Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Suva Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Suva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $989 in Suva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,806 in Suva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,623 in Suva.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 124% more expensive than Suva, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Suva is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$5.23 FJD 11.46

204.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$43.87 FJD 96.2

47.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.79 FJD 14.90

54.79%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.11 FJD 6.82

-7.72%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.49 FJD 3.26

50.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.66 FJD 1.44

127.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.06 FJD 6.71

14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.61 FJD 7.92

7.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.29 FJD 2.84

-11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.49 FJD 1.07

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.19 FJD 2.61

47.90%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.34 FJD 7.32

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.39 FJD 20.59

43.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.35 FJD 16.12

7.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$7.50 FJD 16.44

111.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.47 FJD 5.41

-6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.42 FJD 5.31

-29.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.41 FJD 7.49

-41.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.16 FJD 6.93

-22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.53 FJD 3.34

20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.18 FJD 2.59

69.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.18 FJD 2.59

63.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.74 FJD 1.63

6.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$9.73 FJD 21.34

-32.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.66 FJD 16.81

-25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.23 FJD 4.89

-38.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.45 FJD 7.57

-13.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.87 FJD 1.90

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$21.82 FJD 47.85

108.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.86 FJD 1.88

398.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.44 FJD 0.97

86.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$8.88 FJD 19.47

106.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.34 FJD 2.94

53.73%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.4K FJD 53.4K

40.72%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$24.9K FJD 54.6K

57.76%

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

$148 €127

$45.88 FJD 101

222.30%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$12.94 FJD 28.37

58.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$24.25 FJD 53.2

63.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$29.82 FJD 65.4

60.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$6.95 FJD 15.24

172.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$4.40 FJD 9.65

108.64%

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

$614 €528

$225 FJD 493

173.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$14.0K FJD 30.8K

14.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$26.11 FJD 57.3

300.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$26.95 FJD 59.1

56.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$69.8 FJD 153

34.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$61.7 FJD 135

93.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$582 FJD 1,277

179.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$390 FJD 855

221.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,039 FJD 4,471

48.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,208 FJD 2,649

67.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$1,369 FJD 3,003

469.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$852 FJD 1,868

401.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$988 FJD 2,168

62.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.7

-50.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Suva: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $582 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 62% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Suva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $234 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon and Suva differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $989 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 62% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $582 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $225 in Suva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $989 in Suva versus $2,210 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Suva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.