Cost of Living Comparison Between Solomon Islands and New Zealand Cost of Living Comparison Between Solomon Islands and New Zealand

Name: New Zealand
Address: NZ

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,117 per month in Solomon Islands vs $1,883 in New Zealand, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,846 per month in Solomon Islands vs $2,895 in New Zealand, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Solomon Islands vs $3,906 in New Zealand, rent included.

Solomon Islands costs about 12% more than New Zealand on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Solomon Islands and New Zealand are pricier than the global median – Solomon Islands by 58%, New Zealand by 41%.

New Zealand has a wider regional cost range ($1,438–$2,730) than Solomon Islands ($2,103–$2,132), so location matters more when choosing where to live in New Zealand.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 SBD 35.74

$14.99 NZ$25.30

-70.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 SBD 435

$78.7 NZ$133

-31.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.00 SBD 96.3

$9.67 NZ$16.32

24.10%

Cappuccino

$3.02 SBD 24.23

$3.54 NZ$5.97

-14.69%

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

$1.51 SBD 12.15

$2.36 NZ$3.98

-36.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 SBD 9.38

$2.19 NZ$3.69

-46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 SBD 19.77

$6.65 NZ$11.23

-63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 SBD 26.00

$6.58 NZ$11.12

-50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 SBD 21.13

$1.79 NZ$3.03

46.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 SBD 11.76

$2.00 NZ$3.37

-26.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 SBD 11.49

$1.83 NZ$3.09

-21.86%

Eggs

$5.43 SBD 43.55

$6.35 NZ$10.72

-14.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 SBD 47.03

$8.41 NZ$14.20

-30.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 SBD 66.6

$9.53 NZ$16.09

-12.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 SBD 115

$13.40 NZ$22.62

6.94%

Apples (1kg)

$8.29 SBD 66.5

$2.86 NZ$4.83

189.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 SBD 21.23

$2.27 NZ$3.83

16.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.34 SBD 58.9

$3.04 NZ$5.13

141.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 SBD 25.95

$4.85 NZ$8.18

-33.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 SBD 18.53

$2.00 NZ$3.38

15.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 SBD 25.18

$1.71 NZ$2.89

83.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 SBD 11.76

$2.28 NZ$3.85

-35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 SBD 9.15

$1.20 NZ$2.03

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 SBD 31.79

$24.38 NZ$41.16

-83.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 SBD 101

$9.65 NZ$16.29

30.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SBD 14.85

$2.96 NZ$4.99

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 SBD 23.41

$3.66 NZ$6.17

-20.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 SBD 2.75

$2.44 NZ$4.12

-86.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.78 SBD 239

$109 NZ$184

-72.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 SBD 9.55

$2.39 NZ$4.03

-50.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 SBD 9.80

$1.86 NZ$3.15

-34.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.92 SBD 95.6

$35.86 NZ$60.6

-66.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 SBD 11.17

$1.74 NZ$2.93

-20.11%

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

$19.8K SBD 158.6K

$28.2K NZ$47.7K

-30.04%

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

$21.3K SBD 170.7K

$21.9K NZ$37.0K

-2.85%

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

$728 SBD 5,838

$136 NZ$230

434.95%

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

$23.37 SBD 188

$35.36 NZ$59.7

-33.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.2 SBD 780

$51.5 NZ$87.0

88.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.03 SBD 145

$37.11 NZ$62.7

-51.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.88 SBD 47.15

$14.76 NZ$24.91

-60.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 SBD 34.52

$12.30 NZ$20.76

-65.04%

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

$119 SBD 958

$778 NZ$1,314

-84.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,249 SBD 18.0K

$12.0K NZ$20.2K

-81.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.41 SBD 196

$69.3 NZ$117

-64.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.1 SBD 715

$43.14 NZ$72.8

106.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 SBD 772

$99.5 NZ$168

-3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 SBD 722

$120 NZ$202

-24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 SBD 4,193

$1,100 NZ$1,857

-52.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 SBD 3,802

$905 NZ$1,527

-47.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 SBD 8,875

$1,758 NZ$2,968

-37.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 SBD 7,305

$1,540 NZ$2,601

-40.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 695.6K

$5,843 NZ$9,865

1383.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$61.6K SBD 494.0K

$3,792 NZ$6,402

1523.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$472 SBD 3,790

$3,040 NZ$5,132

-84.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

6.74

142.28%

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

Last update for Solomon Islands: June 1, 2026

Last update for New Zealand: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $563 in Solomon Islands vs $987 in New Zealand. For reference, capital cities sit at $547 in Honiara and $1,339 in Wellington.

Average salary: $545 in Solomon Islands vs $3,151 in New Zealand. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 75% higher in New Zealand.

Dining out costs 42% more in New Zealand.

Public transport is 156% more expensive in New Zealand.

Salaries are 478% higher in New Zealand, giving New Zealand 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 New Zealand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand 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 Solomon Islands, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Solomon Islands consistently has higher rents.

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

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in New Zealand, but in Solomon Islands it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

New Zealand 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.