For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $1,400 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Osaka and in Suva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,400 in Osaka versus $927 in Suva.
Osaka $1,400
Suva $927
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,991 in Osaka versus $1,681 in Suva.
Osaka $1,991
Suva $1,681
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,582 in Osaka versus $2,435 in Suva.
Osaka $2,582
Suva $2,435
🌍
Living in Osaka is roughly 51% more expensive than in Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 4% above, Suva is 31% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Osaka
Suva
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.19¥979
$5.72FJD 12.82
8.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.80¥5,032
$44.13FJD 98.9
-27.94%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.93¥781
$7.76FJD 17.37
-36.47%
Cappuccino
$3.00¥474
$2.91FJD 6.52
3.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45¥229
$1.50FJD 3.36
-3.33%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72¥113
$0.73FJD 1.65
-1.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.62¥415
$3.67FJD 8.21
-28.61%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91¥618
$4.33FJD 9.70
-9.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Osaka
Suva
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.46¥230
$1.28FJD 2.86
14.06%
White Bread(500g)
$1.31¥207
$0.56FJD 1.26
133.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$5.25¥831
$1.13FJD 2.52
364.60%
Eggs
$2.03¥321
$3.39FJD 7.60
-40.12%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.77¥1,545
$10.04FJD 22.49
-2.69%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.22¥1,460
$6.06FJD 13.58
52.15%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.95¥2,841
$7.82FJD 17.51
129.54%
Apples(1kg)
$3.29¥520
$2.47FJD 5.54
33.20%
Banana(1kg)
$2.00¥317
$2.42FJD 5.43
-17.36%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.11¥334
$3.48FJD 7.79
-39.37%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.11¥650
$3.12FJD 7.00
31.73%
Potato(1kg)
$1.51¥239
$1.22FJD 2.73
23.77%
Onion(1kg)
$1.19¥188
$1.07FJD 2.39
11.21%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.30¥206
$1.22FJD 2.73
6.56%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86¥137
$0.73FJD 1.64
17.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82¥604
$9.66FJD 21.63
-60.46%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.74¥1,542
$7.33FJD 16.42
32.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87¥296
$2.07FJD 4.64
-9.66%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15¥499
$3.43FJD 7.69
-8.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Osaka
Suva
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.34¥212
$0.94FJD 2.11
42.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$32.68¥5,171
$22.37FJD 50.1
46.09%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85¥610
$0.87FJD 1.94
342.53%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.19¥505
$0.42FJD 0.94
659.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$21.93¥3,470
$8.95FJD 20.05
145.03%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.10¥173
$1.46FJD 3.26
-24.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K¥3.4M
$24.4KFJD 54.7K
-11.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.1K¥2.4M
$25.6KFJD 57.4K
-40.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
Suva
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$140¥22.2K
$46.38FJD 104
202.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.14¥3,821
$12.79FJD 28.66
88.74%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.58¥4,840
$23.98FJD 53.7
27.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
Suva
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$49.41¥7,819
$36.85FJD 82.5
34.08%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.41¥2,914
$11.30FJD 25.30
62.92%
Cinema Ticket
$12.27¥1,941
$3.43FJD 7.68
257.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Osaka
Suva
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$511¥80.9K
$228FJD 510
124.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.1K¥2.1M
$13.4KFJD 30.0K
-2.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
Suva
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.50¥7,517
$33.19FJD 74.3
43.12%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.12¥4,767
$40.53FJD 90.8
-25.68%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$73.4¥11.6K
$68.9FJD 154
6.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.0¥14.4K
$61.4FJD 138
48.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Osaka
Suva
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$704¥111.3K
$891FJD 1,996
-21.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$508¥80.4K
$330FJD 740
53.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,751¥277.2K
$2,641FJD 5,916
-33.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$765¥121.1K
$1,001FJD 2,242
-23.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$6,208¥982.3K
$1,320FJD 2,957
370.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,938¥306.7K
$818FJD 1,832
136.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Osaka
Suva
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,346¥371.2K
$961FJD 2,152
144.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
2.21
7.7
-71.30%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Osaka: October 3, 2026
Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Osaka
$508 36.9%
Suva
$330 34.9% ↓ 34.9%$177
🛒Groceries & Markets
Osaka
$301 21.9%
Suva
$228 24.1% ↓ 24.2%$73
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
$195 14.2%
Suva
$83 8.8% ↓ 57.3%$112
🍽Eating Out
Osaka
$130 9.5%
Suva
$140 14.8% ↑ 7.8%$10
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
$109 7.9%
Suva
$92 9.7% ↓ 15.7%$17
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
$74 5.4%
Suva
$44 4.6% ↓ 40.9%$30
🚌Getting Around
Osaka
$58 4.2%
Suva
$29 3.1% ↓ 49.7%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Osaka
$765 29.2%
Suva
$1K 40.3% ↑ 30.9%$236
🛒Groceries & Markets
Osaka
$694 26.5%
Suva
$530 21.4% ↓ 23.6%$164
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
$219 8.4%
Suva
$96 3.9% ↓ 56.2%$123
🍽Eating Out
Osaka
$417 15.9%
Suva
$492 19.8% ↑ 18.2%$76
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
$242 9.2%
Suva
$204 8.2% ↓ 15.7%$38
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
$166 6.3%
Suva
$99 4% ↓ 40.6%$68
🚌Getting Around
Osaka
$118 4.5%
Suva
$60 2.4% ↓ 49.2%$58
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Osaka and $891 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Osaka pays 144% 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: $32.00 in Osaka vs $44.00 in Suva. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $228, with Suva cheaper for home cooking.
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
Osaka vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Osaka and in Suva?
Osaka and Suva differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,400 vs $927 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Osaka or Suva?
Average pay runs 144% higher in Osaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Osaka and in Suva?
Rent for a central apartment: $704 in Osaka versus $891 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Osaka and in Suva?
A monthly transit pass in Suva runs roughly 46% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Osaka and Suva?
Childcare runs $511 in Osaka versus $228 in Suva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $927 in Suva versus $1,400 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Suva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Osaka and Suva?
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.
Is Osaka or Suva safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Osaka 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.
Where should expats move: Osaka or Suva?
Expats usually find Suva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.