Cost of Living Comparison Between Solomon Islands and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Solomon Islands and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,117 per month in Solomon Islands vs $2,182 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,846 per month in Solomon Islands vs $3,216 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Solomon Islands vs $4,250 in Australia, rent included.

Solomon Islands is roughly 3% cheaper than Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Solomon Islands and Australia are pricier than the global median – Solomon Islands by 58%, Australia by 63%.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,579–$2,759) than Solomon Islands ($2,103–$2,132), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 SBD 35.74

$16.17 A$22.54

-72.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 SBD 435

$78.6 A$110

-30.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.00 SBD 96.3

$9.48 A$13.21

26.58%

Cappuccino

$3.02 SBD 24.23

$3.56 A$4.96

-15.17%

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

$1.51 SBD 12.15

$2.60 A$3.62

-41.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 SBD 9.38

$2.21 A$3.08

-47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 SBD 19.77

$6.47 A$9.02

-61.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 SBD 26.00

$7.19 A$10.02

-54.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 SBD 21.13

$1.56 A$2.18

68.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 SBD 11.76

$2.53 A$3.53

-41.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 SBD 11.49

$2.02 A$2.82

-29.21%

Eggs

$5.43 SBD 43.55

$4.47 A$6.23

21.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 SBD 47.03

$8.86 A$12.35

-33.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 SBD 66.6

$8.38 A$11.68

-0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 SBD 115

$13.71 A$19.10

4.52%

Apples (1kg)

$8.29 SBD 66.5

$3.23 A$4.50

156.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 SBD 21.23

$2.84 A$3.96

-6.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.34 SBD 58.9

$2.98 A$4.15

146.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 SBD 25.95

$4.38 A$6.10

-26.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 SBD 18.53

$2.45 A$3.41

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 SBD 25.18

$2.11 A$2.94

48.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 SBD 11.76

$2.16 A$3.02

-31.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 SBD 9.15

$1.58 A$2.21

-27.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 SBD 31.79

$30.61 A$42.65

-87.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 SBD 101

$14.23 A$19.83

-11.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SBD 14.85

$4.55 A$6.34

-59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 SBD 23.41

$4.91 A$6.84

-40.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 SBD 2.75

$2.89 A$4.03

-88.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 SBD 239

$97.5 A$136

-69.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 SBD 9.55

$3.54 A$4.94

-66.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SBD 9.80

$1.75 A$2.43

-30.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.92 SBD 95.6

$38.10 A$53.1

-68.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 SBD 11.17

$1.16 A$1.62

19.83%

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

$19.8K SBD 158.6K

$28.8K A$40.1K

-31.39%

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

$21.3K SBD 170.7K

$23.2K A$32.3K

-8.29%

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

$728 SBD 5,838

$179 A$249

306.96%

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

$23.37 SBD 188

$26.75 A$37.27

-12.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.2 SBD 780

$53.7 A$74.8

81.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.03 SBD 145

$48.44 A$67.5

-62.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.88 SBD 47.15

$16.88 A$23.52

-65.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 SBD 34.52

$13.61 A$18.97

-68.41%

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

$119 SBD 958

$1,605 A$2,236

-92.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,249 SBD 18.0K

$12.7K A$17.7K

-82.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.41 SBD 196

$71.4 A$99.5

-65.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.1 SBD 715

$50.0 A$69.7

78.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 SBD 772

$99.8 A$139

-3.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 SBD 722

$109 A$152

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 SBD 4,193

$1,385 A$1,930

-62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 SBD 3,802

$1,076 A$1,500

-55.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 SBD 8,875

$2,284 A$3,183

-51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 SBD 7,305

$1,757 A$2,448

-48.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 695.6K

$7,462 A$10.4K

1061.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$61.6K SBD 494.0K

$5,617 A$7,827

996.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$472 SBD 3,790

$4,070 A$5,672

-88.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

6.35

157.17%

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

Last update for Solomon Islands: June 1, 2026

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $563 in Solomon Islands vs $1,233 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $547 in Honiara and $1,548 in Canberra.

Average salary: $545 in Solomon Islands vs $3,906 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 119% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 45% more in Australia.

Public transport is 148% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 617% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

Solomon Islands vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solomon Islands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 2% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Solomon Islands, contributing to the overall 2% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Solomon Islands, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Solomon Islands is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.