Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Dargaville

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $941 a month against $2,134 in Dargaville, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Suva, Fiji
Dargaville, New Zealand
Suva
🇫🇯 Fiji
$941
/mo nomad
Dargaville
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,134
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Dargaville

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $941 in Suva versus $2,134 in Dargaville.

  • Suva $941
  • Dargaville $2,134

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Suva versus $3,019 in Dargaville.

  • Suva $1,702
  • Dargaville $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,463 in Suva versus $3,904 in Dargaville.

  • Suva $2,463
  • Dargaville $3,904

Living in Suva costs roughly 56% less than in Dargaville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 31% below, Dargaville is 57% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.93 FJD 13.23
$14.54 NZ$25.60
-59.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.61 FJD 97.3
$68.9 NZ$121
-36.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.67 FJD 17.12
$9.05 NZ$15.93
-15.25%
Cappuccino
$2.90 FJD 6.47
$3.69 NZ$6.50
-21.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 FJD 3.40
$2.18 NZ$3.84
-30.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 FJD 1.65
$2.09 NZ$3.68
-64.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.47 FJD 7.74
$6.31 NZ$11.10
-45.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 FJD 10.18
$5.63 NZ$9.91
-19.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 FJD 2.93
$2.05 NZ$3.61
-36.10%
White Bread (500g)
$0.52 FJD 1.17
$1.96 NZ$3.45
-73.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 FJD 2.49
$1.52 NZ$2.68
-26.97%
Eggs
$3.22 FJD 7.19
$6.70 NZ$11.79
-51.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.40 FJD 23.19
$8.49 NZ$14.95
22.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.32 FJD 14.10
$10.47 NZ$18.43
-39.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.68 FJD 17.14
$12.69 NZ$22.34
-39.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.46 FJD 5.50
$2.65 NZ$4.66
-7.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.50 FJD 5.58
$2.14 NZ$3.76
16.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 FJD 7.64
$2.92 NZ$5.14
17.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.21 FJD 7.16
$5.86 NZ$10.32
-45.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 FJD 2.76
$1.73 NZ$3.04
-28.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 FJD 2.44
$1.38 NZ$2.43
-20.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 FJD 2.67
$2.49 NZ$4.38
-51.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 FJD 1.53
$1.18 NZ$2.07
-41.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.02 FJD 22.36
$26.67 NZ$46.94
-62.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.22 FJD 16.10
$10.24 NZ$18.03
-29.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 FJD 4.73
$3.02 NZ$5.32
-29.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 FJD 7.53
$3.13 NZ$5.50
7.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.71 FJD 1.57
$1.89 NZ$3.33
-62.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.49 FJD 54.6
$115 NZ$203
-78.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.87 FJD 1.93
$2.42 NZ$4.25
-64.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 FJD 0.96
$1.81 NZ$3.18
-76.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.04 FJD 20.16
$26.35 NZ$46.38
-65.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 FJD 3.21
$1.49 NZ$2.63
-3.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K FJD 54.3K
$25.5K NZ$44.8K
-4.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K FJD 56.7K
$23.7K NZ$41.7K
7.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$45.96 FJD 103
$128 NZ$225
-64.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.73 FJD 28.39
$29.15 NZ$51.3
-56.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.66 FJD 52.8
$51.3 NZ$90.3
-53.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.73 FJD 81.9
$38.91 NZ$68.5
-5.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.99 FJD 24.50
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.38 FJD 7.53
$11.48 NZ$20.20
-70.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$224 FJD 499
$659 NZ$1,159
-66.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K FJD 29.5K
$14.6K NZ$25.7K
-9.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.66 FJD 75.1
$67.3 NZ$119
-50.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.60 FJD 88.3
$39.09 NZ$68.8
1.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.9 FJD 156
$90.9 NZ$160
-23.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$61.5 FJD 137
$115 NZ$203
-46.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$891 FJD 1,987
$1,125 NZ$1,981
-20.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$322 FJD 719
$1,011 NZ$1,780
-68.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,636 FJD 5,878
$1,404 NZ$2,471
87.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$978 FJD 2,180
$1,352 NZ$2,379
-27.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,327 FJD 2,960
$4,216 NZ$7,421
-68.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$827 FJD 1,845
$3,111 NZ$5,475
-73.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Suva
Dargaville
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$946 FJD 2,111
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.7
5.83
32.08%

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

Last update for Suva: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dargaville: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Suva
$322
Dargaville
$1K 214% $689
Groceries & Markets
Suva
$229
Dargaville
$330 43.8% $100
Eating Out
Suva
$141
Dargaville
$248 75.9% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Suva
$92
Dargaville
$141 52.7% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suva
$82
Dargaville
$209 153% $126
Sport & Entertainment
Suva
$43
Dargaville
$62 42.3% $18
Getting Around
Suva
$30
Dargaville
$134 343% $104

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Suva and $1,125 in Dargaville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Suva vs $69 in Dargaville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $330 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇯 Suva
🇳🇿 Dargaville
🕒 Local time
01:49 1:49 AM
02:49 2:49 AM
1 h ahead of Suva
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
100,000 Capital
4,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.48 FJD (1 FJD = 0.403 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Suva Dargaville 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Suva
  • Dargaville

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 Dargaville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Suva and in Dargaville?
Suva and Dargaville differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($941 vs $2,134 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Suva compared to Dargaville?
You’d need roughly $1,411 in Suva and $3,201 in Dargaville 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Suva and in Dargaville?
Rent for a central apartment: $891 in Suva versus $1,125 in Dargaville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Suva and Dargaville?
Childcare runs $224 in Suva versus $659 in Dargaville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Dargaville. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $800 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Suva is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Suva and Dargaville?
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.
Where should expats move: Suva or Dargaville?
Expats usually find Suva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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