Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Masterton

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $832 a month against $946 in Suva, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Suva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
Learn more

Suva Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
Learn more

Masterton Living Index

Jump to prices

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Masterton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Suva versus $832 in Masterton.

Suva $946
Masterton $832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,717 in Suva versus $1,432 in Masterton.

Suva $1,717
Masterton $1,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,489 in Suva versus $2,032 in Masterton.

Suva $2,489
Masterton $2,032

Living in Suva is roughly 14% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suva 30% lower, Masterton 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 FJD 13.28

$9.54 NZ$16.88

-37.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 FJD 100

$64.9 NZ$115

-30.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 FJD 16.81

$8.56 NZ$15.14

-12.27%

Cappuccino

$2.85 FJD 6.37

$3.18 NZ$5.62

-10.38%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$2.02 NZ$3.57

-25.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.67

$1.09 NZ$1.93

-31.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 FJD 7.98

$3.89 NZ$6.88

-8.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 FJD 10.24

$3.28 NZ$5.79

39.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.97

$1.42 NZ$2.51

-6.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 FJD 1.28

$2.21 NZ$3.91

-74.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.53

$1.03 NZ$1.82

9.71%

Eggs

$3.38 FJD 7.57

$6.32 NZ$11.17

-46.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 FJD 22.78

$8.29 NZ$14.65

22.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 FJD 14.19

$9.48 NZ$16.76

-33.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 FJD 17.82

$15.18 NZ$26.85

-47.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 FJD 5.58

$2.18 NZ$3.85

14.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 FJD 5.43

$1.71 NZ$3.02

42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 FJD 7.94

$2.98 NZ$5.27

19.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 FJD 7.11

$4.58 NZ$8.11

-30.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 FJD 2.83

$1.53 NZ$2.71

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 FJD 2.37

$1.08 NZ$1.90

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 FJD 2.61

$1.70 NZ$3.00

-31.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 FJD 1.54

$0.52 NZ$0.92

32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 FJD 22.15

$19.51 NZ$34.50

-49.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 FJD 16.10

$11.21 NZ$19.83

-35.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 FJD 4.74

$0.85 NZ$1.50

148.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$1.14 NZ$2.02

197.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 FJD 1.97

$2.23 NZ$3.94

-60.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 FJD 2.05

$1.81 NZ$3.20

-49.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FJD 1.01

$1.75 NZ$3.09

-74.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 FJD 19.70

$34.16 NZ$60.4

-74.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 FJD 3.21

$1.77 NZ$3.12

-19.21%

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

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

10.33%

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

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

-0.55%

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

$46.26 FJD 104

$55.0 NZ$97.3

-15.94%

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

$12.75 FJD 28.54

$29.34 NZ$51.9

-56.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 FJD 54.2

$52.8 NZ$93.3

-54.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 FJD 82.4

$41.79 NZ$73.9

-11.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

$8.51 NZ$15.06

32.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 FJD 7.65

$9.68 NZ$17.12

-64.67%

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

$225 FJD 503

$1,056 NZ$1,868

-78.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

5.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.29 FJD 74.5

$55.6 NZ$98.3

-40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 FJD 88.8

$27.59 NZ$48.79

43.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 FJD 154

$102 NZ$181

-33.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 FJD 134

$142 NZ$251

-57.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 FJD 1,992

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 FJD 736

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 FJD 5,797

$1,002 NZ$1,773

158.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 FJD 2,236

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 FJD 2,933

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 FJD 1,836

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

$2,327 NZ$4,115

-58.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.39

42.86%

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

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Last update for Masterton: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$329 34.7%

Masterton

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$231 24.4%

Masterton

$288 34.7% 24.9% $57

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Masterton

$179 21.5% 27.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$91 9.6%

Masterton

$147 17.7% 62.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Masterton

$137 16.5% 64.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Masterton

$61 7.4% 40.1% $18

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Masterton

$19 * 2.3% 33% $9.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Masterton pays 141% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Suva vs $65.0 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $288 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

1 h ahead of Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

26,800

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Suva Masterton 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Masterton

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 Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is cheaper overall, especially in transport. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 141% lower in Masterton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Suva pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $946 per month in Suva versus $832 in Masterton – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $832 in Masterton versus $946 in Suva, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Suva. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton 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 Masterton 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 Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Suva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.