Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Suva and in Chiang Mai: $946 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $946 per month in Suva vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Suva $946
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,717 per month in Suva vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Suva $1,717
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,489 per month in Suva vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Suva $2,489
Chiang Mai $1,914

Suva costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Suva and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Suva 30% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 FJD 13.28

$2.26 ฿75.4

162.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 FJD 100

$19.18 ฿641

133.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 FJD 16.81

$5.59 ฿187

34.35%

Cappuccino

$2.85 FJD 6.37

$1.72 ฿57.6

65.70%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$0.64 ฿21.54

134.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.67

$0.33 ฿11.18

127.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 FJD 7.98

$2.36 ฿78.7

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 FJD 10.24

$3.90 ฿130

17.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.97

$2.05 ฿68.6

-35.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 FJD 1.28

$1.40 ฿46.70

-59.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.53

$1.28 ฿42.89

-11.72%

Eggs

$3.38 FJD 7.57

$2.25 ฿75.3

50.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 FJD 22.78

$16.94 ฿566

-39.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 FJD 14.19

$2.74 ฿91.6

131.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 FJD 17.82

$9.36 ฿313

-14.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 FJD 5.58

$2.40 ฿80.3

3.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 FJD 5.43

$1.01 ฿33.92

140.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 FJD 7.94

$1.61 ฿53.9

120.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 FJD 7.11

$1.52 ฿50.7

108.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 FJD 2.83

$1.28 ฿42.90

-1.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 FJD 2.37

$1.11 ฿37.22

-4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 FJD 2.61

$0.72 ฿24.09

61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 FJD 1.54

$0.52 ฿17.54

32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 FJD 22.15

$4.33 ฿145

128.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 FJD 16.10

$17.73 ฿593

-59.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 FJD 4.74

$1.63 ฿54.4

29.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$2.85 ฿95.3

18.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 FJD 1.97

$0.85 ฿28.31

3.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

$53.9 ฿1,801

-58.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 FJD 2.05

$1.17 ฿39.18

-21.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FJD 1.01

$0.57 ฿19.00

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 FJD 19.70

$2.37 ฿79.2

271.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 FJD 3.21

$1.45 ฿48.32

-1.38%

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

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

18.79%

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

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-6.87%

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

$46.26 FJD 104

$62.3 ฿2,083

-25.78%

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

$12.75 FJD 28.54

$12.27 ฿410

3.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 FJD 54.2

$19.97 ฿668

21.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 FJD 82.4

$37.91 ฿1,267

-2.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

$3.76 ฿126

200.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 FJD 7.65

$6.71 ฿224

-49.03%

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

$225 FJD 503

$797 ฿26.6K

-71.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-9.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.29 FJD 74.5

$53.3 ฿1,780

-37.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 FJD 88.8

$25.05 ฿837

58.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 FJD 154

$91.6 ฿3,062

-25.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 FJD 134

$73.5 ฿2,455

-18.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 FJD 1,992

$464 ฿15.5K

91.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 FJD 736

$305 ฿10.2K

7.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 FJD 5,797

$915 ฿30.6K

182.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 FJD 2,236

$552 ฿18.5K

80.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 FJD 2,933

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-31.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 FJD 1,836

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-43.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

$595 ฿19.9K

62.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.57

38.24%

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

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$329 34.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 7.3% $24

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$231 24.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 3.1% $7.2

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 43.6% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$91 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 20.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 13.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 17.6% $7.7

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 111% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $889 in Suva versus $464 in Chiang Mai. 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 62% higher in Suva, 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 $45.00 in Suva versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $231 in Suva vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Suva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

11:22 11:22 AM

5 h behind Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Suva Chiang Mai 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva costs about 1% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,419 per month in Suva and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Suva and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Suva – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Suva at $946. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Suva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $946 in Suva. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Suva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.