Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Honiara

For one person, living costs are similar in Seoul and in Honiara: $1,822 and $1,742 a month, rent and utilities included.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,822 per month in Seoul vs $1,742 in Honiara, rent included.

Seoul $1,822
Honiara $1,742

A couple spends around $2,847 per month in Seoul vs $2,873 in Honiara, rent included.

Seoul $2,847
Honiara $2,873

A family of three spends $3,872 per month in Seoul vs $4,004 in Honiara, rent included.

Seoul $3,872
Honiara $4,004

Seoul costs about 5% more than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seoul and Honiara sit above the global median – Seoul by 36%, Honiara by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$6.66 SBD 53.8

36.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$62.8 SBD 507

6.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$12.53 SBD 101

-40.78%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$3.48 SBD 28.14

17.24%

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

$1.60 ₩2,141

$1.60 SBD 12.89

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$1.05 SBD 8.49

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

$2.42 SBD 19.58

50.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

$5.70 SBD 46.04

4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$2.57 SBD 20.75

-20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$1.49 SBD 12.00

106.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.64 SBD 13.28

156.71%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$5.48 SBD 44.27

-34.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$6.61 SBD 53.4

171.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$8.34 SBD 67.4

27.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$15.18 SBD 123

74.18%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$6.39 SBD 51.6

16.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$2.70 SBD 21.83

30.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$8.70 SBD 70.2

-32.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$3.67 SBD 29.62

73.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$1.99 SBD 16.09

88.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$3.47 SBD 28.01

-28.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$1.40 SBD 11.30

108.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.03 SBD 8.36

11.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$4.26 SBD 34.39

-22.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$10.37 SBD 83.7

78.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

$1.69 SBD 13.67

34.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

$3.47 SBD 28.00

-5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.39 SBD 3.12

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$25.14 SBD 203

80.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$1.27 SBD 10.28

174.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$1.20 SBD 9.72

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$12.60 SBD 102

-30.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.35 SBD 10.92

11.11%

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

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$18.7K SBD 151.1K

55.63%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$34.1K SBD 275.7K

-17.44%

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

$209 ₩279.9K

$429 SBD 3,464

-51.31%

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

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$27.02 SBD 218

30.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$89.0 SBD 719

-76.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$36.76 SBD 297

55.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$8.94 SBD 72.2

77.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$4.41 SBD 35.65

156.92%

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

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$100 SBD 811

1794.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$2,898 SBD 23.4K

677.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$27.71 SBD 224

112.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$93.5 SBD 755

-65.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$95.9 SBD 774

-26.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$103 SBD 829

-19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$870 SBD 7,024

1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$434 SBD 3,507

43.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,851 SBD 14.9K

34.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,398 SBD 11.3K

-8.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$86.4K SBD 698.0K

-65.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$62.1K SBD 501.2K

-80.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$444 SBD 3,583

722.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

15.67

-73.96%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Honiara

$434 25.3% 30.3% $189

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Honiara

$345 20.1% 28.1% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Honiara

$545 31.8% 106% $280

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Honiara

$167 9.7% 9.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Honiara

$144 8.4% 31.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Honiara

$46 2.7% 43% $34

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Honiara

$34 2% 39.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $885 in Seoul versus $870 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 722% higher in Seoul, 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 $67.0 in Seoul versus $63.0 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $479 vs $345 – making Honiara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

54,600 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seoul Honiara 6,250 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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

Seoul vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,822 in Seoul, $1,742 in Honiara – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,733 per month in Seoul and $2,614 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 39% more in Seoul, 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 $67.0 in Seoul and $63.0 in Honiara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Honiara, where all-in costs run around $1,742, than in Seoul at $1,822. In Honiara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Honiara – 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 Honiara. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.