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: $2,073 in Solomon Islands versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,859 in Solomon Islands versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,644 in Solomon Islands versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Solomon Islands is roughly 191% more expensive than in China on average.

Solomon Islands (56% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $533 to $1,212, compared to $2,057–$2,088 in Solomon Islands. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 SBD 36.14

$2.77 ¥18.71

61.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 SBD 428

$24.05 ¥162

120.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 SBD 96.4

$4.73 ¥31.91

152.22%

Cappuccino

$3.17 SBD 25.62

$3.08 ¥20.77

2.92%

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

$1.52 SBD 12.27

$0.44 ¥2.99

245.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 SBD 9.43

$0.29 ¥1.98

303.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 SBD 19.30

$1.01 ¥6.80

136.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 SBD 26.87

$2.08 ¥14.02

60.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.67 SBD 21.56

$1.83 ¥12.38

45.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 SBD 11.70

$1.62 ¥10.94

-10.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 SBD 12.12

$0.97 ¥6.58

54.64%

Eggs

$5.36 SBD 43.33

$1.61 ¥10.90

232.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 SBD 48.44

$13.34 ¥90.1

-55.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 SBD 63.8

$3.37 ¥22.74

134.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 SBD 114

$10.68 ¥72.1

32.49%

Apples (1kg)

$8.27 SBD 66.8

$1.81 ¥12.25

356.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SBD 21.33

$1.25 ¥8.43

111.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.31 SBD 59.1

$1.46 ¥9.88

400.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 SBD 26.60

$1.15 ¥7.73

186.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 SBD 18.00

$0.73 ¥4.91

205.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 SBD 26.28

$0.89 ¥5.99

265.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 SBD 11.42

$0.60 ¥4.05

135.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 SBD 8.73

$0.53 ¥3.58

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 SBD 33.06

$3.39 ¥22.91

20.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 SBD 98.2

$11.73 ¥79.2

3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 SBD 15.11

$0.77 ¥5.22

142.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 SBD 24.63

$1.63 ¥10.97

87.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 SBD 2.80

$0.41 ¥2.77

-14.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.84 SBD 241

$21.24 ¥143

40.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 SBD 9.98

$1.35 ¥9.12

-8.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.74

$0.36 ¥2.40

236.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.17 SBD 98.4

$6.70 ¥45.23

81.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SBD 10.87

$1.18 ¥7.98

14.41%

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

$20.0K SBD 161.8K

$19.8K ¥133.4K

1.40%

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

$20.8K SBD 167.9K

$16.5K ¥111.6K

25.74%

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

$713 SBD 5,763

$51.7 ¥349

1278.70%

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

$23.42 SBD 189

$10.09 ¥68.1

132.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.0 SBD 800

$11.38 ¥76.8

769.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.08 SBD 146

$39.24 ¥265

-53.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.12 SBD 49.45

$14.84 ¥100

-58.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 SBD 34.53

$6.30 ¥42.53

-32.22%

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

$121 SBD 981

$414 ¥2,793

-70.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,232 SBD 18.0K

$17.4K ¥117.5K

-87.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.64 SBD 199

$46.77 ¥316

-47.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.6 SBD 724

$33.08 ¥223

170.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 SBD 782

$70.9 ¥479

36.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 SBD 725

$74.5 ¥503

20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 SBD 4,170

$440 ¥2,971

17.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 SBD 3,861

$253 ¥1,706

89.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 SBD 9,116

$911 ¥6,150

23.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$919 SBD 7,422

$531 ¥3,582

73.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.2K SBD 696.1K

$4,778 ¥32.3K

1703.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.2K SBD 502.1K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

2486.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$454 SBD 3,671

$1,058 ¥7,140

-57.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

4.06

302.22%

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

Last update for Solomon Islands: July 26, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $562 in Solomon Islands, $287 in China. Capital cities: $541 in Honiara vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $543 in Solomon Islands, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 96% higher in Solomon Islands.

Dining out costs 148% more in Solomon Islands.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Solomon Islands.

Salaries are 58% 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 $873 per month in China and $2,073 in Solomon Islands, there's a 138% 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.