Moving to Papua New Guinea from Solomon Islands

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Solomon Islands to Papua New Guinea — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Solomon Islands to Papua New Guinea.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Solomon Islands to Papua New Guinea, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
220

people born in Solomon Islands live in Papua New Guinea · UN DESA

Who's moving to Papua New Guinea?

Top countries of origin for Papua New Guinea's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2010

per 100,000 people per year

SB
3.7
PG
9.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SB
11.2
PG
14.9

Solomon Islands performs better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SB
$153
PG
$133
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

SB
1.9
PG
0.6

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Solomon Islands leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SB
57.0
PG
38.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SB
0.4t
PG
0.5t

Solomon Islands generally does better on environment, though Papua New Guinea leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SB
0.1
PG
0.2
Internet access The World Factbook, 2021

share of households with internet

SB
36.0%
PG
32.0%

Solomon Islands generally does better on infrastructure, though Papua New Guinea leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

SB
1.6%
PG
2.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SB
$2,700
PG
$4,200

Solomon Islands generally does better on employment & economy, though Papua New Guinea leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SB
76.7 yrs
PG
69.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SB
20.0
PG
33.6

Solomon Islands performs better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Honiara Rain: 129.5 in/yr (3290 mm)
86° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Port Moresby Rain: 35.4 in/yr (899 mm)
88° / 74°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Honiara Port Moresby
Jan–Mar 87°/75°F (30°/24°C) 89°/74°F (32°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) 88°/74°F (31°/23°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/72°F (29°/22°C) 87°/73°F (30°/23°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) 90°/74°F (32°/24°C)
View all months
Month Honiara Port Moresby
Jan 87°/75°F (30.6°/23.8°C) 90°/75°F (32.1°/23.7°C)
Feb 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.8°C) 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.5°C)
Mar 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.6°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.4°C)
Apr 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.5°C) 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C)
May 86°/74°F (30.2°/23.2°C) 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.5°C)
Jun 86°/73°F (29.9°/22.9°C) 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.1°C)
Jul 85°/72°F (29.3°/22.5°C) 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C)
Aug 85°/72°F (29.4°/22.3°C) 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.6°C)
Sep 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.6°C) 88°/74°F (31.0°/23.2°C)
Oct 86°/73°F (30.1°/22.8°C) 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.5°C)
Nov 87°/74°F (30.5°/23.2°C) 90°/74°F (32.5°/23.6°C)
Dec 87°/74°F (30.7°/23.6°C) 90°/75°F (32.4°/23.7°C)

Data: Solomon Islands Meteorological Service Solomon Islands Meteorological Service, Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service Papua New Guinea Meteorological Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. To live, work, or study long-term in Papua New Guinea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Papua New Guinea's immigration authority.

Solomon Islands passport

Solomon Islands passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea

Visa on Arrival
Solomon Islands passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea passport

Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Solomon Islands

Visa on Arrival
Papua New Guinea passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Solomon Islands.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Papua New Guinea?

With 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Papua New Guinea can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Is Papua New Guinea safe for expats?

Solomon Islands performs better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Papua New Guinea is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.7 in Solomon Islands.

How is healthcare in Papua New Guinea compared to Solomon Islands?

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Solomon Islands leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 0.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Papua New Guinea, compared to 1.9 in Solomon Islands. Papua New Guinea scores 30 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Solomon Islands: 47).

What's the weather like in Papua New Guinea compared to Solomon Islands?

The average high temperature in Port Moresby is 88°F, compared to 86°F in Honiara. Port Moresby receives around 35.4 in of rainfall per year, while Honiara gets 129.5 in.

What language do they speak in Papua New Guinea?

The official languages in Papua New Guinea are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin. In Solomon Islands, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

SB PG
Population 702,694 9,593,498
Currency Solomon Islands Dollar (SBD) Papua New Guinean Kina (PGK)
Languages English English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +677 +675
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 000