Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Solomon Islands and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in the Solomon Islands: $1,908 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in the Solomon Islands
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Solomon Islands Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,908

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Solomon Islands and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,908 per month in the Solomon Islands vs $2,727 in the United States, rent included.

Solomon Islands $1,908
United States $2,727

A couple spends around $2,956 per month in the Solomon Islands vs $4,009 in the United States, rent included.

Solomon Islands $2,956
United States $4,009

A family of three spends $4,005 per month in the Solomon Islands vs $5,291 in the United States, rent included.

Solomon Islands $4,005
United States $5,291

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($977–$5,215) than in the Solomon Islands ($1,713–$2,179), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the Solomon Islands is roughly 30% lower than in the United States on average.

Both the Solomon Islands and the United States are pricier than the global median – the Solomon Islands by 41%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 SBD 48.64

$19.73 $19.73

-69.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 SBD 524

$81.0 $81.0

-19.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 SBD 98.3

$11.98 $11.98

1.84%

Cappuccino

$3.26 SBD 26.25

$5.59 $5.59

-41.68%

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

$1.43 SBD 11.55

$2.78 $2.78

-48.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 SBD 9.29

$2.10 $2.10

-45.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 SBD 21.97

$5.98 $5.98

-54.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 SBD 38.46

$7.92 $7.92

-39.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.83 SBD 22.81

$1.03 $1.03

174.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 SBD 12.34

$3.75 $3.75

-59.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 SBD 13.02

$4.46 $4.46

-63.68%

Eggs

$5.62 SBD 45.29

$4.34 $4.34

29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 SBD 56.5

$12.75 $12.75

-45.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 SBD 63.2

$12.27 $12.27

-36.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 SBD 116

$17.29 $17.29

-16.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.57 SBD 53.0

$5.31 $5.31

23.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SBD 21.60

$1.67 $1.67

60.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.87 SBD 63.5

$4.32 $4.32

82.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 SBD 29.55

$5.03 $5.03

-27.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 SBD 17.65

$2.81 $2.81

-22.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 SBD 26.32

$3.05 $3.05

6.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 SBD 13.19

$2.22 $2.22

-26.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 SBD 9.67

$2.35 $2.35

-48.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 SBD 34.16

$10.92 $10.92

-61.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.45 SBD 100

$14.87 $14.87

-16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SBD 14.42

$2.10 $2.10

-14.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 SBD 27.05

$3.62 $3.62

-7.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 SBD 2.90

$2.46 $2.46

-85.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.35 SBD 253

$65.7 $65.7

-52.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 SBD 10.28

$3.58 $3.58

-64.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.77

$1.90 $1.90

-36.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.32 SBD 99.3

$29.51 $29.51

-58.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 SBD 11.04

$1.02 $1.02

34.31%

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

$19.8K SBD 159.4K

$28.3K $28.3K

-30.13%

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

$28.1K SBD 226.9K

$26.0K $26.0K

8.39%

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

$540 SBD 4,353

$221 $221

144.55%

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

$23.55 SBD 190

$61.3 $61.3

-61.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.8 SBD 805

$73.3 $73.3

36.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.42 SBD 221

$44.89 $44.89

-38.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.84 SBD 71.3

$22.65 $22.65

-60.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 SBD 34.74

$15.16 $15.16

-71.57%

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

$126 SBD 1,018

$1,471 $1,471

-91.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,349 SBD 18.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

-90.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.89 SBD 217

$53.5 $53.5

-49.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$94.3 SBD 761

$43.76 $43.76

115.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 SBD 777

$92.0 $92.0

4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SBD 809

$114 $114

-12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 SBD 4,816

$1,654 $1,654

-63.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 SBD 4,182

$1,332 $1,332

-61.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 SBD 13.0K

$2,669 $2,669

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 SBD 11.1K

$2,207 $2,207

-37.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.7K SBD 698.7K

$3,054 $3,054

2737.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$61.7K SBD 497.6K

$2,522 $2,522

2347.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$471 SBD 3,800

$4,391 $4,391

-89.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.78

6.55

171.45%

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 the United States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Solomon Islands

$663 34.8%

United States

$355 13% 46.4% $308

Accommodation & Living

Solomon Islands

$519 27.2%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 157% $813

Groceries & Markets

Solomon Islands

$349 18.3%

United States

$413 15.1% 18.1% $63

Eating Out

Solomon Islands

$157 8.3%

United States

$326 12% 107% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Solomon Islands

$143 7.5%

United States

$137 5% 4.5% $6.5

Getting Around

Solomon Islands

$40 2.1%

United States

$89 3.3% 121% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Solomon Islands

$36 1.9%

United States

$75 2.8% 109% $39

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $739 in the Solomon Islands vs $1,612 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in Honiara and $2,743 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $409 in the Solomon Islands vs $4,548 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 118% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 29% more in the United States.

Salaries are 1012% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

22:27 10:27 PM

15 h behind the Solomon Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

611,343

340,110,988

💱 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 United States 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Solomon Islands
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Solomon Islands is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 43% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $739 in the Solomon Islands.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in the Solomon Islands, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

The Solomon Islands 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.