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: $2,092 in Solomon Islands versus $1,705 in Palau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,853 in Solomon Islands versus $2,675 in Palau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,614 in Solomon Islands versus $3,645 in Palau.

Living in Solomon Islands is roughly 23% more expensive than in Palau on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Solomon Islands 57% above, Palau 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.61 SBD 37.19

$12.15 $12.15

-62.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 SBD 431

$75.3 $75.3

-29.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 SBD 95.6

$10.02 $10.02

18.06%

Cappuccino

$3.14 SBD 25.38

$3.97 $3.97

-20.91%

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

$1.54 SBD 12.45

$1.40 $1.40

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SBD 9.97

$1.05 $1.05

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 SBD 19.18

$1.53 $1.53

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 SBD 27.32

$2.15 $2.15

57.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 SBD 22.15

$2.95 $2.95

-7.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 SBD 11.75

$3.04 $3.04

-51.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 SBD 12.14

$0.24 $0.24

525.00%

Eggs

$5.61 SBD 45.34

$6.10 $6.10

-8.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.78 SBD 46.67

$10.10 $10.10

-42.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.20 SBD 66.2

$13.67 $13.67

-40.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 SBD 114

$18.96 $18.96

-25.37%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 SBD 66.7

$5.18 $5.18

59.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 SBD 22.40

$2.14 $2.14

29.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.21 SBD 58.2

$5.54 $5.54

30.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 SBD 26.36

$16.57 $16.57

-80.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 SBD 18.27

$4.63 $4.63

-51.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 SBD 25.33

$3.40 $3.40

-7.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 SBD 11.88

$2.05 $2.05

-28.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 SBD 9.12

$1.71 $1.71

-33.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 SBD 31.93

$11.06 $11.06

-64.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 SBD 100

$22.74 $22.74

-45.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 SBD 14.57

$3.49 $3.49

-48.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 SBD 23.45

$3.29 $3.29

-11.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 SBD 2.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.36 SBD 245

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 SBD 9.77

$2.52 $2.52

-51.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 SBD 9.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.87 SBD 95.8

$5.95 $5.95

99.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 SBD 11.42

$1.82 $1.82

-22.53%

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

$19.7K SBD 159.4K

$17.4K $17.4K

13.40%

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

$20.8K SBD 168.1K

$14.7K $14.7K

41.57%

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

$717 SBD 5,793

$173 $173

315.60%

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

$23.45 SBD 189

$52.4 $52.4

-55.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.8 SBD 790

$130 $130

-24.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.32 SBD 148

$55.5 $55.5

-66.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.04 SBD 48.80

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 SBD 33.47

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

$120 SBD 968

$199 $199

-39.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,212 SBD 17.9K

$1,939 $1,939

14.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.81 SBD 200

$62.5 $62.5

-60.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.2 SBD 712

$53.2 $53.2

65.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 SBD 769

$149 $149

-36.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 SBD 718

$192 $192

-53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 SBD 4,167

$740 $740

-30.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 SBD 3,857

$560 $560

-14.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 SBD 9,229

$1,773 $1,773

-35.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 SBD 7,439

$973 $973

-5.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.7K SBD 708.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$60.7K SBD 490.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$455 SBD 3,674

$796 $796

-42.83%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Palau: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $550 in Solomon Islands, $792 in Palau. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 32% higher in Palau.

Dining out costs 43% more in Palau.

Salaries are 44% higher in Palau, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Palau.

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 $1,705 per month in Palau and $2,092 in Solomon Islands, there's a 23% 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 Palau: 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 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 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: Palau wins on affordability; Solomon Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.