Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $1,627 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Busan

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 Busan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Suva versus $1,627 in Busan.

Suva $927
Busan $1,627

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Suva versus $2,557 in Busan.

Suva $1,681
Busan $2,557

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Suva versus $3,486 in Busan.

Suva $2,435
Busan $3,486

Living in Suva costs roughly 43% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 31% below, Busan is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 FJD 12.81

$7.25 ₩9,741

-21.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.13 FJD 98.8

$48.28 ₩64.8K

-8.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 17.37

$6.47 ₩8,684

19.94%

Cappuccino

$2.91 FJD 6.52

$3.65 ₩4,899

-20.27%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$1.77 ₩2,378

-15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.39 ₩1,870

-47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 FJD 8.21

$3.83 ₩5,149

-4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 FJD 9.70

$4.37 ₩5,870

-0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$2.32 ₩3,114

-44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 FJD 1.26

$3.26 ₩4,383

-82.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.52

$3.11 ₩4,177

-63.67%

Eggs

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$2.62 ₩3,514

29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 FJD 22.48

$11.18 ₩15.0K

-10.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 FJD 13.57

$10.38 ₩13.9K

-41.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 FJD 17.50

$25.03 ₩33.6K

-68.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.54

$11.02 ₩14.8K

-77.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 FJD 5.43

$3.54 ₩4,749

-31.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 FJD 7.79

$7.86 ₩10.6K

-55.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$5.85 ₩7,863

-46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 FJD 2.72

$5.88 ₩7,901

-79.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 FJD 2.39

$3.39 ₩4,556

-68.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

$2.73 ₩3,665

-55.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.32 ₩1,775

-44.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 FJD 21.62

$3.33 ₩4,469

190.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 FJD 16.41

$18.44 ₩24.8K

-60.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 FJD 4.64

$2.38 ₩3,191

-13.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 FJD 7.69

$3.48 ₩4,668

-1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.11

$1.19 ₩1,592

-21.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

$59.1 ₩79.4K

-62.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.94

$3.60 ₩4,839

-75.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$0.72 ₩964

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 FJD 20.04

$16.66 ₩22.4K

-46.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FJD 3.26

$1.36 ₩1,830

7.35%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

$29.8K ₩40.1M

-18.20%

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

$33.8K ₩45.4M

-24.15%

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

$46.38 FJD 104

$196 ₩263.8K

-76.39%

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

$12.79 FJD 28.65

$36.52 ₩49.1K

-64.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.98 FJD 53.7

$27.50 ₩36.9K

-12.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

$62.5 ₩83.9K

-40.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.29

$9.62 ₩12.9K

17.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

$12.04 ₩16.2K

-71.51%

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

$228 FJD 509

$637 ₩855.9K

-64.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$21.6K ₩29.0M

-37.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

$106 ₩142.6K

-68.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

$65.6 ₩88.0K

-38.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

$94.5 ₩126.9K

-27.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

$128 ₩172.1K

-52.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,995

$734 ₩985.6K

21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

$365 ₩489.9K

-9.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,913

$1,341 ₩1.8M

96.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 FJD 2,241

$701 ₩941.6K

42.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,956

$10.0K ₩13.4M

-86.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

$6,421 ₩8.6M

-87.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,151

$2,841 ₩3.8M

-66.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

4.22

82.46%

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

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$330 34.9%

Busan

$365 22.7% 10.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$228 24.1%

Busan

$483 30.1% 112% $255

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Busan

$162 10.1% 15.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.7%

Busan

$177 11.1% 93.2% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Busan

$260 16.2% 213% $177

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Busan

$87 5.4% 97.9% $43

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Busan

$71 4.4% 144% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Suva and $734 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 196% 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: $44.00 in Suva vs $48.00 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $483 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

3 h behind Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

3,586,079

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Suva Busan 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Busan

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 Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Suva the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 196% lower in Busan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $891 in Suva versus $734 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Suva runs roughly 164% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $228 in Suva versus $637 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $927 in Suva versus $1,627 in Busan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Busan. 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, Suva and Busan 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 76% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.