Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wanaka and Honiara

For one person, living costs are similar in Wanaka and in Honiara: $1,666 and $1,718 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Wanaka
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Wanaka Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Honiara
Learn more

Honiara Living Index

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Wanaka

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,666

/mo nomad

Honiara

🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

$1,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wanaka 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 Wanaka and in Honiara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,666 per month in Wanaka vs $1,718 in Honiara, rent included.

Wanaka $1,666
Honiara $1,718

A couple spends around $2,631 per month in Wanaka vs $2,833 in Honiara, rent included.

Wanaka $2,631
Honiara $2,833

A family of three spends $3,596 per month in Wanaka vs $3,948 in Honiara, rent included.

Wanaka $3,596
Honiara $3,948

Wanaka is about 3% cheaper than Honiara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wanaka and Honiara sit above the global median – Wanaka by 23%, Honiara by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.13 NZ$24.98

$6.94 SBD 56.0

103.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 NZ$99.6

$62.3 SBD 502

-9.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 NZ$14.53

$12.56 SBD 101

-34.55%

Cappuccino

$3.00 NZ$5.31

$3.49 SBD 28.17

-14.04%

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

$1.69 NZ$2.99

$1.58 SBD 12.75

6.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 NZ$3.42

$1.10 SBD 8.90

75.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 NZ$11.56

$2.55 SBD 20.59

156.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 NZ$10.90

$5.70 SBD 45.93

8.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$2.48 SBD 20.01

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$1.54 SBD 12.42

24.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$1.65 SBD 13.29

6.06%

Eggs

$5.93 NZ$10.49

$5.51 SBD 44.40

7.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 NZ$14.94

$6.43 SBD 51.8

31.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.57

$8.58 SBD 69.2

9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 NZ$28.82

$15.40 SBD 124

5.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 NZ$5.30

$6.38 SBD 51.4

-52.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$2.59 SBD 20.89

-18.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.73

$8.44 SBD 68.1

-61.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 NZ$8.70

$3.66 SBD 29.48

34.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$1.94 SBD 15.60

-7.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$3.41 SBD 27.53

-46.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 NZ$3.97

$1.45 SBD 11.72

54.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.97

$1.07 SBD 8.62

-48.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.98 NZ$38.87

$4.18 SBD 33.67

425.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

$10.70 SBD 86.3

-15.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.42

$1.78 SBD 14.36

72.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$3.35 SBD 26.98

-62.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 SBD 3.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.88 SBD 201

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 NZ$10.01

$1.20 SBD 9.70

371.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 SBD 9.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.07 NZ$49.64

$12.41 SBD 100

126.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$1.30 SBD 10.50

38.46%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

$18.8K SBD 151.8K

35.89%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

$34.7K SBD 279.9K

-28.15%

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

$110 NZ$194

$427 SBD 3,440

-74.26%

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

$28.11 NZ$49.71

$27.52 SBD 222

2.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 NZ$92.4

$88.8 SBD 716

-41.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 SBD 300

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.24 SBD 74.5

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 NZ$17.86

$4.25 SBD 34.29

137.65%

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

$591 NZ$1,045

$98.2 SBD 792

501.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,891 SBD 23.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 NZ$104

$27.02 SBD 218

116.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$93.7 SBD 756

-63.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 NZ$121

$95.3 SBD 768

-28.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 NZ$130

$104 SBD 834

-28.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 NZ$1,716

$901 SBD 7,263

7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 NZ$1,403

$436 SBD 3,518

81.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 NZ$3,275

$1,867 SBD 15.1K

-0.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NZ$2,821

$1,422 SBD 11.5K

12.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,611 NZ$9,923

$86.7K SBD 699.2K

-93.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.1K SBD 508.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 NZ$7,597

$443 SBD 3,574

868.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.67

-74.47%

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

Last update for Wanaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Honiara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wanaka

$793 47.6%

Honiara

$436 25.4% 45% $357

Groceries & Markets

Wanaka

$318 19.1%

Honiara

$345 20.1% 8.5% $27

Eating Out

Wanaka

$233 14%

Honiara

$170 9.9% 27.1% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wanaka

$190 11.4%

Honiara

$543 31.6% 185% $353

Clothing & Footwear

Wanaka

$106 6.4%

Honiara

$144 8.4% 35.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Wanaka

$20 * 1.2%

Honiara

$46 2.7% 126% $26

Getting Around

Wanaka

$5.7 * 0.3%

Honiara

$34 2% 495% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Wanaka versus $901 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 869% higher in Wanaka, 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 $56.0 in Wanaka versus $62.0 in Honiara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $345 – making Wanaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wanaka

🇸🇧 Honiara

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

2 h behind Wanaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,600

54,600 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SBD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Solomon Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 8.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.124 USD). 1 EUR = 9.06 SBD (1 SBD = 0.11 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Wanaka Honiara 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Wanaka
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

Wanaka vs Honiara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,666 in Wanaka, $1,718 in Honiara – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,499 per month in Wanaka and $2,577 in Honiara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Wanaka and $62.0 in Honiara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Wanaka, where all-in costs run around $1,666, than in Honiara at $1,718. In Wanaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Honiara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Honiara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,666 in Wanaka to $1,718 in Honiara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Wanaka. 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.