Last update: Nov 2026 611.3K

Cost of Living in the Solomon Islands

Name: Solomon Islands
Address: SB

Across the Solomon Islands, living costs for one person average $1,880 a month, including rent and utilities, which take more than half of the total. Other living expenses average about $28 a day.

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🇸🇧 Solomon Islands

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend 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 Solomon Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends around $1,880 per month with rent on average in the Solomon Islands.

$1,880 /mo

A couple spends around $2,946 per month with rent on average in the Solomon Islands.

$2,946 /mo

A family of three spends around $4,011 per month with rent on average in the Solomon Islands.

$4,011 /mo

Across 2 cities in the Solomon Islands, monthly living costs range from $1,658 to $2,181 – a $523 difference that makes location a key factor.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.15 SBD 49.49

$3.07 SBD 24.75

$7.39 SBD 59.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 SBD 529

$43.82 SBD 353

$150 SBD 1,209

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.54 SBD 101

$10.66 SBD 85.8

$15.68 SBD 126

Cappuccino

$3.24 SBD 26.05

$1.88 SBD 15.09

$5.63 SBD 45.28

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

$1.46 SBD 11.78

$1.22 SBD 9.80

$2.44 SBD 19.60

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 SBD 8.80

$0.61 SBD 4.87

$1.82 SBD 14.61

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 SBD 22.65

$1.88 SBD 15.10

$3.75 SBD 30.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 SBD 37.71

$2.50 SBD 20.11

$7.51 SBD 60.4

Milk (1 liter)

$2.82 SBD 22.70

$2.25 SBD 18.15

$3.76 SBD 30.27

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 SBD 12.54

$1.40 SBD 11.31

$1.91 SBD 15.35

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 SBD 12.75

$1.22 SBD 9.82

$1.83 SBD 14.73

Eggs

$5.74 SBD 46.22

$3.77 SBD 30.38

$6.05 SBD 48.67

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.24 SBD 58.3

$2.54 SBD 20.44

$10.17 SBD 81.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 SBD 63.4

$4.73 SBD 38.05

$14.54 SBD 117

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 SBD 119

$8.82 SBD 71.0

$31.48 SBD 253

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 SBD 61.7

$2.53 SBD 20.35

$12.65 SBD 102

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SBD 22.37

$1.26 SBD 10.16

$6.31 SBD 50.8

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 SBD 65.8

$1.88 SBD 15.12

$12.54 SBD 101

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 SBD 29.29

$2.01 SBD 16.19

$6.27 SBD 50.4

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 SBD 17.05

$1.22 SBD 9.83

$3.05 SBD 24.58

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 SBD 26.96

$2.49 SBD 20.08

$6.24 SBD 50.2

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 SBD 13.46

$1.26 SBD 10.11

$2.51 SBD 20.23

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 SBD 9.12

$0.61 SBD 4.88

$1.21 SBD 9.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 SBD 35.50

$4.03 SBD 32.47

$5.04 SBD 40.57

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 SBD 100.0

$6.21 SBD 49.94

$18.63 SBD 150

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SBD 13.88

$1.46 SBD 11.75

$3.04 SBD 24.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 SBD 26.83

$2.27 SBD 18.24

$5.67 SBD 45.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 SBD 3.11

$0.77 SBD 6.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.29 SBD 252

$18.77 SBD 151

$31.29 SBD 252

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 SBD 9.87

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 SBD 10.19

$2.53 SBD 20.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.24 SBD 98.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 SBD 10.78

