Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Solomon Islands and Palau

Name: Palau
Address: PW

For one person, living costs are similar in the Solomon Islands and in Palau: $1,908 and $1,976 a month, rent and utilities included.

93

Cost of Living Index in the Solomon Islands
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Solomon Islands Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Palau
Learn more

Palau Living Index

Jump to prices

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,908

/mo nomad

🇵🇼 Palau

$1,976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Palau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,908 in the Solomon Islands versus $1,976 in Palau.

Solomon Islands $1,908
Palau $1,976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,956 in the Solomon Islands versus $3,045 in Palau.

Solomon Islands $2,956
Palau $3,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,005 in the Solomon Islands versus $4,113 in Palau.

Solomon Islands $4,005
Palau $4,113

Internal cost variation is higher in the Solomon Islands: monthly costs span $1,713 to $2,179, compared to $1,821–$1,821 in Palau. City choice carries more weight in the Solomon Islands.

Living in the Solomon Islands costs about 3% less than in Palau on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the Solomon Islands 41% above, Palau 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 SBD 48.64

$13.36 $13.36

-54.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 SBD 524

$74.7 $74.7

-12.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 SBD 98.3

$9.96 $9.96

22.49%

Cappuccino

$3.26 SBD 26.25

$4.06 $4.06

-19.70%

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

$1.43 SBD 11.55

$1.39 $1.39

2.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 SBD 9.29

$1.05 $1.05

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 SBD 21.97

$1.53 $1.53

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 SBD 38.46

$2.15 $2.15

121.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.83 SBD 22.81

$2.67 $2.67

5.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 SBD 12.34

$3.08 $3.08

-50.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 SBD 13.02

$0.24 $0.24

575.00%

Eggs

$5.62 SBD 45.29

$6.48 $6.48

-13.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 SBD 56.5

$9.98 $9.98

-29.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 SBD 63.2

$13.86 $13.86

-43.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 SBD 116

$19.21 $19.21

-25.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.57 SBD 53.0

$5.22 $5.22

25.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SBD 21.60

$2.23 $2.23

20.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.87 SBD 63.5

$5.52 $5.52

42.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 SBD 29.55

$16.48 $16.48

-77.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 SBD 17.65

$4.70 $4.70

-53.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 SBD 26.32

$3.39 $3.39

-3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 SBD 13.19

$2.03 $2.03

-19.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 SBD 9.67

$1.72 $1.72

-30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 SBD 34.16

$15.20 $15.20

-72.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 SBD 100

$22.80 $22.80

-45.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SBD 14.42

$3.41 $3.41

-47.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 SBD 27.05

$3.41 $3.41

-1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 SBD 2.90

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.35 SBD 253

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 SBD 10.28

$2.43 $2.43

-47.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.32 SBD 99.3

$6.14 $6.14

100.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 SBD 11.04

$1.90 $1.90

-27.89%

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

$19.8K SBD 159.4K

$17.2K $17.2K

15.15%

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

$28.1K SBD 226.9K

$15.0K $15.0K

87.80%

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

$540 SBD 4,353

$170 $170

218.33%

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

$23.55 SBD 190

$51.6 $51.6

-54.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.8 SBD 805

$199 $199

-49.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.42 SBD 221

$81.3 $81.3

-66.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.84 SBD 71.3

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 SBD 34.74

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

$126 SBD 1,018

$250 $250

-49.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,349 SBD 18.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.89 SBD 217

$85.4 $85.4

-68.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.3 SBD 761

$66.0 $66.0

42.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 SBD 777

$191 $191

-49.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SBD 809

$196 $196

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 SBD 4,816

$719 $719

-16.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 SBD 4,182

$519 $519

0.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 SBD 13.0K

$2,111 $2,111

-23.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 SBD 11.1K

$968 $968

42.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 698.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$61.7K SBD 497.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$471 SBD 3,800

$774 $774

-39.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.78

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 Palau: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Solomon Islands

$663 34.8%

Palau

$420 21.3% 36.7% $243

Accommodation & Living

Solomon Islands

$519 27.2%

Palau

$519 26.3% 0% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

Solomon Islands

$349 18.3%

Palau

$504 25.5% 44.4% $155

Eating Out

Solomon Islands

$157 8.3%

Palau

$207 10.5% 31.6% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Solomon Islands

$143 7.5%

Palau

$242 12.3% 69.3% $99

Getting Around

Solomon Islands

$40 2.1%

Palau

$2.4 * 0.1% 93.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Solomon Islands

$36 1.9%

Palau

$81 * 4.1% 126% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

National salary averages: $409 in the Solomon Islands, $793 in Palau. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 28% more in Palau.

Salaries are 94% higher in Palau, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Palau.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

🇵🇼 Palau

🕒 Local time

12:46 12:46 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

2 h behind the Solomon Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

611,343

21,729

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SBD – Solomon Islands Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to SBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Solomon Islands Palau 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Solomon Islands
Palau

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 Palau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,976 per month in Palau and $1,908 in the Solomon Islands, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, the Solomon Islands is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In the Solomon Islands, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in Palau 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: the Solomon Islands wins on affordability; Palau may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.