Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Porirua and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,870 in Porirua, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Porirua
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Porirua Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Porirua

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,870

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,870 per month in Porirua vs $946 in Suva, rent included.

Porirua $1,870
Suva $946

A couple spends around $2,936 per month in Porirua vs $1,717 in Suva, rent included.

Porirua $2,936
Suva $1,717

A family of three spends $4,002 per month in Porirua vs $2,489 in Suva, rent included.

Porirua $4,002
Suva $2,489

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 NZ$24.52

$5.93 FJD 13.28

133.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 NZ$115

$44.78 FJD 100

44.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 NZ$15.46

$7.51 FJD 16.81

16.38%

Cappuccino

$2.82 NZ$4.99

$2.85 FJD 6.37

-1.05%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.21

$1.50 FJD 3.36

58.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.08

$0.75 FJD 1.67

132.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 NZ$13.07

$3.56 FJD 7.98

107.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NZ$11.74

$4.57 FJD 10.24

45.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$1.33 FJD 2.97

45.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.93

$0.57 FJD 1.28

289.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.28

$1.13 FJD 2.53

64.60%

Eggs

$7.05 NZ$12.48

$3.38 FJD 7.57

108.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 NZ$16.12

$10.18 FJD 22.78

-10.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NZ$16.72

$6.34 FJD 14.19

49.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 NZ$26.77

$7.96 FJD 17.82

90.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.57

$2.49 FJD 5.58

26.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.74

$2.43 FJD 5.43

-13.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.40

$3.55 FJD 7.94

-14.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.26 NZ$11.07

$3.17 FJD 7.11

97.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.64

$1.26 FJD 2.83

63.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 NZ$2.25

$1.06 FJD 2.37

19.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.50

$1.16 FJD 2.61

70.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.11

$0.69 FJD 1.54

72.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.64 NZ$43.58

$9.89 FJD 22.15

149.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 NZ$19.96

$7.19 FJD 16.10

56.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 NZ$5.50

$2.11 FJD 4.74

47.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.88

$3.39 FJD 7.60

-18.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 NZ$2.93

$0.88 FJD 1.97

88.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 NZ$154

$22.34 FJD 50.0

289.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$0.92 FJD 2.05

94.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 NZ$3.12

$0.45 FJD 1.01

291.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.99 NZ$58.4

$8.80 FJD 19.70

274.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 NZ$2.71

$1.43 FJD 3.21

6.99%

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

$25.2K NZ$44.5K

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

3.43%

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

$24.6K NZ$43.5K

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

-0.49%

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

$120 NZ$212

$46.26 FJD 104

159.27%

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

$32.55 NZ$57.6

$12.75 FJD 28.54

155.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 NZ$95.5

$24.21 FJD 54.2

123.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.23 NZ$71.2

$36.81 FJD 82.4

9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 NZ$21.43

$3.42 FJD 7.65

254.39%

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

$1,059 NZ$1,874

$225 FJD 503

371.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K NZ$22.9K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

-3.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 NZ$139

$33.29 FJD 74.5

135.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.18 NZ$49.84

$39.64 FJD 88.8

-28.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 NZ$178

$68.6 FJD 154

46.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NZ$274

$59.9 FJD 134

158.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 NZ$1,534

$889 FJD 1,992

-2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 NZ$1,328

$329 FJD 736

128.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 NZ$2,909

$2,589 FJD 5,797

-36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 NZ$2,588

$999 FJD 2,236

46.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,278 NZ$7,566

$1,310 FJD 2,933

226.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,603 NZ$6,372

$820 FJD 1,836

339.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,825 NZ$4,996

$965 FJD 2,160

192.81%

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 Porirua: 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

Porirua

$751 40.1%

Suva

$329 34.7% 56.2% $422

Groceries & Markets

Porirua

$344 18.4%

Suva

$231 24.4% 32.9% $113

Eating Out

Porirua

$238 12.7%

Suva

$140 14.8% 41.1% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Porirua

$207 11%

Suva

$83 8.8% 59.7% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Porirua

$163 8.7%

Suva

$91 9.6% 44.3% $72

Getting Around

Porirua

$104 5.6%

Suva

$29 3.1% 72.2% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Porirua

$64 3.5%

Suva

$44 4.6% 32.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $868 in Porirua 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.

Salaries run about 193% higher in Porirua, 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 $65.0 in Porirua versus $45.00 in Suva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $231 – making Suva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Porirua

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

07:58 7:58 AM

1 h behind Porirua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,900

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

Porirua Suva 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Porirua
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

Porirua vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Porirua is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,806 per month in Porirua 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,059 per month in Porirua and $225 in Suva. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Porirua, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $946, than in Porirua at $1,870. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Porirua 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, Porirua makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.