Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Apia

For one person, living is cheaper in Apia: $851 a month against $927 in Suva, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Suva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Apia

🇼🇸 Samoa

$851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Apia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Suva and in Apia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Suva versus $851 in Apia.

Suva $927
Apia $851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Suva versus $2,281 in Apia.

Suva $1,681
Apia $2,281

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Suva versus $3,711 in Apia.

Suva $2,435
Apia $3,711

Living in Suva is roughly 9% more expensive than in Apia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suva 31% lower, Apia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 FJD 12.81

$47.76 WST 133

-88.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.13 FJD 98.8

$36.89 WST 103

19.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 17.37

$14.51 WST 40.39

-46.52%

Cappuccino

$2.91 FJD 6.52

$2.93 WST 8.15

-0.68%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$1.80 WST 5.01

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.39 WST 3.88

-47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 FJD 8.21

$3.51 WST 9.78

4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 FJD 9.70

$3.67 WST 10.20

17.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$1.83 WST 5.09

-30.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 FJD 1.26

$0.84 WST 2.34

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.52

$1.86 WST 5.17

-39.25%

Eggs

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$4.15 WST 11.55

-18.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 FJD 22.48

$0.94 WST 2.62

968.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 FJD 13.57

$3.67 WST 10.21

65.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 FJD 17.50

$8.60 WST 23.92

-9.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.54

$5.22 WST 14.54

-52.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 FJD 5.43

$1.79 WST 4.99

35.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 FJD 7.79

$1.87 WST 5.21

86.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$4.34 WST 12.07

-28.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 FJD 2.72

$3.70 WST 10.29

-67.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 FJD 2.39

$1.11 WST 3.10

-3.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.22 WST 3.40

-40.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 FJD 21.62

$6.31 WST 17.55

53.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 FJD 16.41

$16.32 WST 45.41

-55.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 FJD 4.64

$1.87 WST 5.19

10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 FJD 7.69

$3.68 WST 10.24

-6.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.11

$3.57 WST 9.94

-73.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.94

$5.33 WST 14.84

-83.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$5.42 WST 15.08

-92.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 FJD 20.04

$21.64 WST 60.2

-58.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FJD 3.26

$1.06 WST 2.95

37.74%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

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

$46.38 FJD 104

$18.16 WST 50.6

155.40%

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

$12.79 FJD 28.65

$18.40 WST 51.2

-30.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.98 FJD 53.7

$36.53 WST 102

-34.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.29

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

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

$228 FJD 509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,995

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,913

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 FJD 2,241

$1,790 WST 4,982

-44.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,956

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,151

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

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

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Last update for Apia: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$330 34.9%

Apia

–

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$228 24.1%

Apia

–

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Apia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.7%

Apia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Apia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Apia

–

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Apia

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $44.00 in Suva vs $37.00 in Apia. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $241, with Suva cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇼🇸 Apia

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

16:31 4:31 PM

1 h ahead of Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

36,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Samoan Tala WST T

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

1 WST = 0.359 USD

1 WST = 0.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

WST, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

Samoan Tala exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.78 WST (1 WST = 0.359 USD). 1 EUR = 3.12 WST (1 WST = 0.32 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Suva Apia 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Apia

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

Suva vs Apia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apia wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Suva. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Apia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,390 in Suva and $1,277 in Apia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $927 per month in Suva versus $851 in Apia – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Suva pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $851 in Apia versus $927 in Suva, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Apia but tight or insufficient in Suva. The gap between the two cities makes Apia 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, Suva and Apia 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 Apia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Suva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.