Cost of Living Comparison Between Paarl and Suva Cost of Living Comparison Between Paarl and Suva

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,815 per month in Paarl vs $968 in Suva, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,384 per month in Paarl vs $1,755 in Suva, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,952 per month in Paarl vs $2,541 in Suva, rent included.

Paarl costs about 88% more than Suva, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Paarl sits 32% above the global median, while Suva is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.65 R 204

$6.02 FJD 13.19

110.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.77 R 801

$46.14 FJD 101

7.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 R 95.2

$7.78 FJD 17.04

-24.04%

Cappuccino

$2.21 R 35.51

$3.04 FJD 6.65

-27.30%

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

$1.08 R 17.37

$1.62 FJD 3.55

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 17.06

$0.77 FJD 1.68

37.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 R 39.38

$3.57 FJD 7.83

-31.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R 44.56

$4.53 FJD 9.93

-38.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 R 22.76

$1.32 FJD 2.88

6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 R 18.79

$0.60 FJD 1.31

95.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 R 36.67

$1.10 FJD 2.40

107.27%

Eggs

$2.91 R 46.88

$3.50 FJD 7.67

-16.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 R 119

$10.55 FJD 23.11

-30.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 R 94.9

$6.25 FJD 13.70

-5.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 R 160

$7.95 FJD 17.41

25.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R 31.16

$2.49 FJD 5.45

-22.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 R 32.14

$2.53 FJD 5.54

-20.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.59

$3.60 FJD 7.88

-50.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 R 33.50

$3.26 FJD 7.14

-36.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 R 10.81

$1.25 FJD 2.74

-46.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R 22.35

$1.08 FJD 2.36

28.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 20.78

$1.19 FJD 2.62

8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.18

$0.74 FJD 1.63

36.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 R 61.6

$9.97 FJD 21.84

-61.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 R 79.6

$7.65 FJD 16.75

-35.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 R 22.91

$2.19 FJD 4.79

-35.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.05

$3.46 FJD 7.59

-36.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 R 20.47

$0.97 FJD 2.12

30.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 R 1,523

$22.92 FJD 50.2

312.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 9.78

$0.95 FJD 2.07

-35.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 R 7.74

$0.44 FJD 0.96

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 81.6

$8.94 FJD 19.59

-43.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$1.44 FJD 3.16

1.39%

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

$36.1K R 581.3K

$25.6K FJD 56.0K

41.16%

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

$33.1K R 533.4K

$26.0K FJD 57.0K

27.26%

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

$84.8 R 1,365

$47.08 FJD 103

80.03%

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

$31.86 R 513

$13.29 FJD 29.12

139.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.89 R 659

$24.95 FJD 54.7

63.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.34 R 698

$37.34 FJD 81.8

16.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.65 R 300

$11.19 FJD 24.52

66.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.44 R 152

$3.47 FJD 7.59

172.05%

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

$272 R 4,381

$232 FJD 509

17.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,838 R 61.8K

$13.4K FJD 29.3K

-71.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R 941

$33.83 FJD 74.1

72.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.15 R 534

$41.07 FJD 90.0

-19.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 R 1,936

$72.1 FJD 158

66.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,779

$63.5 FJD 139

74.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 R 13.1K

$925 FJD 2,027

-12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 R 15.8K

$336 FJD 736

191.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 R 21.1K

$2,744 FJD 6,012

-52.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 R 16.9K

$996 FJD 2,181

5.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,376 FJD 3,015

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,372 R 70.4K

$854 FJD 1,871

412.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,174 R 18.9K

$1,003 FJD 2,197

17.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

7.7

43.12%

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

Last update for Paarl: September 7, 2026

Last update for Suva: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $811 in Paarl versus $925 in Suva. 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 17% higher in Paarl, 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 $50.0 in Paarl versus $46.00 in Suva. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Paarl vs $235 in Suva – so Paarl wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Paarl vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paarl costs about 88% more than Suva, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,722 per month in Paarl and $1,452 in Suva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Paarl and $46.00 in Suva. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,815 in Paarl and $968 in Suva. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Paarl at $1,815. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paarl it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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