For one person, living is cheaper in Fiji: $709 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fiji and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $709 in Fiji versus $1,822 in Seoul.
Fiji $709
Seoul $1,822
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,144 in Fiji versus $2,847 in Seoul.
Fiji $1,144
Seoul $2,847
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,578 in Fiji versus $3,872 in Seoul.
Fiji $1,578
Seoul $3,872
🌍
Living in Fiji costs roughly 61% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Fiji is 47% below, Seoul is 36% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.32FJD 9.68
$9.10₩12.2K
-52.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.65FJD 70.9
$67.0₩89.8K
-52.78%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.54FJD 14.65
$7.42₩9,941
-11.86%
Cappuccino
$2.50FJD 5.59
$4.08₩5,470
-38.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35FJD 3.01
$1.60₩2,141
-15.63%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05FJD 2.34
$0.80₩1,078
31.25%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.08FJD 9.14
$3.65₩4,886
11.78%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04FJD 9.06
$5.94₩7,956
-31.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.25FJD 2.80
$2.05₩2,742
-39.02%
White Bread(500g)
$0.26FJD 0.59
$3.08₩4,130
-91.56%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.85FJD 1.90
$4.21₩5,646
-79.81%
Eggs
$3.08FJD 6.91
$3.57₩4,784
-13.73%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.64FJD 23.83
$17.95₩24.1K
-40.72%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.30FJD 11.87
$10.64₩14.3K
-50.19%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$26.44₩35.4K
-
Apples(1kg)
$1.30FJD 2.92
$7.42₩9,946
-82.48%
Banana(1kg)
$0.86FJD 1.94
$3.53₩4,732
-75.64%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.83FJD 4.10
$5.87₩7,866
-68.82%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.31FJD 2.93
$6.37₩8,534
-79.43%
Potato(1kg)
$0.70FJD 1.56
$3.75₩5,028
-81.33%
Onion(1kg)
$0.74FJD 1.65
$2.49₩3,337
-70.28%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.88FJD 1.96
$2.92₩3,911
-69.86%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52FJD 1.16
$1.15₩1,542
-54.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$10.95FJD 24.52
$3.29₩4,408
232.83%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.19FJD 13.87
$18.49₩24.8K
-66.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.97FJD 8.90
$2.28₩3,057
74.12%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.12FJD 9.22
$3.28₩4,398
25.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.93FJD 2.08
$1.14₩1,526
-18.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$45.47₩60.9K
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.12FJD 2.52
$3.48₩4,663
-67.82%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$0.60₩803
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$8.70₩11.7K
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.25FJD 2.81
$1.50₩2,004
-16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$46.1KFJD 103.2K
$29.1K₩39.0M
58.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$28.2K₩37.8M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$53.5FJD 120
$209₩279.9K
-74.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37FJD 29.96
$35.13₩47.1K
-61.94%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.80FJD 39.88
$21.18₩28.4K
-15.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$21.89FJD 49.04
$57.3₩76.8K
-61.82%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.42FJD 9.89
$15.89₩21.3K
-72.18%
Cinema Ticket
$4.10FJD 9.18
$11.33₩15.2K
-63.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$44.79FJD 100
$1,902₩2.5M
-97.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
-
$22.5K₩30.2M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.42FJD 43.50
$58.9₩78.9K
-67.03%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$32.12₩43.0K
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$30.25FJD 67.8
$70.1₩94.0K
-56.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$82.5₩110.5K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$680FJD 1,524
$885₩1.2M
-23.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$270FJD 605
$624₩835.5K
-56.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,095FJD 2,453
$2,494₩3.3M
-56.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$610FJD 1,367
$1,275₩1.7M
-52.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,289FJD 2,887
$29.8K₩40.0M
-95.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,293FJD 2,897
$11.8K₩15.9M
-89.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fiji
Seoul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$538FJD 1,205
$3,649₩4.9M
-85.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6
4.08
47.06%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Fiji: October 4, 2026
Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Fiji
$270 38.4%
Seoul
$624 34.7% ↑ 131%$354
🛒Groceries & Markets
Fiji
$169 * 24%
Seoul
$479 26.7% ↑ 184%$310
🍽Eating Out
Fiji
$122 17.4%
Seoul
$184 10.2% ↑ 50.3%$62
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fiji
$85 12%
Seoul
$265 14.8% ↑ 213%$181
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Fiji
$30 4.3%
Seoul
$80 4.5% ↑ 166%$50
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Fiji
$22 * 3.2%
Seoul
$110 6.1% ↑ 391%$87
🚌Getting Around
Fiji
$4.8 * 0.7%
Seoul
$57 3.1% ↑ 1070%$52
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Fiji
$610 38.3%
Seoul
$1.3K 32.5% ↑ 109%$664
🛒Groceries & Markets
Fiji
$369 * 23.2%
Seoul
$1.1K 28.4% ↑ 202%$747
🍽Eating Out
Fiji
$392 24.6%
Seoul
$701 17.9% ↑ 79%$309
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fiji
$98 6.1%
Seoul
$300 7.7% ↑ 206%$202
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Fiji
$65 4.1%
Seoul
$176 4.5% ↑ 172%$111
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Fiji
$50 * 3.1%
Seoul
$244 6.2% ↑ 391%$194
🚌Getting Around
Fiji
$12 * 0.7%
Seoul
$115 2.9% ↑ 902%$104
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $680 in Fiji and $885 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Seoul pays 578% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $32.00 in Fiji vs $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $479 per month, with Fiji cheaper across the board.
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
Fiji vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seoul cheaper than Fiji?
Fiji is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Fiji or Seoul?
On paper, salaries run 578% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Fiji and Seoul?
Rent for a central apartment: $680 in Fiji versus $885 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Fiji and in Seoul?
Supermarket bills run roughly 184% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Fiji and in Seoul?
All in, you'll spend $709 per month in Fiji versus $1,822 in Seoul – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Fiji or in Seoul?
At $709 in Fiji versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fiji but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Fiji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Fiji or in Seoul?
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.
Which city is safer, Fiji or Seoul?
Safety-wise, Fiji and Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Fiji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.