Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Honiara Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Honiara

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,015 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,132 in Honiara, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,740 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,750 in Honiara, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,464 per month in Paramaribo vs $3,369 in Honiara, rent included.

Paramaribo is about 52% cheaper than Honiara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Paramaribo sits 24% below the global median, while Honiara is 59% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 SRD 311

$6.10 SBD 48.96

38.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.33 SRD 1,598

$51.1 SBD 410

-15.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 SRD 381

$11.92 SBD 95.6

-13.42%

Cappuccino

$2.66 SRD 98.1

$3.00 SBD 24.09

-11.33%

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

$1.18 SRD 43.71

$1.39 SBD 11.13

-15.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 SRD 28.97

$1.07 SBD 8.61

-26.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 SRD 109

$1.82 SBD 14.59

62.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 SRD 154

$3.54 SBD 28.42

17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SRD 66.5

$2.56 SBD 20.52

-29.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SRD 46.65

$1.49 SBD 11.92

-15.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 SRD 61.8

$1.54 SBD 12.33

8.44%

Eggs

$3.46 SRD 128

$5.49 SBD 44.07

-36.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 SRD 465

$3.95 SBD 31.70

219.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 SRD 211

$8.40 SBD 67.4

-32.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 SRD 361

$14.53 SBD 117

-32.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 SRD 162

$7.63 SBD 61.2

-42.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 SRD 72.5

$2.68 SBD 21.52

-26.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 SRD 120

$7.83 SBD 62.8

-58.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 SRD 203

$3.34 SBD 26.81

64.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SRD 47.11

$1.95 SBD 15.66

-34.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 SRD 74.2

$3.32 SBD 26.64

-39.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 SRD 70.3

$1.34 SBD 10.73

42.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SRD 56.3

$1.07 SBD 8.59

42.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 SRD 211

$3.93 SBD 31.56

45.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 SRD 289

$10.46 SBD 83.9

-25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 SRD 81.7

$1.85 SBD 14.86

19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 SRD 121

$3.21 SBD 25.72

2.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SRD 16.68

$0.47 SBD 3.73

-4.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.4 SRD 3,370

$23.71 SBD 190

285.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 SRD 111

$1.21 SBD 9.71

149.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 SRD 90.7

$1.17 SBD 9.35

110.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 SRD 366

$11.88 SBD 95.4

-16.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 SRD 41.87

$1.29 SBD 10.36

-11.63%

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

$25.1K SRD 925.9K

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

$25.3K SRD 931.6K

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

$39.72 SRD 1,465

$709 SBD 5,688

-94.40%

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

$25.69 SRD 948

$26.03 SBD 209

-1.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.40 SRD 1,085

$85.9 SBD 689

-65.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.83 SRD 473

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 SRD 745

$5.96 SBD 47.81

239.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 SRD 169

$3.35 SBD 26.86

36.42%

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

$63.4 SRD 2,338

$94.6 SBD 759

-32.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,939 SRD 71.5K

$2,788 SBD 22.4K

-30.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.87 SRD 1,323

$20.64 SBD 166

73.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.12 SRD 1,037

$90.8 SBD 728

-69.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 SRD 2,816

$75.6 SBD 607

0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 SRD 4,107

$75.1 SBD 602

48.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 SRD 18.3K

$547 SBD 4,390

-9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 SRD 7,878

$624 SBD 5,005

-65.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 SRD 40.1K

$1,236 SBD 9,913

-12.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 SRD 21.0K

$836 SBD 6,707

-31.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$479 SRD 17.7K

$85.7K SBD 687.5K

-99.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$395 SRD 14.6K

$62.9K SBD 504.9K

-99.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 SRD 10.3K

$699 SBD 5,606

-60.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

2.11%

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

Last update for Paramaribo: June 1, 2026

Last update for Honiara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $496 in Paramaribo versus $547 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 151% higher in Honiara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Paramaribo versus $51.0 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $336 – making Paramaribo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Paramaribo vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,015 in Paramaribo, $2,132 in Honiara – roughly 110% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,523 per month in Paramaribo and $3,198 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $43.00 in Paramaribo and $51.0 in Honiara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paramaribo, where all-in costs run around $1,015, than in Honiara at $2,132. In Paramaribo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Paramaribo. 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.