Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nadi and Nelson

For one person, living is cheaper in Nadi: $1,386 a month against $1,833 in Nelson, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Nadi
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Nadi Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index

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Nadi

🇫🇯 Fiji

$1,386

/mo nomad

Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nadi and in Nelson

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nadi and in Nelson actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,386 per month in Nadi vs $1,833 in Nelson, rent included.

Nadi $1,386
Nelson $1,833

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Nadi vs $2,842 in Nelson, rent included.

Nadi $2,044
Nelson $2,842

A family of three spends $2,702 per month in Nadi vs $3,852 in Nelson, rent included.

Nadi $2,702
Nelson $3,852

Nadi is about 24% cheaper than Nelson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Nadi and Nelson sit above the global median – Nadi by 3%, Nelson by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 FJD 19.85

$13.86 NZ$24.51

-36.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.73 FJD 82.2

$64.6 NZ$114

-43.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 FJD 20.16

$8.53 NZ$15.08

5.51%

Cappuccino

$4.41 FJD 9.88

$3.24 NZ$5.74

36.11%

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

$1.49 FJD 3.35

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-13.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$1.65 NZ$2.91

-22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 FJD 6.13

$7.13 NZ$12.61

-61.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 FJD 10.19

$5.53 NZ$9.79

-17.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 FJD 3.00

$1.90 NZ$3.36

-29.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 FJD 2.43

$2.05 NZ$3.63

-47.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 FJD 2.93

$1.83 NZ$3.24

-28.42%

Eggs

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$5.70 NZ$10.08

-45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 FJD 27.01

$9.09 NZ$16.08

32.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 FJD 30.78

$7.34 NZ$12.98

87.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 FJD 35.07

$13.70 NZ$24.22

14.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 FJD 6.57

$3.08 NZ$5.45

-4.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 FJD 6.20

$2.19 NZ$3.88

26.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 FJD 8.30

$3.06 NZ$5.41

21.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NZ$9.92

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 FJD 4.44

$2.05 NZ$3.63

-3.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 FJD 4.44

$1.28 NZ$2.27

54.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 FJD 2.45

$1.97 NZ$3.48

-44.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 FJD 2.15

$1.01 NZ$1.79

-4.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 FJD 21.19

$24.79 NZ$43.85

-61.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 FJD 22.39

$9.44 NZ$16.69

5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 FJD 6.11

$3.06 NZ$5.41

-10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 FJD 7.63

$2.75 NZ$4.86

24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 FJD 1.57

$2.22 NZ$3.92

-68.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 FJD 2.55

$1.82 NZ$3.21

-37.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-76.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 FJD 10.84

$33.41 NZ$59.1

-85.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 FJD 2.96

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-18.01%

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

$24.9K FJD 55.7K

$17.1K NZ$30.2K

45.73%

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

$22.3K FJD 50.0K

$21.9K NZ$38.7K

1.99%

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

$65.8 FJD 147

$131 NZ$231

-49.57%

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

$17.97 FJD 40.23

$32.95 NZ$58.3

-45.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.26 FJD 52.1

$41.79 NZ$73.9

-44.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 FJD 83.3

$99.3 NZ$176

-62.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.61 NZ$59.4

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 FJD 12.19

$11.01 NZ$19.48

-50.50%

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

$440 NZ$777

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NZ$22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.10 FJD 65.2

$52.4 NZ$92.6

-44.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.62 FJD 97.7

$27.78 NZ$49.13

57.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 FJD 127

$101 NZ$179

-44.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 FJD 152

$138 NZ$245

-51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 FJD 2,524

$1,000 NZ$1,769

12.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 FJD 1,444

$795 NZ$1,406

-18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 FJD 3,745

$1,704 NZ$3,014

-1.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 FJD 2,248

$1,456 NZ$2,574

-31.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$679 FJD 1,521

$1,374 NZ$2,430

-50.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$518 FJD 1,161

$827 NZ$1,462

-37.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 FJD 1,805

$2,017 NZ$3,568

-60.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.25

5.39

34.51%

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

Last update for Nadi: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nelson: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nadi

$645 46.5%

Nelson

$795 43.4% 23.3% $150

Groceries & Markets

Nadi

$306 * 22.1%

Nelson

$312 17% 1.9% $5.8

Eating Out

Nadi

$185 13.3%

Nelson

$236 12.9% 27.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nadi

$107 7.7%

Nelson

$205 11.2% 91.8% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Nadi

$89 6.4%

Nelson

$144 7.9% 62.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Nadi

$48 3.5%

Nelson

$121 6.6% 152% $73

Getting Around

Nadi

$6 * 0.4%

Nelson

$20 * 1.1% 224% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,127 in Nadi versus $1,000 in Nelson. 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 150% higher in Nelson, 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 $37.00 in Nadi versus $65.0 in Nelson. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $312 – making Nadi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Nadi

🇳🇿 Nelson

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

1 h ahead of Nadi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

51,100

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

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).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nadi Nelson 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nadi
Nelson

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

Nadi vs Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nelson is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,079 per month in Nadi and $2,749 in Nelson. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nadi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Nelson, 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 $37.00 in Nadi and $65.0 in Nelson. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nadi, where all-in costs run around $1,386, than in Nelson at $1,833. In Nadi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nelson it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nadi – 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 Nadi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nelson makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.