Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,806 in Ashburton, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Ashburton
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Ashburton Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Ashburton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,806

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Ashburton vs $946 in Suva, rent included.

Ashburton $1,806
Suva $946

A couple spends around $2,897 per month in Ashburton vs $1,717 in Suva, rent included.

Ashburton $2,897
Suva $1,717

A family of three spends $3,987 per month in Ashburton vs $2,489 in Suva, rent included.

Ashburton $3,987
Suva $2,489

Ashburton costs about 91% more than Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ashburton sits 34% above the global median, while Suva is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 NZ$24.63

$5.93 FJD 13.28

134.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 NZ$120

$44.78 FJD 100

51.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 NZ$15.65

$7.51 FJD 16.81

17.84%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.77

$2.85 FJD 6.37

14.39%

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

$2.32 NZ$4.10

$1.50 FJD 3.36

54.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$0.75 FJD 1.67

141.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 NZ$12.19

$3.56 FJD 7.98

93.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 NZ$11.97

$4.57 FJD 10.24

48.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.95

$1.33 FJD 2.97

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NZ$3.32

$0.57 FJD 1.28

229.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.64

$1.13 FJD 2.53

32.74%

Eggs

$5.80 NZ$10.26

$3.38 FJD 7.57

71.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 NZ$13.23

$10.18 FJD 22.78

-26.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 NZ$16.53

$6.34 FJD 14.19

47.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.55 NZ$23.96

$7.96 FJD 17.82

70.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.35

$2.49 FJD 5.58

-1.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-23.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.37

$3.17 FJD 7.11

-4.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$1.26 FJD 2.83

19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$1.06 FJD 2.37

37.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.83

$1.16 FJD 2.61

87.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NZ$2.33

$0.69 FJD 1.54

91.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 NZ$42.70

$9.89 FJD 22.15

144.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 NZ$14.94

$7.19 FJD 16.10

17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.23

$2.11 FJD 4.74

66.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NZ$7.53

$3.39 FJD 7.60

25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 NZ$2.86

$0.88 FJD 1.97

84.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NZ$132

$22.34 FJD 50.0

233.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 NZ$4.38

$0.92 FJD 2.05

169.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 NZ$2.93

$0.45 FJD 1.01

268.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.91 NZ$49.35

$8.80 FJD 19.70

217.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$1.43 FJD 3.21

34.97%

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

$24.7K NZ$43.7K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

1.61%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

-3.15%

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

$156 NZ$276

$46.26 FJD 104

236.79%

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

$22.75 NZ$40.23

$12.75 FJD 28.54

78.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.32 NZ$78.4

$24.21 FJD 54.2

83.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 NZ$71.0

$36.81 FJD 82.4

9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 NZ$19.66

$3.42 FJD 7.65

225.15%

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

$659 NZ$1,165

$225 FJD 503

192.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K NZ$38.8K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

63.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 NZ$102

$33.29 FJD 74.5

73.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 NZ$70.4

$39.64 FJD 88.8

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 NZ$176

$68.6 FJD 154

45.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$214

$59.9 FJD 134

102.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,792

$889 FJD 1,992

13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 NZ$1,317

$329 FJD 736

126.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 NZ$2,506

$2,589 FJD 5,797

-45.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 NZ$2,830

$999 FJD 2,236

60.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,546 NZ$8,039

$1,310 FJD 2,933

247.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,098 NZ$5,479

$820 FJD 1,836

277.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

7.7

-23.25%

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

Last update for Ashburton: October 12, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashburton

$745 41.2%

Suva

$329 34.7% 55.9% $416

Groceries & Markets

Ashburton

$300 16.6%

Suva

$231 24.4% 23% $69

Eating Out

Ashburton

$242 13.4%

Suva

$140 14.8% 42% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashburton

$223 12.3%

Suva

$83 8.8% 62.7% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Ashburton

$143 7.9%

Suva

$91 9.6% 36.7% $53

Getting Around

Ashburton

$92 5.1%

Suva

$29 3.1% 68.3% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Ashburton

$62 3.5%

Suva

$44 4.6% 30% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Ashburton versus $889 in Suva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ashburton versus $45.00 in Suva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $231 – making Suva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Ashburton

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

1 h behind Ashburton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,500

100,000 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ashburton Suva 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ashburton
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

Ashburton vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,806 in Ashburton, $946 in Suva – roughly 91% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,710 per month in Ashburton and $1,419 in Suva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 30% more in Ashburton, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Ashburton and $45.00 in Suva. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $946, than in Ashburton at $1,806. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashburton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Suva – 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 Suva. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashburton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.