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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,948 in Solomon Islands versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,950 in Solomon Islands versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,952 in Solomon Islands versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Solomon Islands is roughly 171% more expensive than in China on average.

Solomon Islands (42% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $455 to $1,219, compared to $1,721–$2,175 in Solomon Islands. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.05 SBD 48.41

$2.92 ¥19.58

107.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 SBD 533

$22.23 ¥149

199.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 SBD 101

$5.13 ¥34.33

146.00%

Cappuccino

$3.44 SBD 27.53

$2.99 ¥20.03

15.05%

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

$1.48 SBD 11.84

$0.52 ¥3.50

184.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 SBD 8.96

$0.28 ¥1.87

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 SBD 22.23

$1.05 ¥7.04

164.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 SBD 38.10

$2.26 ¥15.17

110.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 SBD 22.15

$1.81 ¥12.11

53.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 SBD 11.87

$1.68 ¥11.23

-11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 SBD 12.45

$0.90 ¥6.05

73.33%

Eggs

$5.75 SBD 45.98

$1.56 ¥10.43

268.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 SBD 56.2

$13.24 ¥88.7

-46.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 SBD 66.5

$3.49 ¥23.39

138.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 SBD 119

$11.23 ¥75.2

32.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 SBD 53.0

$1.86 ¥12.43

255.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 SBD 22.33

$1.26 ¥8.47

121.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.05 SBD 64.4

$1.53 ¥10.22

426.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 SBD 29.76

$1.26 ¥8.45

195.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 SBD 17.73

$0.73 ¥4.91

204.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 SBD 26.49

$0.88 ¥5.89

276.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SBD 13.67

$0.65 ¥4.33

163.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 SBD 9.62

$0.58 ¥3.88

106.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 SBD 35.80

$3.71 ¥24.84

20.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.33 SBD 98.6

$11.80 ¥79.0

4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SBD 14.53

$0.85 ¥5.69

114.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 SBD 25.60

$1.67 ¥11.19

91.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 SBD 2.84

$0.29 ¥1.92

24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 SBD 245

$22.67 ¥152

35.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 SBD 10.25

$1.50 ¥10.07

-14.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 SBD 10.18

$0.35 ¥2.32

262.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 SBD 98.0

$7.29 ¥48.83

68.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 SBD 11.00

$1.22 ¥8.18

13.11%

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

$19.6K SBD 157.0K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

3.38%

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

$28.7K SBD 229.1K

$17.4K ¥116.2K

65.12%

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

$548 SBD 4,382

$54.0 ¥361

915.12%

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

$23.55 SBD 188

$8.41 ¥56.3

180.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 SBD 805

$10.82 ¥72.4

830.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.58 SBD 229

$40.41 ¥271

-29.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.04 SBD 72.3

$14.63 ¥98.0

-38.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 SBD 34.67

$6.60 ¥44.17

-34.24%

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

$124 SBD 988

$452 ¥3,024

-72.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,286 SBD 18.3K

$19.2K ¥128.8K

-88.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.77 SBD 214

$44.23 ¥296

-39.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.6 SBD 757

$35.46 ¥237

166.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 SBD 787

$74.7 ¥500

31.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 SBD 787

$78.6 ¥526

25.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 SBD 4,826

$394 ¥2,641

52.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SBD 4,183

$243 ¥1,630

114.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 SBD 12.6K

$845 ¥5,659

86.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 SBD 10.9K

$481 ¥3,220

184.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$88.2K SBD 705.1K

$4,609 ¥30.9K

1813.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.5K SBD 499.7K

$2,327 ¥15.6K

2584.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 SBD 3,741

$1,060 ¥7,098

-55.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.83

3.47

356.20%

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

Last update for Solomon Islands: September 12, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $756 in Solomon Islands, $294 in China. Capital cities: $912 in Honiara vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $560 in Solomon Islands, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 157% higher in Solomon Islands.

Dining out costs 181% more in Solomon Islands.

Public transport is 65% more expensive in Solomon Islands.

Salaries are 55% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $837 per month in China and $1,948 in Solomon Islands, there's a 133% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Solomon Islands is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Solomon Islands it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Solomon Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.