Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Solomon Islands and India

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $395 a month against $1,908 in the Solomon Islands, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
$1,908
/mo nomad
🇮🇳 India
$395
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Solomon Islands and in India

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Solomon Islands and in India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,908 in the Solomon Islands versus $395 in India.

  • Solomon Islands $1,908
  • India $395

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,956 in the Solomon Islands versus $628 in India.

  • Solomon Islands $2,956
  • India $628

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,005 in the Solomon Islands versus $861 in India.

  • Solomon Islands $4,005
  • India $861

The Solomon Islands ($1,713–$2,179) and India ($229–$828) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in the Solomon Islands is roughly 382% more expensive than in India on average.

The Solomon Islands (41% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.03 SBD 48.64
$2.14 ₹203
181.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.0 SBD 524
$10.57 ₹1,004
515.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.20 SBD 98.3
$3.77 ₹358
223.61%
Cappuccino
$3.26 SBD 26.25
$1.76 ₹167
85.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 SBD 11.55
$0.42 ₹39.67
240.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 SBD 9.29
$0.14 ₹13.45
721.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.72 SBD 21.97
$1.95 ₹186
39.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.77 SBD 38.46
$3.11 ₹295
53.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.83 SBD 22.81
$0.63 ₹59.6
349.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.53 SBD 12.34
$0.46 ₹43.45
232.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 SBD 13.02
$0.68 ₹64.3
138.24%
Eggs
$5.62 SBD 45.29
$0.93 ₹88.4
504.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.00 SBD 56.5
$4.83 ₹458
44.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.84 SBD 63.2
$2.91 ₹276
169.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.39 SBD 116
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$6.57 SBD 53.0
$2.00 ₹190
228.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.68 SBD 21.60
$0.63 ₹59.6
325.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.87 SBD 63.5
$0.98 ₹92.8
703.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.67 SBD 29.55
$0.51 ₹48.04
619.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.19 SBD 17.65
$0.36 ₹34.28
508.33%
Onion (1kg)
$3.26 SBD 26.32
$0.39 ₹36.72
735.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.64 SBD 13.19
$0.43 ₹41.31
281.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 SBD 9.67
$0.29 ₹27.53
313.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.24 SBD 34.16
$5.14 ₹488
-17.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.45 SBD 100
$7.33 ₹696
69.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 SBD 14.42
$1.65 ₹157
8.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 SBD 27.05
$2.73 ₹259
23.08%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.08 ₹483
-
🚌 Getting Around
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 SBD 2.90
$0.25 ₹23.70
44.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.35 SBD 253
$8.49 ₹806
269.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 SBD 10.28
$1.03 ₹97.9
23.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.21 SBD 9.77
$0.25 ₹23.69
384.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.32 SBD 99.3
$1.61 ₹153
665.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 SBD 11.04
$1.07 ₹101
28.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.8K SBD 159.4K
$11.3K ₹1.1M
74.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K SBD 226.9K
$20.1K ₹1.9M
39.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$540 SBD 4,353
$37.73 ₹3,583
1331.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.55 SBD 190
$3.58 ₹340
557.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$99.8 SBD 805
$6.89 ₹655
1348.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.42 SBD 221
$14.63 ₹1,390
87.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.84 SBD 71.3
$7.25 ₹688
21.93%
Cinema Ticket
$4.31 SBD 34.74
$3.17 ₹301
35.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$126 SBD 1,018
$56.5 ₹5,369
123.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,349 SBD 18.9K
$1,646 ₹156.3K
42.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.89 SBD 217
$22.73 ₹2,158
18.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$94.3 SBD 761
$24.04 ₹2,283
292.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.4 SBD 777
$41.04 ₹3,898
134.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 SBD 809
$30.60 ₹2,906
227.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$597 SBD 4,816
$144 ₹13.6K
315.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$519 SBD 4,182
$91.5 ₹8,691
466.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 SBD 13.0K
$324 ₹30.8K
395.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,379 SBD 11.1K
$214 ₹20.3K
545.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$86.7K SBD 698.7K
$1,200 ₹114.0K
7120.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$61.7K SBD 497.6K
$619 ₹58.8K
9873.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Solomon Islands
India
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$471 SBD 3,800
$440 ₹41.8K
7.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
17.78
8.92
99.33%

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

Last update for the Solomon Islands: October 17, 2026

Last update for India: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Solomon Islands
$663
India
$48 92.7% $615
Accommodation & Living
Solomon Islands
$519
India
$92 82.4% $427
Groceries & Markets
Solomon Islands
$349
India
$102 70.8% $247
Eating Out
Solomon Islands
$157
India
$68 57% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Solomon Islands
$143
India
$53 62.7% $90
Getting Around
Solomon Islands
$40
India
$12 70.7% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Solomon Islands
$36
India
$21 41.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $739 in the Solomon Islands, $119 in India. Capital cities: $872 in Honiara vs $271 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $409 in the Solomon Islands, $413 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 521% higher in the Solomon Islands.

Dining out costs 480% more in the Solomon Islands.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in the Solomon Islands.

Good to know
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
🇮🇳 India
🕒 Local time
13:26 1:26 PM
07:56 7:56 AM
5 h 30 min behind the Solomon Islands
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
611,343
1,326,093,247
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to SBD – Solomon Islands Dollar Converter

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Solomon Islands India 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Solomon Islands
  • India

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
Solomon Islands vs India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between India and the Solomon Islands?
At $395 per month in India and $1,908 in the Solomon Islands, there's a 382% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $739 in the Solomon Islands and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in India or in the Solomon Islands?
In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in the 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.
Should I move to India or to the Solomon Islands?
It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; the Solomon Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Solomon Islands vs other spots: cost of living compared

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