Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Honiara

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $1,742 in Honiara, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,742

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Honiara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Suva and in Honiara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $927 per month in Suva vs $1,742 in Honiara, rent included.

Suva $927
Honiara $1,742

A couple spends around $1,681 per month in Suva vs $2,873 in Honiara, rent included.

Suva $1,681
Honiara $2,873

A family of three spends $2,435 per month in Suva vs $4,004 in Honiara, rent included.

Suva $2,435
Honiara $4,004

Suva is about 47% cheaper than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Suva sits 31% below the global median, while Honiara is 30% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 FJD 12.81

$6.66 SBD 53.8

-14.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.13 FJD 98.8

$62.8 SBD 507

-29.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 17.37

$12.53 SBD 101

-38.07%

Cappuccino

$2.91 FJD 6.52

$3.48 SBD 28.15

-16.38%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$1.60 SBD 12.90

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.05 SBD 8.49

-30.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 FJD 8.21

$2.42 SBD 19.59

51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 FJD 9.70

$5.70 SBD 46.05

-24.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$2.57 SBD 20.76

-50.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 FJD 1.26

$1.49 SBD 12.00

-62.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.52

$1.64 SBD 13.29

-31.10%

Eggs

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$5.48 SBD 44.29

-38.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 FJD 22.48

$6.61 SBD 53.4

51.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 FJD 13.57

$8.34 SBD 67.4

-27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 FJD 17.50

$15.18 SBD 123

-48.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.54

$6.39 SBD 51.7

-61.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 FJD 5.43

$2.70 SBD 21.84

-10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 FJD 7.79

$8.70 SBD 70.3

-60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$3.67 SBD 29.63

-14.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 FJD 2.72

$1.99 SBD 16.10

-38.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 FJD 2.39

$3.47 SBD 28.03

-69.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

$1.40 SBD 11.31

-12.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.03 SBD 8.36

-29.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 FJD 21.62

$4.26 SBD 34.40

126.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 FJD 16.41

$10.37 SBD 83.7

-29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 FJD 4.64

$1.69 SBD 13.67

22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 FJD 7.69

$3.47 SBD 28.02

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.11

$0.39 SBD 3.12

141.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

$25.14 SBD 203

-11.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.94

$1.27 SBD 10.28

-31.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$1.20 SBD 9.72

-65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 FJD 20.04

$12.60 SBD 102

-28.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FJD 3.26

$1.35 SBD 10.92

8.15%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

$18.7K SBD 151.1K

30.45%

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

$34.1K SBD 275.9K

-24.98%

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

$46.38 FJD 104

$429 SBD 3,466

-89.19%

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

$12.79 FJD 28.65

$27.02 SBD 218

-52.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.98 FJD 53.7

$89.0 SBD 719

-73.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

$36.76 SBD 297

0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.29

$8.94 SBD 72.2

26.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

$4.41 SBD 35.66

-22.22%

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

$228 FJD 509

$100 SBD 811

126.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$2,898 SBD 23.4K

361.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

$27.71 SBD 224

19.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

$93.5 SBD 755

-56.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

$95.9 SBD 774

-28.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

$103 SBD 830

-40.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,995

$870 SBD 7,027

2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

$434 SBD 3,508

-23.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,913

$1,851 SBD 14.9K

42.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 FJD 2,241

$1,398 SBD 11.3K

-28.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,956

$86.4K SBD 698.3K

-98.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

$62.1K SBD 501.4K

-98.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,151

$444 SBD 3,585

116.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

15.67

-50.86%

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

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$330 34.9%

Honiara

$434 25.3% 31.5% $104

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$228 24.1%

Honiara

$345 20.1% 51% $116

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Honiara

$167 9.7% 19.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.7%

Honiara

$144 8.4% 56.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Honiara

$545 31.8% 555% $462

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Honiara

$46 2.7% 4.3% $1.9

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Honiara

$34 2% 16.7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $891 in Suva versus $870 in Honiara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 117% higher in Suva, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Suva versus $63.0 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $345 – making Suva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

16:07 4:07 PM

1 h behind Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

54,600 Capital

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 8.08 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Suva Honiara 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Honiara

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

Suva vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $927 in Suva, $1,742 in Honiara – roughly 88% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,390 per month in Suva and $2,614 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suva, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Honiara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Suva and $63.0 in Honiara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Honiara at $1,742. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Suva – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Suva. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Honiara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.