Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

Jump to prices

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $946 in Suva.

Palmerston North $1,562
Suva $946

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Palmerston North versus $1,717 in Suva.

Palmerston North $2,537
Suva $1,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Palmerston North versus $2,489 in Suva.

Palmerston North $3,511
Suva $2,489

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 65% more expensive than in Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palmerston North is 16% above, Suva is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$5.93 FJD 13.28

127.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$44.78 FJD 100

42.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$7.51 FJD 16.81

17.18%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$2.85 FJD 6.37

9.82%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$1.50 FJD 3.36

57.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$0.75 FJD 1.67

124.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$3.56 FJD 7.98

80.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$4.57 FJD 10.24

42.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$1.33 FJD 2.97

38.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$0.57 FJD 1.28

275.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$1.13 FJD 2.53

21.24%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$3.38 FJD 7.57

43.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$10.18 FJD 22.78

-37.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$6.34 FJD 14.19

49.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$7.96 FJD 17.82

35.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$2.49 FJD 5.58

2.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-35.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$3.17 FJD 7.11

74.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$1.26 FJD 2.83

11.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$1.06 FJD 2.37

-18.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$1.16 FJD 2.61

48.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$0.69 FJD 1.54

8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$9.89 FJD 22.15

123.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$7.19 FJD 16.10

10.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$2.11 FJD 4.74

25.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$3.39 FJD 7.60

-17.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$0.88 FJD 1.97

346.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$22.34 FJD 50.0

268.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$0.92 FJD 2.05

103.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$0.45 FJD 1.01

295.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$8.80 FJD 19.70

88.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.43 FJD 3.21

14.69%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

-11.33%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

-3.11%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$46.26 FJD 104

47.47%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$12.75 FJD 28.54

151.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$24.21 FJD 54.2

43.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$36.81 FJD 82.4

-40.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$11.31 FJD 25.32

24.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$3.42 FJD 7.65

239.18%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$225 FJD 503

359.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

-36.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$33.29 FJD 74.5

108.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$39.64 FJD 88.8

-30.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$68.6 FJD 154

20.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$59.9 FJD 134

37.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$889 FJD 1,992

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$329 FJD 736

94.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$2,589 FJD 5,797

-38.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$999 FJD 2,236

31.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$1,310 FJD 2,933

54.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$820 FJD 1,836

123.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$965 FJD 2,160

158.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.7

-30.00%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Suva

$329 34.7% 48.5% $310

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Suva

$231 24.4% 18.5% $52

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Suva

$140 14.8% 40% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Suva

$83 8.8% 38.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Suva

$91 9.6% 23.3% $28

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Suva

$29 3.1% 73.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Suva

$44 4.6% 3% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Palmerston North and $889 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 159% 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: $64.0 in Palmerston North vs $45.00 in Suva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $231 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

06:14 6:14 AM

1 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

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

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Between locations

Palmerston North Suva 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

Palmerston North vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North and Suva differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,562 vs $946 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 159% higher in Palmerston North, 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: $906 in Palmerston North versus $889 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,034 in Palmerston North versus $225 in Suva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $946 in Suva versus $1,562 in Palmerston North, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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, Palmerston North 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 65% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.