Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Suva
🇫🇯 Fiji
$946
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $946 in Suva.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Suva $946

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,717 in Suva.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Suva $1,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,489 in Suva.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Suva $2,489

Living in Lisbon is roughly 135% more expensive than in Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Suva is 30% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$5.93 FJD 13.28
178.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$44.78 FJD 100
36.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$7.51 FJD 16.81
50.07%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$2.85 FJD 6.37
7.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.50 FJD 3.36
50.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$0.75 FJD 1.67
130.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$3.56 FJD 7.98
-4.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$4.57 FJD 10.24
-25.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.33 FJD 2.97
-15.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.57 FJD 1.28
226.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.13 FJD 2.53
35.40%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.38 FJD 7.57
17.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$10.18 FJD 22.78
25.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$6.34 FJD 14.19
24.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$7.96 FJD 17.82
113.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.49 FJD 5.58
-8.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.43 FJD 5.43
-27.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$3.55 FJD 7.94
-47.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$3.17 FJD 7.11
-18.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.26 FJD 2.83
47.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.06 FJD 2.37
90.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.16 FJD 2.61
24.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.69 FJD 1.54
18.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$9.89 FJD 22.15
-33.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$7.19 FJD 16.10
-21.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$2.11 FJD 4.74
-39.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.39 FJD 7.60
-38.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.88 FJD 1.97
167.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$22.34 FJD 50.0
97.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$0.92 FJD 2.05
333.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.45 FJD 1.01
142.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$8.80 FJD 19.70
89.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.43 FJD 3.21
59.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$24.3K FJD 54.5K
38.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$24.7K FJD 55.3K
59.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$46.26 FJD 104
262.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$12.75 FJD 28.54
47.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$24.21 FJD 54.2
36.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$36.81 FJD 82.4
24.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$11.31 FJD 25.32
69.67%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$3.42 FJD 7.65
187.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$225 FJD 503
201.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$13.4K FJD 30.0K
26.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$33.29 FJD 74.5
204.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$39.64 FJD 88.8
15.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$68.6 FJD 154
45.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$59.9 FJD 134
104.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$889 FJD 1,992
81.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$329 FJD 736
264.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$2,589 FJD 5,797
10.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$999 FJD 2,236
99.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$1,310 FJD 2,933
478.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$820 FJD 1,836
425.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Suva
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$965 FJD 2,160
64.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
7.7
-50.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Suva
$329 72.5% $868
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Suva
$231 14.3% $39
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Suva
$140 42.2% $102
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Suva
$83 62.1% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Suva
$91 45.5% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Suva
$44 33.6% $22
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Suva
$29 53.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $889 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 65% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $45.00 in Suva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $231 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇫🇯 Suva
🕒 Local time
06:06 6:06 AM
17:06 5:06 PM
11 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
100,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Suva 17,610 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • 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
Lisbon vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Suva?
Lisbon and Suva differ by about 135% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $946 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Suva?
Average pay runs 65% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Suva?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $889 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Suva?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $225 in Suva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $946 in Suva versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Suva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Suva?
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.
Is Lisbon or Suva safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon 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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Suva?
Expats usually find Suva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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