Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Nadi

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.

90

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Nadi
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Nadi Living Index

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Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,833

/mo nomad

Nadi

🇫🇯 Fiji

$1,386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nelson and in Nadi

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

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

Nelson $1,833
Nadi $1,386

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

Nelson $2,842
Nadi $2,044

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

Nelson $3,852
Nadi $2,702

Nelson costs about 32% more than Nadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.86 NZ$24.51

$8.87 FJD 19.85

56.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 NZ$114

$36.73 FJD 82.2

75.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 NZ$15.08

$9.00 FJD 20.16

-5.22%

Cappuccino

$3.24 NZ$5.74

$4.41 FJD 9.88

-26.53%

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

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$1.49 FJD 3.35

15.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 NZ$2.91

$1.28 FJD 2.86

28.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 NZ$12.61

$2.74 FJD 6.13

160.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 NZ$9.79

$4.55 FJD 10.19

21.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.36

$1.34 FJD 3.00

41.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NZ$3.63

$1.08 FJD 2.43

89.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$1.31 FJD 2.93

39.69%

Eggs

$5.70 NZ$10.08

$3.12 FJD 6.99

82.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 NZ$16.08

$12.07 FJD 27.01

-24.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 NZ$12.98

$13.75 FJD 30.78

-46.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 NZ$24.22

$15.66 FJD 35.07

-12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.45

$2.94 FJD 6.57

4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.88

$2.77 FJD 6.20

-20.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.41

$3.71 FJD 8.30

-17.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 NZ$9.92

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.63

$1.98 FJD 4.44

3.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 NZ$2.27

$1.98 FJD 4.44

-35.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$1.10 FJD 2.45

79.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NZ$1.79

$0.96 FJD 2.15

5.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.79 NZ$43.85

$9.46 FJD 21.19

162.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.44 NZ$16.69

$10.00 FJD 22.39

-5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 NZ$5.41

$2.73 FJD 6.11

12.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 NZ$4.86

$3.41 FJD 7.63

-19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 NZ$3.92

$0.70 FJD 1.57

217.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.21

$1.14 FJD 2.55

59.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$0.42 FJD 0.94

323.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.41 NZ$59.1

$4.84 FJD 10.84

590.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 NZ$2.85

$1.32 FJD 2.96

21.97%

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

$17.1K NZ$30.2K

$24.9K FJD 55.7K

-31.38%

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

$21.9K NZ$38.7K

$22.3K FJD 50.0K

-1.95%

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

$131 NZ$231

$65.8 FJD 147

98.28%

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

$32.95 NZ$58.3

$17.97 FJD 40.23

83.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.79 NZ$73.9

$23.26 FJD 52.1

79.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.3 NZ$176

$37.21 FJD 83.3

166.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.61 NZ$59.4

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 NZ$19.48

$5.45 FJD 12.19

102.02%

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)

$52.4 NZ$92.6

$29.10 FJD 65.2

80.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.78 NZ$49.13

$43.62 FJD 97.7

-36.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NZ$179

$56.8 FJD 127

78.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 NZ$245

$67.7 FJD 152

104.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 NZ$1,769

$1,127 FJD 2,524

-11.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 NZ$1,406

$645 FJD 1,444

23.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 NZ$3,014

$1,673 FJD 3,745

1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NZ$2,574

$1,004 FJD 2,248

44.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,374 NZ$2,430

$679 FJD 1,521

102.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$827 NZ$1,462

$518 FJD 1,161

59.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,017 NZ$3,568

$806 FJD 1,805

150.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.25

-25.66%

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

Last update for Nelson: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nadi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nelson

$795 43.4%

Nadi

$645 46.5% 18.9% $150

Groceries & Markets

Nelson

$312 17%

Nadi

$306 * 22.1% 1.8% $5.8

Eating Out

Nelson

$236 12.9%

Nadi

$185 13.3% 21.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nelson

$205 11.2%

Nadi

$107 7.7% 47.8% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Nelson

$144 7.9%

Nadi

$89 6.4% 38.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Nelson

$121 6.6%

Nadi

$48 3.5% 60.4% $73

Getting Around

Nelson

$20 * 1.1%

Nadi

$6 * 0.4% 69.1% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇳🇿 Nelson

🇫🇯 Nadi

🕒 Local time

14:33 2:33 PM

13:33 1:33 PM

1 h behind Nelson

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,100

50,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Between locations

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

From you

Nelson
Nadi

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

Nelson vs Nadi: 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 $2,749 per month in Nelson and $2,079 in Nadi. 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 $65.0 in Nelson and $37.00 in Nadi. 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.