Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oamaru and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,769 in Oamaru, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Oamaru
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Oamaru Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

Jump to prices

Oamaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,769

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,769 in Oamaru versus $946 in Suva.

Oamaru $1,769
Suva $946

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,802 in Oamaru versus $1,717 in Suva.

Oamaru $2,802
Suva $1,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,834 in Oamaru versus $2,489 in Suva.

Oamaru $3,834
Suva $2,489

Living in Oamaru is roughly 87% more expensive than in Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oamaru is 31% above, Suva is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 NZ$24.53

$5.93 FJD 13.28

133.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 NZ$120

$44.78 FJD 100

51.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 NZ$16.23

$7.51 FJD 16.81

22.24%

Cappuccino

$3.30 NZ$5.84

$2.85 FJD 6.37

15.79%

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

$2.33 NZ$4.12

$1.50 FJD 3.36

55.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$0.75 FJD 1.67

137.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 NZ$11.63

$3.56 FJD 7.98

84.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 NZ$12.22

$4.57 FJD 10.24

51.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.94

$1.33 FJD 2.97

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 NZ$2.27

$0.57 FJD 1.28

124.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$1.13 FJD 2.53

32.74%

Eggs

$5.48 NZ$9.70

$3.38 FJD 7.57

62.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 NZ$12.83

$10.18 FJD 22.78

-28.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 NZ$15.69

$6.34 FJD 14.19

39.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 NZ$24.04

$7.96 FJD 17.82

70.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 NZ$4.22

$2.49 FJD 5.58

-4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 NZ$3.58

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-16.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 NZ$4.76

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-24.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.25

$3.17 FJD 7.11

-6.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.65

$1.26 FJD 2.83

19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 NZ$2.35

$1.06 FJD 2.37

25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$1.16 FJD 2.61

77.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 NZ$1.24

$0.69 FJD 1.54

1.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.24 NZ$42.87

$9.89 FJD 22.15

145.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.63

$7.19 FJD 16.10

-24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 NZ$5.96

$2.11 FJD 4.74

59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NZ$7.60

$3.39 FJD 7.60

26.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 NZ$2.64

$0.88 FJD 1.97

69.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NZ$157

$22.34 FJD 50.0

298.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 NZ$4.52

$0.92 FJD 2.05

177.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$0.45 FJD 1.01

277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.87 NZ$49.29

$8.80 FJD 19.70

216.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 NZ$2.79

$1.43 FJD 3.21

10.49%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

3.80%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.2K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

-3.31%

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

$158 NZ$279

$46.26 FJD 104

241.29%

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

$19.36 NZ$34.24

$12.75 FJD 28.54

51.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 NZ$80.3

$24.21 FJD 54.2

87.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.08 NZ$69.1

$36.81 FJD 82.4

6.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NZ$17.65

$3.42 FJD 7.65

191.81%

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

$668 NZ$1,181

$225 FJD 503

197.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

61.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 NZ$99.7

$33.29 FJD 74.5

69.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.83 NZ$29.77

$39.64 FJD 88.8

-57.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.83 NZ$79.3

$68.6 FJD 154

-34.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 NZ$88.9

$59.9 FJD 134

-16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,720

$889 FJD 1,992

9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 NZ$1,398

$329 FJD 736

140.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 NZ$3,051

$2,589 FJD 5,797

-33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 NZ$2,884

$999 FJD 2,236

63.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,751 NZ$8,403

$1,310 FJD 2,933

262.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,236 NZ$5,724

$820 FJD 1,836

294.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,926 NZ$3,405

$965 FJD 2,160

99.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

7.7

-23.25%

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

Last update for Oamaru: 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

Oamaru

$790 44.7%

Suva

$329 34.7% 58.4% $462

Groceries & Markets

Oamaru

$274 15.5%

Suva

$231 24.4% 15.8% $43

Eating Out

Oamaru

$241 13.6%

Suva

$140 14.8% 41.9% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oamaru

$223 12.6%

Suva

$83 8.8% 62.6% $139

Getting Around

Oamaru

$106 6%

Suva

$29 3.1% 72.6% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Oamaru

$76 4.3%

Suva

$91 9.6% 19.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Oamaru

$59 3.3%

Suva

$44 4.6% 26.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Oamaru and $889 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oamaru pays 100% 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: $68.0 in Oamaru vs $45.00 in Suva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $231 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Oamaru

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

14:21 2:21 PM

1 h behind Oamaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,850

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 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Oamaru Suva 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Oamaru
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

Oamaru vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Oamaru, 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: $973 in Oamaru versus $889 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Oamaru. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Suva – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $68.0 in Oamaru. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $946 in Suva versus $1,769 in Oamaru, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Oamaru. 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, Oamaru 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 87% less than in Oamaru. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.