Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,412 in Invercargill, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Invercargill
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Invercargill Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
Learn more

Suva Living Index

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Invercargill

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,412

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,412 per month in Invercargill vs $946 in Suva, rent included.

Invercargill $1,412
Suva $946

A couple spends around $2,099 per month in Invercargill vs $1,717 in Suva, rent included.

Invercargill $2,099
Suva $1,717

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Invercargill vs $2,489 in Suva, rent included.

Invercargill $2,785
Suva $2,489

Invercargill costs about 49% more than Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Invercargill sits 5% above the global median, while Suva is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 NZ$24.83

$5.93 FJD 13.28

136.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 NZ$108

$44.78 FJD 100

36.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 NZ$14.71

$7.51 FJD 16.81

10.79%

Cappuccino

$3.12 NZ$5.52

$2.85 FJD 6.37

9.47%

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

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$1.50 FJD 3.36

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NZ$3.60

$0.75 FJD 1.67

170.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 NZ$4.85

$3.56 FJD 7.98

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NZ$4.85

$4.57 FJD 10.24

-40.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$1.33 FJD 2.97

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 NZ$3.27

$0.57 FJD 1.28

224.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.11

$1.13 FJD 2.53

55.75%

Eggs

$5.58 NZ$9.87

$3.38 FJD 7.57

65.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 NZ$14.55

$10.18 FJD 22.78

-19.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 NZ$15.61

$6.34 FJD 14.19

39.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 NZ$21.44

$7.96 FJD 17.82

52.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$2.49 FJD 5.58

2.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.17

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-2.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.70

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-25.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 NZ$6.23

$3.17 FJD 7.11

11.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.68

$1.26 FJD 2.83

154.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 NZ$2.85

$1.06 FJD 2.37

51.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NZ$4.13

$1.16 FJD 2.61

100.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.84

$0.69 FJD 1.54

50.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.39 NZ$36.06

$9.89 FJD 22.15

106.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.56 NZ$15.14

$7.19 FJD 16.10

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 NZ$5.06

$2.11 FJD 4.74

35.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NZ$5.99

$3.39 FJD 7.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$0.88 FJD 1.97

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$0.92 FJD 2.05

146.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.42

$0.45 FJD 1.01

331.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.73 NZ$49.04

$8.80 FJD 19.70

215.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 NZ$2.81

$1.43 FJD 3.21

11.19%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

-2.15%

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

$18.2K NZ$32.3K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

-26.12%

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

$109 NZ$192

$46.26 FJD 104

135.04%

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

$32.30 NZ$57.1

$12.75 FJD 28.54

153.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 NZ$75.1

$24.21 FJD 54.2

75.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.87 NZ$49.29

$36.81 FJD 82.4

-24.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 NZ$24.34

$11.31 FJD 25.32

21.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.82 NZ$15.60

$3.42 FJD 7.65

157.89%

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

$589 NZ$1,042

$225 FJD 503

162.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 NZ$102

$33.29 FJD 74.5

72.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 NZ$62.0

$39.64 FJD 88.8

-11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 NZ$124

$68.6 FJD 154

1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 NZ$140

$59.9 FJD 134

31.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 NZ$1,050

$889 FJD 1,992

-33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 NZ$974

$329 FJD 736

67.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 NZ$1,470

$2,589 FJD 5,797

-67.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 NZ$1,350

$999 FJD 2,236

-23.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,482 NZ$9,695

$1,310 FJD 2,933

318.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,034 NZ$8,902

$820 FJD 1,836

513.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,729 NZ$4,826

$965 FJD 2,160

182.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

7.7

-12.73%

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

Last update for Invercargill: 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

Invercargill

$551 39%

Suva

$329 34.7% 40.3% $222

Groceries & Markets

Invercargill

$298 21.1%

Suva

$231 24.4% 22.5% $67

Eating Out

Invercargill

$209 14.8%

Suva

$140 14.8% 32.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Invercargill

$183 13%

Suva

$83 8.8% 54.6% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Invercargill

$109 7.7%

Suva

$91 9.6% 16.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Invercargill

$46 3.2%

Suva

$44 4.6% 4.1% $1.9

Getting Around

Invercargill

$18 * 1.2%

Suva

$29 3.1% 65.1% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $594 in Invercargill 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 183% higher in Invercargill, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Invercargill versus $45.00 in Suva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $231 – making Suva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Invercargill

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

06:47 6:47 AM

1 h behind Invercargill

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,200

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 17, 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 17, 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

Invercargill Suva 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Invercargill
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

Invercargill vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill costs about 49% more than Suva, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,119 per month in Invercargill 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,412 in Invercargill and $946 in Suva. That's a gap of about 49%.

Kindergarten costs $589 per month in Invercargill and $225 in Suva. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $946, than in Invercargill at $1,412. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Invercargill 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, Invercargill makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.