Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nadi and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Nadi: $1,386 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Palmerston North despite lower rent and utilities.

67

Cost of Living Index in Nadi
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Nadi Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

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Nadi

🇫🇯 Fiji

$1,386

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nadi and in Palmerston North

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 Palmerston North actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,386 per month in Nadi vs $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent included.

Nadi $1,386
Palmerston North $1,562

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Nadi vs $2,537 in Palmerston North, rent included.

Nadi $2,044
Palmerston North $2,537

A family of three spends $2,702 per month in Nadi vs $3,511 in Palmerston North, rent included.

Nadi $2,702
Palmerston North $3,511

Nadi is about 11% cheaper than Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nadi and Palmerston North sit above the global median – Nadi by 3%, Palmerston North by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 FJD 19.85

$13.50 NZ$23.87

-34.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.73 FJD 82.2

$63.7 NZ$113

-42.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.00 FJD 20.16

$8.80 NZ$15.56

2.27%

Cappuccino

$4.41 FJD 9.88

$3.13 NZ$5.54

40.89%

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

$1.49 FJD 3.35

$2.36 NZ$4.18

-36.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$1.68 NZ$2.97

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 FJD 6.13

$6.43 NZ$11.38

-57.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 FJD 10.19

$6.52 NZ$11.53

-30.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 FJD 3.00

$1.84 NZ$3.26

-27.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 FJD 2.43

$2.14 NZ$3.78

-49.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 FJD 2.93

$1.37 NZ$2.42

-4.38%

Eggs

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$4.85 NZ$8.58

-35.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 FJD 27.01

$6.41 NZ$11.34

88.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 FJD 30.78

$9.50 NZ$16.80

44.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 FJD 35.07

$10.78 NZ$19.06

45.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 FJD 6.57

$2.54 NZ$4.48

15.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 FJD 6.20

$2.23 NZ$3.94

24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 FJD 8.30

$2.30 NZ$4.07

61.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 FJD 4.44

$1.41 NZ$2.49

40.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 FJD 4.44

$0.86 NZ$1.53

130.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 FJD 2.45

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-36.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 FJD 2.15

$0.75 NZ$1.33

28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 FJD 21.19

$22.06 NZ$39.00

-57.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 FJD 22.39

$7.91 NZ$13.99

26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 FJD 6.11

$2.65 NZ$4.69

3.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 FJD 7.63

$2.78 NZ$4.91

22.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 FJD 1.57

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-82.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 FJD 2.55

$1.87 NZ$3.30

-39.04%

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

$16.63 NZ$29.40

-70.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 FJD 2.96

$1.64 NZ$2.90

-19.51%

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

$24.9K FJD 55.7K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

15.45%

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

$22.3K FJD 50.0K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

-6.60%

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

$65.8 FJD 147

$68.2 NZ$121

-3.50%

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

$17.97 FJD 40.23

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-44.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.26 FJD 52.1

$34.64 NZ$61.3

-32.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 FJD 83.3

$21.79 NZ$38.54

70.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 FJD 12.19

$11.60 NZ$20.52

-53.02%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.10 FJD 65.2

$69.5 NZ$123

-58.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.62 FJD 97.7

$27.70 NZ$48.98

57.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 FJD 127

$83.1 NZ$147

-31.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 FJD 152

$82.5 NZ$146

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 FJD 2,524

$906 NZ$1,602

24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 FJD 1,444

$639 NZ$1,129

0.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 FJD 3,745

$1,587 NZ$2,807

5.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 FJD 2,248

$1,311 NZ$2,318

-23.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$679 FJD 1,521

$2,023 NZ$3,577

-66.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$518 FJD 1,161

$1,836 NZ$3,247

-71.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 FJD 1,805

$2,494 NZ$4,411

-67.68%

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 Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nadi

$645 46.5%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 1% $6.2

Groceries & Markets

Nadi

$306 * 22.1%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 7.5% $23

Eating Out

Nadi

$185 13.3%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 26.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nadi

$107 7.7%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 26.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Nadi

$89 6.4%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 33.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Nadi

$48 3.5%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 6.4% $3.1

Getting Around

Nadi

$6 * 0.4%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 1701% $103

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 $906 in Palmerston North. 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 209% higher in Palmerston North, 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 $64.0 in Palmerston North. Groceries tell a different story – $306 in Nadi vs $283 in Palmerston North – so Palmerston North wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Nadi

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

10:22 10:22 AM

1 h ahead of Nadi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

90,500

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nadi Palmerston North 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nadi
Palmerston North

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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Palmerston North is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,079 per month in Nadi and $2,343 in Palmerston North. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Palmerston North – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Nadi and $64.0 in Palmerston North. 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 Palmerston North at $1,562. In Nadi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Palmerston North 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, Palmerston North makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.