.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$88.8 SBD 716

-60.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$37.21 SBD 300

-41.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$9.24 SBD 74.5

52.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$4.25 SBD 34.29

172.94%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$98.2 SBD 792

952.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

195.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$27.02 SBD 218

157.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$93.7 SBD 756

-70.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$95.3 SBD 768

-12.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$104 SBD 834

-20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$901 SBD 7,263

0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$436 SBD 3,518

46.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

-14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

-7.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

-97.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

-97.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$443 SBD 3,574

462.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

15.67

-65.60%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: 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

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Honiara

$436 25.4% 31.7% $202

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Honiara

$345 20.1% 21.8% $62

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Honiara

$170 9.9% 27.1% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Honiara

$543 31.6% 302% $408

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Honiara

$144 8.4% 21.6% $26

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Honiara

$34 2% 69% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Honiara

$46 2.7% 1.6% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Palmerston North 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.

Salaries run about 463% higher in Palmerston North, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Palmerston North versus $62.0 in Honiara. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Palmerston North vs $345 in Honiara – so Palmerston North wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

03:44 3:44 AM

2 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

54,600 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Palmerston North Honiara 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

Palmerston North vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North, $1,718 in Honiara – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,343 per month in Palmerston North and $2,577 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palmerston North, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Honiara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Palmerston North and $62.0 in Honiara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palmerston North, where all-in costs run around $1,562, than in Honiara at $1,718. In Palmerston North it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palmerston North – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Palmerston North. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Honiara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.