Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paihia and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,878 in Paihia, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Paihia
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Paihia Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
Learn more

Suva Living Index

Jump to prices

Paihia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,878

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,878 per month in Paihia vs $946 in Suva, rent included.

Paihia $1,878
Suva $946

A couple spends around $2,919 per month in Paihia vs $1,717 in Suva, rent included.

Paihia $2,919
Suva $1,717

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Paihia vs $2,489 in Suva, rent included.

Paihia $3,960
Suva $2,489

Paihia costs about 98% more than Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Paihia sits 39% above the global median, while Suva is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 NZ$24.39

$5.93 FJD 13.28

132.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 NZ$58.8

$44.78 FJD 100

-25.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 NZ$14.77

$7.51 FJD 16.81

11.19%

Cappuccino

$3.31 NZ$5.86

$2.85 FJD 6.37

16.14%

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

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.50 FJD 3.36

28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$0.75 FJD 1.67

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.81

$3.56 FJD 7.98

87.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 NZ$11.72

$4.57 FJD 10.24

45.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$1.33 FJD 2.97

39.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 NZ$3.96

$0.57 FJD 1.28

292.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$1.13 FJD 2.53

67.26%

Eggs

$6.39 NZ$11.29

$3.38 FJD 7.57

89.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 NZ$14.89

$10.18 FJD 22.78

-17.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$17.13

$6.34 FJD 14.19

52.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 NZ$30.63

$7.96 FJD 17.82

117.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$5.00

$2.49 FJD 5.58

13.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.74

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-13.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.33

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-15.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 NZ$10.05

$3.17 FJD 7.11

79.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.67

$1.26 FJD 2.83

65.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.70

$1.06 FJD 2.37

44.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$1.16 FJD 2.61

71.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.83

$0.69 FJD 1.54

50.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.24 NZ$48.17

$9.89 FJD 22.15

175.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 NZ$18.37

$7.19 FJD 16.10

44.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$2.11 FJD 4.74

29.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.84

$3.39 FJD 7.60

-2.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 NZ$2.82

$0.88 FJD 1.97

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 NZ$145

$22.34 FJD 50.0

267.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$0.92 FJD 2.05

84.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$0.45 FJD 1.01

344.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.30 NZ$55.4

$8.80 FJD 19.70

255.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$1.43 FJD 3.21

30.77%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

5.06%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

-9.38%

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

$184 NZ$325

$46.26 FJD 104

296.67%

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

$26.10 NZ$46.16

$12.75 FJD 28.54

104.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 NZ$89.4

$24.21 FJD 54.2

108.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.25 NZ$58.8

$36.81 FJD 82.4

-9.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

Cinema Ticket

$12.74 NZ$22.53

$3.42 FJD 7.65

272.51%

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

$1,097 NZ$1,939

$225 FJD 503

387.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.3K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

44.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 NZ$138

$33.29 FJD 74.5

134.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 NZ$69.5

$39.64 FJD 88.8

-0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$161

$68.6 FJD 154

32.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NZ$192

$59.9 FJD 134

81.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 NZ$1,660

$889 FJD 1,992

5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 NZ$1,311

$329 FJD 736

125.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 NZ$3,187

$2,589 FJD 5,797

-30.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 NZ$2,843

$999 FJD 2,236

60.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,161 NZ$7,359

$1,310 FJD 2,933

217.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,605 NZ$6,376

$820 FJD 1,836

339.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

7.7

-30.26%

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

Last update for Paihia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paihia

$742 39.5%

Suva

$329 34.7% 55.7% $413

Groceries & Markets

Paihia

$338 18%

Suva

$231 24.4% 31.7% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paihia

$260 13.9%

Suva

$83 8.8% 68% $177

Eating Out

Paihia

$237 12.6%

Suva

$140 14.8% 40.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Paihia

$143 7.6%

Suva

$91 9.6% 36.4% $52

Getting Around

Paihia

$100 5.3%

Suva

$29 3.1% 71% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Paihia

$59 3.1%

Suva

$44 4.6% 25.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $939 in Paihia versus $889 in Suva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Paihia versus $45.00 in Suva. Groceries tell a different story – $338 in Paihia vs $231 in Suva – so Suva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Paihia

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

04:32 4:32 AM

1 h behind Paihia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800

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 17, 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 17, 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

Paihia Suva 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Paihia
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

Paihia vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,878 in Paihia, $946 in Suva – roughly 98% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,816 per month in Paihia and $1,419 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.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Paihia, 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 $33.00 in Paihia and $45.00 in Suva. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $946, than in Paihia at $1,878. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paihia 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, Paihia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.