Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Apia and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $927 in Suva, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Suva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Apia and in Suva

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $851 in Apia versus $927 in Suva.

Apia $851
Suva $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in Apia versus $1,681 in Suva.

Apia $2,281
Suva $1,681

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,711 in Apia versus $2,435 in Suva.

Apia $3,711
Suva $2,435

Living in Apia costs roughly 8% less than in Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Apia 36% lower, Suva 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$47.76 WST 133

$5.72 FJD 12.81

734.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.89 WST 103

$44.13 FJD 98.8

-16.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.51 WST 40.39

$7.76 FJD 17.37

86.98%

Cappuccino

$2.93 WST 8.15

$2.91 FJD 6.52

0.69%

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

$1.80 WST 5.01

$1.50 FJD 3.36

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 WST 3.88

$0.73 FJD 1.64

90.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 WST 9.78

$3.67 FJD 8.21

-4.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 WST 10.20

$4.33 FJD 9.70

-15.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 WST 5.09

$1.28 FJD 2.86

42.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 WST 2.34

$0.56 FJD 1.26

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 WST 5.17

$1.13 FJD 2.52

64.60%

Eggs

$4.15 WST 11.55

$3.39 FJD 7.60

22.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.94 WST 2.62

$10.04 FJD 22.48

-90.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.67 WST 10.21

$6.06 FJD 13.57

-39.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 WST 23.92

$7.82 FJD 17.50

9.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 WST 14.54

$2.47 FJD 5.54

111.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 WST 4.99

$2.42 FJD 5.43

-26.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 WST 5.21

$3.48 FJD 7.79

-46.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 WST 12.07

$3.12 FJD 6.99

39.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 WST 10.29

$1.22 FJD 2.72

203.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 WST 3.10

$1.07 FJD 2.39

3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 WST 3.40

$0.73 FJD 1.64

67.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 WST 17.55

$9.66 FJD 21.62

-34.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.32 WST 45.41

$7.33 FJD 16.41

122.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 WST 5.19

$2.07 FJD 4.64

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 WST 10.24

$3.43 FJD 7.69

7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 WST 9.94

$0.94 FJD 2.11

279.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 WST 14.84

$0.87 FJD 1.94

512.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.42 WST 15.08

$0.42 FJD 0.94

1190.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.64 WST 60.2

$8.95 FJD 20.04

141.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 WST 2.95

$1.46 FJD 3.26

-27.40%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

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

$18.16 WST 50.6

$46.38 FJD 104

-60.85%

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

$18.40 WST 51.2

$12.79 FJD 28.65

43.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.53 WST 102

$23.98 FJD 53.7

52.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.29

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

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

$228 FJD 509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,995

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,913

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 WST 4,982

$1,001 FJD 2,241

78.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,956

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,151

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

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

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Apia

–

Suva

$330 34.9%

Groceries & Markets

Apia

–

Suva

$228 24.1%

Eating Out

Apia

–

Suva

$140 14.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Apia

–

Suva

$92 9.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Apia

–

Suva

$83 8.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Apia

–

Suva

$44 4.6%

Getting Around

Apia

–

Suva

$29 3.1%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $37.00 in Apia vs $44.00 in Suva. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $228, with Suva cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇼🇸 Apia

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

13:04 1:04 PM

1 h behind Apia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,000 Capital

100,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Samoan Tala WST T

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to WST – Samoan Tala Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇼🇸 Samoan Tala (T)

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

USD to WST in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Apia Suva 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Apia
Suva

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

Apia vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Suva. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,277 in Apia and $1,390 in Suva to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $851 per month in Apia versus $927 in Suva – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Suva pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $851 in Apia versus $927 in Suva, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Suva. The gap between the two cities makes Apia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Apia and Suva are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Suva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.