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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,071 per month in Paramaribo vs $1,718 in Honiara, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,782 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,864 in Honiara, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,493 per month in Paramaribo vs $4,010 in Honiara, rent included.

Paramaribo is about 38% cheaper than Honiara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Paramaribo sits 22% below the global median, while Honiara is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.05 SRD 490

$6.93 SBD 55.4

88.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 SRD 1,976

$62.4 SBD 498

-15.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 SRD 420

$12.50 SBD 99.8

-10.56%

Cappuccino

$2.89 SRD 109

$3.52 SBD 28.12

-17.90%

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

$1.42 SRD 53.4

$1.60 SBD 12.74

-11.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 SRD 32.32

$1.11 SBD 8.86

-22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 SRD 98.7

$2.47 SBD 19.76

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 SRD 145

$5.50 SBD 43.94

-29.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SRD 69.2

$2.58 SBD 20.61

-28.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SRD 50.2

$1.54 SBD 12.31

-12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 SRD 59.8

$1.66 SBD 13.28

-4.22%

Eggs

$2.96 SRD 111

$5.59 SBD 44.63

-47.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 SRD 411

$6.39 SBD 51.0

71.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 SRD 236

$8.41 SBD 67.1

-25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 SRD 391

$15.00 SBD 120

-30.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 SRD 181

$6.20 SBD 49.54

-22.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 SRD 91.0

$2.57 SBD 20.53

-5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 SRD 137

$8.80 SBD 70.3

-58.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.15 SRD 231

$3.76 SBD 30.05

63.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 SRD 52.7

$1.93 SBD 15.37

-27.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 SRD 72.5

$3.53 SBD 28.20

-45.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 SRD 55.8

$1.43 SBD 11.40

4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SRD 56.8

$1.03 SBD 8.21

46.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.83 SRD 219

$4.10 SBD 32.74

42.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 SRD 303

$10.51 SBD 84.0

-23.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SRD 77.6

$1.79 SBD 14.26

15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 SRD 144

$3.52 SBD 28.12

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 SRD 29.38

$0.39 SBD 3.08

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SRD 3,326

$24.79 SBD 198

257.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 SRD 114

$1.28 SBD 10.18

137.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 SRD 74.4

$1.22 SBD 9.71

62.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 SRD 377

$12.48 SBD 99.7

-19.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 SRD 42.33

$1.29 SBD 10.31

-12.40%

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

$25.3K SRD 948.2K

$18.8K SBD 150.2K

34.20%

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

$25.0K SRD 938.3K

$35.1K SBD 280.3K

-28.81%

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

$38.04 SRD 1,428

$444 SBD 3,544

-91.43%

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

$25.85 SRD 971

$27.88 SBD 223

-7.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.37 SRD 1,141

$91.0 SBD 727

-66.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.40 SRD 466

$36.67 SBD 293

-66.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.01 SRD 714

$8.90 SBD 71.1

113.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 SRD 170

$4.42 SBD 35.26

2.49%

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

$63.7 SRD 2,392

$98.5 SBD 786

-35.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,777 SRD 66.7K

$2,849 SBD 22.7K

-37.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.89 SRD 1,423

$26.89 SBD 215

40.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.05 SRD 1,016

$92.2 SBD 737

-70.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 SRD 2,740

$98.9 SBD 790

-26.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SRD 3,895

$104 SBD 834

-0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 SRD 18.4K

$902 SBD 7,201

-45.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$261 SRD 9,788

$440 SBD 3,515

-40.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 SRD 43.1K

$1,882 SBD 15.0K

-38.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 SRD 18.8K

$1,400 SBD 11.2K

-64.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$476 SRD 17.9K

$87.4K SBD 697.6K

-99.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$398 SRD 14.9K

$62.8K SBD 501.1K

-99.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 SRD 10.7K

$716 SBD 5,714

-60.20%

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Honiara: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $491 in Paramaribo versus $902 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 $53.0 in Paramaribo versus $62.0 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $345 – 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: $1,071 in Paramaribo, $1,718 in Honiara – roughly 60% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,607 per month in Paramaribo 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 Paramaribo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% 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 $53.0 in Paramaribo and $62.0 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 $1,071, than in Honiara at $1,718. 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.