Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manukau and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,753 in Manukau, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Manukau
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Manukau Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Manukau

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,753

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,753 per month in Manukau vs $946 in Suva, rent included.

Manukau $1,753
Suva $946

A couple spends around $2,707 per month in Manukau vs $1,717 in Suva, rent included.

Manukau $2,707
Suva $1,717

A family of three spends $3,661 per month in Manukau vs $2,489 in Suva, rent included.

Manukau $3,661
Suva $2,489

Manukau costs about 85% more than Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 NZ$21.04

$5.93 FJD 13.28

100.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 NZ$119

$44.78 FJD 100

50.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 NZ$14.77

$7.51 FJD 16.81

11.19%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$6.00

$2.85 FJD 6.37

18.95%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$1.50 FJD 3.36

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$0.75 FJD 1.67

132.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 NZ$10.80

$3.56 FJD 7.98

71.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 NZ$9.83

$4.57 FJD 10.24

21.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 NZ$2.50

$1.33 FJD 2.97

6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 NZ$2.28

$0.57 FJD 1.28

126.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$1.13 FJD 2.53

59.29%

Eggs

$5.19 NZ$9.18

$3.38 FJD 7.57

53.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.64 NZ$9.97

$10.18 FJD 22.78

-44.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 NZ$12.79

$6.34 FJD 14.19

14.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.66 NZ$20.63

$7.96 FJD 17.82

46.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$2.49 FJD 5.58

2.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.61

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-16.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.16

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.99

$3.17 FJD 7.11

78.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.45

$1.26 FJD 2.83

54.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.06 FJD 2.37

29.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$1.16 FJD 2.61

70.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NZ$1.60

$0.69 FJD 1.54

30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.28 NZ$44.71

$9.89 FJD 22.15

155.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 NZ$17.91

$7.19 FJD 16.10

40.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 NZ$5.00

$2.11 FJD 4.74

34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 NZ$5.89

$3.39 FJD 7.60

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 NZ$3.14

$0.88 FJD 1.97

101.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 NZ$161

$22.34 FJD 50.0

308.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$0.92 FJD 2.05

147.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 NZ$3.50

$0.45 FJD 1.01

340.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.55 NZ$55.8

$8.80 FJD 19.70

258.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$1.43 FJD 3.21

18.88%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

1.93%

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

$22.3K NZ$39.4K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

-9.77%

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

$56.2 NZ$99.3

$46.26 FJD 104

21.40%

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

$26.35 NZ$46.60

$12.75 FJD 28.54

106.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.91 NZ$88.3

$24.21 FJD 54.2

106.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.03 NZ$67.3

$36.81 FJD 82.4

3.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

Cinema Ticket

$12.81 NZ$22.65

$3.42 FJD 7.65

274.56%

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

$675 NZ$1,194

$225 FJD 503

200.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K NZ$34.8K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

46.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 NZ$109

$33.29 FJD 74.5

85.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 NZ$65.5

$39.64 FJD 88.8

-6.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 NZ$165

$68.6 FJD 154

35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NZ$194

$59.9 FJD 134

83.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 NZ$1,690

$889 FJD 1,992

7.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$817 NZ$1,444

$329 FJD 736

148.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NZ$2,821

$2,589 FJD 5,797

-38.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NZ$2,552

$999 FJD 2,236

44.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,910 NZ$8,683

$1,310 FJD 2,933

274.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,309 NZ$5,852

$820 FJD 1,836

303.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,744 NZ$3,085

$965 FJD 2,160

80.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

7.7

-23.38%

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

Last update for Manukau: 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

Manukau

$817 46.6%

Suva

$329 34.7% 59.7% $488

Groceries & Markets

Manukau

$276 15.8%

Suva

$231 24.4% 16.5% $46

Eating Out

Manukau

$218 12.4%

Suva

$140 14.8% 35.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Manukau

$136 7.8%

Suva

$91 9.6% 33.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manukau

$132 7.6%

Suva

$83 8.8% 37.2% $49

Getting Around

Manukau

$110 6.3%

Suva

$29 3.1% 73.7% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Manukau

$64 3.6%

Suva

$44 4.6% 31.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Manukau 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 81% higher in Manukau, 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 $67.0 in Manukau versus $45.00 in Suva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $231 – making Suva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Manukau

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

05:55 5:55 AM

1 h behind Manukau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manukau Suva 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manukau
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

Manukau vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,753 in Manukau, $946 in Suva – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,629 per month in Manukau 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.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Manukau, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Manukau and $45.00 in Suva. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $946, than in Manukau at $1,753. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Manukau 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, Manukau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.