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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $999 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,120 in Honiara, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,716 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,756 in Honiara, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,433 per month in Paramaribo vs $3,393 in Honiara, rent included.

Paramaribo is about 53% cheaper than Honiara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Paramaribo sits 25% below the global median, while Honiara is 59% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 SRD 310

$5.87 SBD 47.33

40.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.85 SRD 1,606

$51.8 SBD 418

-17.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 SRD 397

$11.90 SBD 96.0

-11.09%

Cappuccino

$2.70 SRD 101

$3.10 SBD 25.01

-12.90%

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

$1.24 SRD 46.36

$1.38 SBD 11.15

-10.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SRD 31.04

$1.03 SBD 8.32

-19.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 SRD 115

$1.84 SBD 14.86

66.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 SRD 150

$3.66 SBD 29.50

9.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SRD 64.6

$2.64 SBD 21.30

-34.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SRD 47.88

$1.47 SBD 11.88

-12.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 SRD 62.6

$1.56 SBD 12.58

7.05%

Eggs

$3.50 SRD 131

$5.29 SBD 42.72

-33.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 SRD 463

$3.95 SBD 31.90

212.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 SRD 208

$8.34 SBD 67.3

-33.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 SRD 369

$14.79 SBD 119

-33.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 SRD 167

$7.59 SBD 61.3

-41.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 SRD 76.6

$2.62 SBD 21.17

-22.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 SRD 117

$7.53 SBD 60.8

-58.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 SRD 202

$3.34 SBD 26.97

61.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SRD 48.16

$2.01 SBD 16.19

-36.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 SRD 78.1

$3.27 SBD 26.35

-36.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 SRD 69.0

$1.33 SBD 10.77

38.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SRD 55.6

$1.11 SBD 8.97

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.58 SRD 209

$3.89 SBD 31.36

43.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 SRD 297

$10.36 SBD 83.6

-23.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 SRD 85.3

$1.81 SBD 14.59

25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 SRD 124

$3.20 SBD 25.81

3.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 SRD 17.19

$0.50 SBD 4.01

-8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 SRD 3,352

$23.80 SBD 192

275.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 SRD 112

$1.23 SBD 9.92

142.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 SRD 95.3

$1.17 SBD 9.42

117.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.07 SRD 377

$11.89 SBD 95.9

-15.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 SRD 41.23

$1.30 SBD 10.49

-15.38%

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

$24.6K SRD 920.9K

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

$25.3K SRD 947.6K

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

$39.43 SRD 1,478

$705 SBD 5,688

-94.41%

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

$26.19 SRD 982

$26.04 SBD 210

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.06 SRD 1,089

$86.2 SBD 696

-66.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.67 SRD 475

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 SRD 743

$6.16 SBD 49.67

221.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 SRD 172

$3.23 SBD 26.09

41.80%

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

$61.8 SRD 2,317

$95.3 SBD 769

-35.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,950 SRD 73.1K

$2,775 SBD 22.4K

-29.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.10 SRD 1,353

$19.99 SBD 161

80.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 SRD 1,083

$89.1 SBD 719

-67.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 SRD 2,822

$76.7 SBD 619

-1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 SRD 4,133

$76.6 SBD 618

43.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 SRD 18.9K

$532 SBD 4,290

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 SRD 8,128

$627 SBD 5,056

-65.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 SRD 40.9K

$1,217 SBD 9,822

-10.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 SRD 21.3K

$843 SBD 6,803

-32.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$465 SRD 17.4K

$87.3K SBD 704.2K

-99.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$407 SRD 15.2K

$61.9K SBD 499.1K

-99.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$276 SRD 10.3K

$692 SBD 5,584

-60.12%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Honiara: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $503 in Paramaribo versus $532 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 $52.0 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $334 – 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: $999 in Paramaribo, $2,120 in Honiara – roughly 112% apart. Honiara costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,499 per month in Paramaribo and $3,180 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 $43.00 in Paramaribo and $52.0 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 $999, than in Honiara at $2,120. 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.