Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,719 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Honiara, Solomon Islands
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Honiara
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
$1,719
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,719 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Honiara $1,719

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,828 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Honiara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,936 in Honiara, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Honiara $3,936

Phuket is about 26% cheaper than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Honiara is 26% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$6.79 SBD 54.7
-34.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$61.7 SBD 497
-47.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$12.30 SBD 99.1
-28.37%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.48 SBD 28.00
-18.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$1.56 SBD 12.58
-44.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$1.10 SBD 8.83
-55.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.53 SBD 20.40
1.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.55 SBD 44.74
-33.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.52 SBD 20.34
-34.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$1.54 SBD 12.37
-5.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.59 SBD 12.78
-5.66%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$5.66 SBD 45.57
-63.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$6.42 SBD 51.7
197.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$8.36 SBD 67.4
-60.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$15.30 SBD 123
-28.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$6.21 SBD 50.0
-52.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$2.69 SBD 21.70
-37.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$8.72 SBD 70.2
-74.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$3.65 SBD 29.36
-43.01%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.95 SBD 15.70
-22.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$3.43 SBD 27.60
-59.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$1.44 SBD 11.57
-25.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.08 SBD 8.68
-51.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.03 SBD 32.47
4.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.41 SBD 83.8
80.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.72 SBD 13.84
5.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$3.37 SBD 27.18
-15.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$0.35 SBD 2.85
314.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$25.21 SBD 203
124.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.22 SBD 9.79
147.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$1.22 SBD 9.79
-16.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$12.28 SBD 99.0
-69.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.33 SBD 10.72
10.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$18.5K SBD 149.3K
44.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$34.2K SBD 275.3K
-21.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$437 SBD 3,517
-77.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$26.84 SBD 216
-58.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$88.8 SBD 715
-81.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$36.66 SBD 295
83.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$9.06 SBD 73.0
18.43%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.29 SBD 34.58
74.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$98.9 SBD 796
381.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$2,868 SBD 23.1K
292.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$27.51 SBD 222
126.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$93.1 SBD 750
-69.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$99.0 SBD 798
-4.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$101 SBD 817
-15.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$890 SBD 7,169
-19.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$432 SBD 3,479
13.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,812 SBD 14.6K
6.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,409 SBD 11.3K
1.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$85.8K SBD 691.2K
-95.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$62.0K SBD 499.2K
-95.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Honiara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$437 SBD 3,519
14.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
15.67
-64.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Honiara
$432 12% $59
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Honiara
$344 29.4% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Honiara
$552 344% $428
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Honiara
$144 18.5% $23
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Honiara
$167 37.5% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Honiara
$45 45% $37
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Honiara
$34 51.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $890 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 15% higher in Phuket, 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 $32 in Phuket versus $62 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $344 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇸🇧 Honiara
🕒 Local time
12:20 12:20 PM
16:20 4:20 PM
4 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
54,600 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 8.99 SBD (1 SBD = 0.111 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Honiara 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • 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
Phuket vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Honiara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,719 in Honiara – Phuket comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Honiara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,579 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Honiara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $890 in Honiara.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 29% more in Honiara, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $62 in Honiara. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Honiara at $1,719. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Honiara?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,719 in Honiara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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