$1.09 SBD 8.75

$1.93 SBD 15.55

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

$19.7K SBD 158.9K

$18.7K SBD 150.1K

$20.8K SBD 167.7K

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

$28.0K SBD 225.7K

$21.6K SBD 173.6K

$34.5K SBD 277.8K

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

$540 SBD 4,347

$125 SBD 1,003

$748 SBD 6,019

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

$24.20 SBD 195

$12.57 SBD 101

$50.3 SBD 405

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 SBD 810

$55.4 SBD 446

$123 SBD 992

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.68 SBD 223

$18.45 SBD 148

$36.91 SBD 297

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.92 SBD 71.8

$6.08 SBD 48.91

$14.59 SBD 117

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 SBD 35.73

$2.54 SBD 20.42

$5.07 SBD 40.84

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

$97.8 SBD 787

$48.89 SBD 393

$122 SBD 984

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,240 SBD 18.0K

$1,244 SBD 10.0K

$3,235 SBD 26.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.42 SBD 189

$12.19 SBD 98.1

$31.08 SBD 250

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$92.9 SBD 748

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 SBD 704

$36.62 SBD 295

$97.7 SBD 786

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.7 SBD 738

$49.57 SBD 399

$124 SBD 996

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 SBD 6,314

$436 SBD 3,513

$1,496 SBD 12.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 SBD 3,924

$311 SBD 2,505

$591 SBD 4,759

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 SBD 12.7K

$609 SBD 4,904

$4,874 SBD 39.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 SBD 11.0K

$499 SBD 4,018

$2,246 SBD 18.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$85.2K SBD 685.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$62.6K SBD 504.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$471 SBD 3,794

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.44

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

Last update: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Solomon Islands $1,880

Monthly Utilities & Internet

$665 35.4%

Accommodation & Living

$488 25.9%

Groceries & Markets

$358 19.1%

Eating Out

$159 8.5%

Clothing & Footwear

$133 7.1%

Getting Around

$40 2.2%

Sport & Entertainment

$37 1.9%

Cost Breakdown

The average net salary in the Solomon Islands is $416 – below average monthly costs of $1,880. Many locals rely on dual incomes or shared housing. Remote workers earning abroad find strong purchasing power here.

Groceries average around $368 per month nationally. A mid-range dinner for two costs about $58.

Cost Highlights

Overall cost of living ($1,880) is 39% above the global median of $1,352.

Dinner for two at a restaurant ($58) is 23% above the global median of $47.

Public transport ($28) is 15% below the global median of $33.

Good to know

🕒 Local time

19:09 7:09 PM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

611,343

💱 Currency

Solomon Islands Dollar SBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SBD = 0.124 USD

1 SBD = 0.111 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

By City in the Solomon Islands

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	Gizo	7177	105	$865	$2,181	$2,055	$4,019	38.3	59.47
2	Honiara	54600	79	$779	$1,658	$1,931	$3,763	218.36	76.17

The Solomon Islands Median Internet Speeds (Updated April 2026)

Mobile

Mbps

Fixed Broadband

Mbps

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in the Solomon Islands - Frequently Asked Questions

Compared with major capitals, Solomon Islands offers relatively gentle everyday costs, especially for housing, local food, and outdoor activities. In urban centers like Honiara you may find practical apartments and a range of eateries that keep dining affordable, while imported goods and specialty items push up prices. Rural isles tend to be even more budget-friendly if you adapt shopping and transport to local routines. Cost of Living in the Solomon Islands varies by island and lifestyle, so you can design a simple yet comfortable setup with careful planning around markets and ferries. Tip: Look for guesthouses with kitchen access and flexible leases to stay nimble.

Daily life centers on flexible schedules and close access to nature. Housing search favors long-term rentals in urban zones near markets or harbors, with basic apartments to fit different budgets. Food options range from grand markets with fresh produce to simple eateries that cater to local tastes; for cooking at home, local staples are reliable. Transport most commonly involves buses, ferries, or shared taxis; plan for slower timetables and occasional delays. Solomon Islands living cost tends to be influenced by location, so pick a base that minimizes long commutes and keeps errands manageable. Tip: Test the area with a weekend reconnaissance walk and chat with locals about transit times.

Quality of life in the Solomon Islands centers on community, outdoor access, and a slower pace. Build a simple budgeting framework: separate essentials (housing, food, transport) from discretionary spending (e.g., weekend trips, coworking). Save by choosing local markets, using shared transport, and staying in homes with kitchen facilities. Seasonality affects weather and goods availability; plan around the rainy season and local harvest cycles to maintain steady grocery options. To find the right neighborhood, consider proximity to markets, clinics, and reliable internet if you work remotely. Tip: Start with a short-term stay in a few areas to test fit before committing long-term.

In 2026, monthly costs in the Solomon Islands range from $1,658 in the most affordable city to $2,181 in the most expensive one. Where you choose to live makes a dramatic difference – the gap between cheapest and most expensive cities is huge.

Living costs across the Solomon Islands vary hugely by location. In 2026, monthly expenses range from $1,658 in affordable regions to $2,181 in major cities.

Absolutely – in smaller cities across the Solomon Islands, $2,500 covers rent and daily expenses with room to spare for eating out, entertainment, and saving. Even mid-sized cities work at this budget level.