Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Canterbury: $899 a month against $946 in Suva, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Suva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Canterbury
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Canterbury Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Canterbury

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$899

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $899 per month in Canterbury vs $946 in Suva, rent included.

Canterbury $899
Suva $946

A couple spends around $1,491 per month in Canterbury vs $1,717 in Suva, rent included.

Canterbury $1,491
Suva $1,717

A family of three spends $2,083 per month in Canterbury vs $2,489 in Suva, rent included.

Canterbury $2,083
Suva $2,489

Canterbury is about 5% cheaper than Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Canterbury and Suva are more affordable than the global median – Canterbury 33% lower, Suva 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.25 NZ$25.20

$5.93 FJD 13.28

140.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 NZ$107

$44.78 FJD 100

34.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 NZ$19.97

$7.51 FJD 16.81

50.33%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NZ$5.29

$2.85 FJD 6.37

4.91%

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

$2.11 NZ$3.74

$1.50 FJD 3.36

40.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 NZ$3.61

$0.75 FJD 1.67

172.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 NZ$6.87

$3.56 FJD 7.98

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 NZ$11.12

$4.57 FJD 10.24

37.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 NZ$3.82

$1.33 FJD 2.97

62.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$0.57 FJD 1.28

249.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.13 FJD 2.53

53.98%

Eggs

$5.43 NZ$9.61

$3.38 FJD 7.57

60.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 NZ$15.12

$10.18 FJD 22.78

-16.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 NZ$15.84

$6.34 FJD 14.19

41.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 NZ$28.12

$7.96 FJD 17.82

99.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.33

$2.49 FJD 5.58

20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.99

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-7.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 NZ$5.66

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-9.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 NZ$9.09

$3.17 FJD 7.11

62.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.19

$1.26 FJD 2.83

43.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 NZ$3.13

$1.06 FJD 2.37

66.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$1.16 FJD 2.61

95.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.96

$0.69 FJD 1.54

-20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.04 NZ$37.20

$9.89 FJD 22.15

112.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.82 NZ$15.60

$7.19 FJD 16.10

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 NZ$5.46

$2.11 FJD 4.74

46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.11

$3.39 FJD 7.60

-64.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 FJD 1.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 NZ$10.00

$0.92 FJD 2.05

515.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FJD 1.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.93 NZ$49.39

$8.80 FJD 19.70

217.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 NZ$2.84

$1.43 FJD 3.21

12.59%

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

$24.7K NZ$43.7K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

1.48%

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

$25.4K NZ$45.0K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

3.01%

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

$109 NZ$192

$46.26 FJD 104

135.17%

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

$28.43 NZ$50.3

$12.75 FJD 28.54

122.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 NZ$90.3

$24.21 FJD 54.2

110.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 FJD 82.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 NZ$17.92

$3.42 FJD 7.65

196.20%

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

$570 NZ$1,008

$225 FJD 503

153.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 NZ$104

$33.29 FJD 74.5

75.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.87 NZ$38.67

$39.64 FJD 88.8

-44.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 NZ$160

$68.6 FJD 154

31.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NZ$238

$59.9 FJD 134

124.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 NZ$1,595

$889 FJD 1,992

1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 FJD 736

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 FJD 5,797

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 FJD 2,236

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 FJD 2,933

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 FJD 1,836

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,721 NZ$4,813

$965 FJD 2,160

182.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

-48.05%

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

Last update for Canterbury: October 11, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Canterbury

$315 35.1%

Suva

$231 24.4% 26.9% $85

Eating Out

Canterbury

$232 25.8%

Suva

$140 14.8% 39.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canterbury

$188 20.9%

Suva

$83 8.8% 55.8% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Canterbury

$137 15.3%

Suva

$91 9.6% 34% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Canterbury

$20 * 2.3%

Suva

$44 4.6% 115% $23

Getting Around

Canterbury

$5.7 * 0.6%

Suva

$29 3.1% 413% $23

Accommodation & Living

Canterbury

- * 0%

Suva

$329 34.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $902 in Canterbury 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.

Salaries run about 182% higher in Canterbury, 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 $60.0 in Canterbury versus $45.00 in Suva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $231 – making Suva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Canterbury

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

21:11 9:11 PM

20:11 8:11 PM

1 h behind Canterbury

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Canterbury Suva 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Canterbury
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

Canterbury vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $899 in Canterbury, $946 in Suva – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,349 per month in Canterbury 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 Canterbury, 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 $60.0 in Canterbury and $45.00 in Suva. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 37% cheaper in Suva – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Canterbury, where all-in costs run around $899, than in Suva at $946. In Canterbury it covers expenses comfortably, while in Suva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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