Last update: Oct 2026

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

Name: Solomon Islands
Address: SB

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.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
93

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

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 United States is about 43% higher than in the Solomon Islands on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$6.03 SBD 48.64

227.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$65.0 SBD 524

24.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$12.20 SBD 98.3

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.26 SBD 26.25

71.47%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.43 SBD 11.55

94.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.15 SBD 9.29

82.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$2.72 SBD 21.97

119.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$4.77 SBD 38.46

66.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.83 SBD 22.81

-63.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.53 SBD 12.34

145.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.62 SBD 13.02

175.31%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$5.62 SBD 45.29

-22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$7.00 SBD 56.5

82.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$7.84 SBD 63.2

56.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$14.39 SBD 116

20.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$6.57 SBD 53.0

-19.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.68 SBD 21.60

-37.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$7.87 SBD 63.5

-45.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.67 SBD 29.55

37.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.19 SBD 17.65

28.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.26 SBD 26.32

-6.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.64 SBD 13.19

35.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.20 SBD 9.67

95.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$4.24 SBD 34.16

157.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.45 SBD 100

19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.79 SBD 14.42

17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.36 SBD 27.05

7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.36 SBD 2.90

583.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$31.35 SBD 253

109.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.27 SBD 10.28

181.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.21 SBD 9.77

57.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$12.32 SBD 99.3

139.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.37 SBD 11.04

-25.55%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$19.8K SBD 159.4K

43.13%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$28.1K SBD 226.9K

-7.74%

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

$221 $221

$540 SBD 4,353

-59.11%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$23.55 SBD 190

160.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$99.8 SBD 805

-26.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$27.42 SBD 221

63.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$8.84 SBD 71.3

156.22%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$4.31 SBD 34.74

251.74%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$126 SBD 1,018

1064.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$2,349 SBD 18.9K

964.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$26.89 SBD 217

99.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$94.3 SBD 761

-53.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$96.4 SBD 777

-4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$100 SBD 809

13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$597 SBD 4,816

176.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$519 SBD 4,182

156.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$1,608 SBD 13.0K

65.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,379 SBD 11.1K

60.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$86.7K SBD 698.7K

-96.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$61.7K SBD 497.6K

-95.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$471 SBD 3,800

831.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

17.78

-63.16%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for the Solomon Islands: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Solomon Islands

$519 27.2% 61.1% $813

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Solomon Islands

$349 18.3% 15.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Solomon Islands

$663 34.8% 86.7% $308

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Solomon Islands

$157 8.3% 51.7% $169

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Solomon Islands

$143 7.5% 4.7% $6.5

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Solomon Islands

$40 2.1% 54.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Solomon Islands

$36 1.9% 52.1% $39

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $4,548 in the United States vs $409 in the Solomon Islands. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

14:16 2:16 PM

15 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

611,343

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

SBD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Solomon Islands 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Solomon Islands

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

United States vs Solomon Islands: 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.