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

Name: Palau
Address: PW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,070 in Solomon Islands versus $1,665 in Palau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,854 in Solomon Islands versus $2,692 in Palau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,637 in Solomon Islands versus $3,718 in Palau.

Living in Solomon Islands is roughly 24% more expensive than Palau on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Solomon Islands 54% above, Palau 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 SBD 35.65

$11.93 $11.93

-62.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 SBD 434

$74.5 $74.5

-27.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 SBD 95.7

$9.89 $9.89

20.32%

Cappuccino

$3.03 SBD 24.37

$4.16 $4.16

-27.16%

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

$1.54 SBD 12.43

$1.40 $1.40

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SBD 9.90

$1.08 $1.08

13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 SBD 19.08

$1.53 $1.53

54.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 SBD 25.98

$2.22 $2.22

45.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 SBD 21.97

$3.00 $3.00

-9.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 SBD 11.25

$3.07 $3.07

-54.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 SBD 11.71

$0.24 $0.24

508.33%

Eggs

$5.43 SBD 43.65

$6.05 $6.05

-10.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 SBD 47.96

$9.98 $9.98

-40.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 SBD 63.5

$13.85 $13.85

-43.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 SBD 112

$19.51 $19.51

-28.60%

Apples (1kg)

$8.64 SBD 69.6

$5.37 $5.37

60.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 SBD 21.92

$2.16 $2.16

25.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.20 SBD 57.9

$5.56 $5.56

29.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 SBD 25.25

$16.67 $16.67

-81.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 SBD 18.68

$4.50 $4.50

-48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 SBD 26.19

$3.34 $3.34

-2.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 SBD 11.95

$2.05 $2.05

-27.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 SBD 9.16

$1.66 $1.66

-31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 SBD 33.18

$11.20 $11.20

-63.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 SBD 100

$22.46 $22.46

-44.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SBD 15.20

$3.43 $3.43

-44.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 SBD 24.41

$3.31 $3.31

-8.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 SBD 3.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.87 SBD 240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 SBD 9.42

$2.53 $2.53

-53.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 SBD 9.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.79 SBD 94.9

$5.83 $5.83

102.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 SBD 11.26

$1.82 $1.82

-23.08%

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

$20.1K SBD 161.6K

$17.4K $17.4K

15.30%

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

$20.8K SBD 167.6K

$15.2K $15.2K

37.21%

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

$718 SBD 5,776

$168 $168

328.54%

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

$23.46 SBD 189

$52.3 $52.3

-55.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.8 SBD 803

$130 $130

-23.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.72 SBD 143

$54.0 $54.0

-67.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.03 SBD 48.54

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 SBD 32.84

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

$120 SBD 962

$200 $200

-40.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,225 SBD 17.9K

$1,895 $1,895

17.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.24 SBD 195

$63.4 $63.4

-61.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.0 SBD 732

$52.3 $52.3

74.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 SBD 773

$149 $149

-35.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 SBD 718

$199 $199

-55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 SBD 4,294

$763 $763

-30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 SBD 3,740

$551 $551

-15.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 SBD 8,897

$1,783 $1,783

-37.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 SBD 7,266

$959 $959

-5.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$85.7K SBD 689.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.3K SBD 501.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$461 SBD 3,710

$803 $803

-42.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

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

Last update for Solomon Islands: June 6, 2026

Last update for Palau: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $548 in Solomon Islands, $777 in Palau. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 37% higher in Palau.

Dining out costs 46% more in Palau.

Salaries are 42% higher in Palau, giving Palau 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 Palau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,665 per month in Palau and $2,070 in Solomon Islands, there's a 24% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Palau is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats Palau across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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

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