Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vava'u and Honiara

83

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
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Honiara Living Index

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Vava'u

🇹🇴 Tonga

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,742

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 SBD 53.8

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 SBD 507

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.53 SBD 101

Cappuccino

$3.48 SBD 28.14

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

$1.60 SBD 12.89

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 SBD 8.49

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 SBD 19.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 SBD 46.04

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 SBD 20.75

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 SBD 12.00

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 SBD 13.28

Eggs

$5.48 SBD 44.27

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 SBD 53.4

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 SBD 67.4

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 SBD 123

Apples (1kg)

$6.39 SBD 51.6

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SBD 21.83

Oranges (1kg)

$8.70 SBD 70.2

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 SBD 29.62

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 SBD 16.09

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 SBD 28.01

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 SBD 11.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SBD 8.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 SBD 34.39

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 SBD 83.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SBD 13.67

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 SBD 28.00

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.12

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 SBD 203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 SBD 10.28

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 SBD 9.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.60 SBD 102

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 SBD 10.92

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

$18.7K SBD 151.1K

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

$34.1K SBD 275.7K

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

$429 SBD 3,464

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

$27.02 SBD 218

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.0 SBD 719

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.76 SBD 297

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 SBD 72.2

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 SBD 35.65

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

$100 SBD 811

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,898 SBD 23.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 SBD 224

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.5 SBD 755

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 SBD 774

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SBD 829

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 SBD 7,024

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 SBD 3,507

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 SBD 14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 SBD 11.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.4K SBD 698.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.1K SBD 501.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$444 SBD 3,583

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

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

Last update for Vava'u: October 4, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vava'u

–

Honiara

$545 31.8%

Accommodation & Living

Vava'u

–

Honiara

$434 25.3%

Groceries & Markets

Vava'u

–

Honiara

$345 20.1%

Eating Out

Vava'u

–

Honiara

$167 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Vava'u

–

Honiara

$144 8.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Vava'u

–

Honiara

$46 2.7%

Getting Around

Vava'u

–

Honiara

$34 2%

Good to know

🇹🇴 Vava'u

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

2 h behind Vava'u

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

501

54,600 Capital

💱 Currency

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 TOP = 0.417 USD

1 TOP = 0.372 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to TOP – Tongan Paʻanga Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇴 Tongan Paʻanga (T$)

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.4 TOP (1 TOP = 0.417 USD). 1 EUR = 2.69 TOP (1 TOP = 0.372 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 TOP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Vava'u Honiara 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vava'u
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

Vava'u vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Vava'u – 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 Vava'u. 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.