Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Queenstown and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $2,380 in Queenstown, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Queenstown
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Queenstown Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Queenstown

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,380

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,380 in Queenstown versus $927 in Suva.

Queenstown $2,380
Suva $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,738 in Queenstown versus $1,681 in Suva.

Queenstown $3,738
Suva $1,681

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Queenstown versus $2,435 in Suva.

Queenstown $5,096
Suva $2,435

Living in Queenstown is roughly 157% more expensive than in Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Queenstown is 78% above, Suva is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.19 NZ$25.28

$5.72 FJD 12.82

148.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.4 NZ$109

$44.13 FJD 98.9

39.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 NZ$16.38

$7.76 FJD 17.37

18.43%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.57

$2.91 FJD 6.52

7.56%

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

$2.02 NZ$3.61

$1.50 FJD 3.36

34.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 NZ$3.57

$0.73 FJD 1.65

173.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 NZ$12.11

$3.67 FJD 8.21

85.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 NZ$11.16

$4.33 FJD 9.70

44.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 NZ$3.82

$1.28 FJD 2.86

67.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.46

$0.56 FJD 1.26

246.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$3.04

$1.13 FJD 2.52

51.33%

Eggs

$5.67 NZ$10.10

$3.39 FJD 7.60

67.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 NZ$14.43

$10.04 FJD 22.49

-19.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 NZ$17.62

$6.06 FJD 13.58

63.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 NZ$28.02

$7.82 FJD 17.51

101.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$5.11

$2.47 FJD 5.54

16.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$4.01

$2.42 FJD 5.43

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 NZ$6.55

$3.48 FJD 7.79

5.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 NZ$9.38

$3.12 FJD 7.00

68.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 NZ$6.08

$1.22 FJD 2.73

179.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.28

$1.07 FJD 2.39

71.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NZ$4.18

$1.22 FJD 2.73

92.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NZ$3.37

$0.73 FJD 1.64

158.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.36 NZ$48.75

$9.66 FJD 21.63

183.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 NZ$15.85

$7.33 FJD 16.42

21.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 NZ$7.91

$2.07 FJD 4.64

114.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 NZ$11.40

$3.43 FJD 7.69

86.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 NZ$2.56

$0.94 FJD 2.11

53.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 NZ$212

$22.37 FJD 50.1

432.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 NZ$4.61

$0.87 FJD 1.94

197.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NZ$3.32

$0.42 FJD 0.94

345.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.12 NZ$51.9

$8.95 FJD 20.05

225.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$3.06

$1.46 FJD 3.26

17.81%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.4K

$24.4K FJD 54.7K

2.09%

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

$23.2K NZ$41.4K

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

-9.28%

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

$112 NZ$199

$46.38 FJD 104

141.12%

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

$28.02 NZ$49.93

$12.79 FJD 28.66

119.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$91.8

$23.98 FJD 53.7

114.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 NZ$96.8

$36.85 FJD 82.5

47.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.80 NZ$47.75

$11.30 FJD 25.30

137.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 NZ$18.54

$3.43 FJD 7.68

203.50%

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

$973 NZ$1,734

$228 FJD 510

327.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,592 NZ$13.5K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

-43.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 NZ$104

$33.19 FJD 74.3

75.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.11 NZ$80.4

$40.53 FJD 90.8

11.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 NZ$161

$68.9 FJD 154

30.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 NZ$242

$61.4 FJD 138

121.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 NZ$2,693

$891 FJD 1,996

69.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 NZ$2,263

$330 FJD 740

284.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 NZ$5,084

$2,641 FJD 5,916

8.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 NZ$4,493

$1,001 FJD 2,242

151.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,599 NZ$13.5K

$1,320 FJD 2,957

475.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,285 NZ$9,417

$818 FJD 1,832

546.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 NZ$5,438

$961 FJD 2,152

217.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

7.7

-20.52%

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

Last update for Queenstown: October 5, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Queenstown

$1.3K 52.5%

Suva

$330 34.9% 74% $940

Groceries & Markets

Queenstown

$359 14.8%

Suva

$228 24.1% 36.5% $131

Eating Out

Queenstown

$241 10%

Suva

$140 14.8% 42% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Queenstown

$191 7.9%

Suva

$83 8.8% 56.5% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Queenstown

$148 6.1%

Suva

$92 9.7% 38.1% $56

Getting Around

Queenstown

$137 5.7%

Suva

$29 3.1% 78.7% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Queenstown

$75 3.1%

Suva

$44 4.6% 41.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,512 in Queenstown and $891 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 218% 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: $61.0 in Queenstown vs $44.00 in Suva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $228 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Queenstown

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

14:27 2:27 PM

1 h behind Queenstown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,450

100,000 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 FJD = 0.446 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.446 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Queenstown Suva 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Queenstown
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

Queenstown vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 218% higher in Queenstown, 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: $1,512 in Queenstown versus $891 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Suva – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $61.0 in Queenstown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,380 per month in Queenstown versus $927 in Suva – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $927 in Suva versus $2,380 in Queenstown, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Queenstown. The gap between the two cities makes Suva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Suva is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Queenstown, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Queenstown 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 157% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.