Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
Learn more

Suva Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Suva versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Suva $927
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Suva versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Suva $1,681
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Suva versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Suva $2,435
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Suva costs roughly 67% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 31% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 FJD 12.81

$17.75 A$25.49

-67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.13 FJD 98.8

$84.8 A$122

-47.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 17.37

$12.16 A$17.46

-36.18%

Cappuccino

$2.91 FJD 6.52

$3.93 A$5.64

-25.95%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$3.14 A$4.51

-52.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$2.43 A$3.49

-69.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 FJD 8.21

$9.90 A$14.22

-62.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 FJD 9.70

$8.29 A$11.91

-47.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$1.55 A$2.22

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 FJD 1.26

$3.01 A$4.32

-81.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.52

$2.88 A$4.14

-60.76%

Eggs

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$5.44 A$7.82

-37.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 FJD 22.48

$10.59 A$15.22

-5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 FJD 13.57

$9.61 A$13.81

-36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 FJD 17.50

$14.99 A$21.54

-47.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.54

$4.15 A$5.96

-40.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 FJD 5.43

$3.05 A$4.38

-20.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 FJD 7.79

$3.30 A$4.74

5.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$4.76 A$6.83

-34.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 FJD 2.72

$3.04 A$4.36

-59.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 FJD 2.39

$2.55 A$3.66

-58.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

$2.48 A$3.56

-50.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.63 A$2.34

-55.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 FJD 21.62

$44.07 A$63.3

-78.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 FJD 16.41

$12.43 A$17.85

-41.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 FJD 4.64

$5.33 A$7.65

-61.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 FJD 7.69

$5.16 A$7.41

-33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.11

$3.84 A$5.52

-75.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

$142 A$203

-84.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.94

$4.40 A$6.32

-80.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$1.40 A$2.01

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 FJD 20.04

$29.83 A$42.84

-70.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FJD 3.26

$1.46 A$2.09

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

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

$28.1K A$40.4K

-13.29%

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

$25.9K A$37.3K

-1.27%

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

$46.38 FJD 104

$233 A$334

-80.06%

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

$12.79 FJD 28.65

$27.28 A$39.19

-53.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.98 FJD 53.7

$57.0 A$81.9

-57.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

$52.7 A$75.7

-30.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.29

$22.62 A$32.49

-50.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

$17.10 A$24.57

-79.94%

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

$228 FJD 509

$2,373 A$3,409

-90.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$30.5K A$43.8K

-56.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

$78.2 A$112

-57.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

$50.5 A$72.5

-19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

$121 A$173

-42.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

$133 A$191

-53.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,995

$1,713 A$2,460

-47.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

$1,402 A$2,014

-76.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,913

$3,339 A$4,796

-20.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 FJD 2,241

$2,529 A$3,632

-60.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,956

$7,018 A$10.1K

-81.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

$6,767 A$9,721

-87.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,151

$4,228 A$6,074

-77.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.9

30.51%

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

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$330 34.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 324% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$228 24.1%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 68.9% $157

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Melbourne

$314 11% 124% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 87.4% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 281% $234

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 98.8% $43

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 478% $139

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Suva and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 340% 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 $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $385 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

12:04 12:04 PM

1 h behind Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Suva Melbourne 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva and Melbourne differ by about 208% in total monthly costs ($927 vs $2,852 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 340% lower in Melbourne. 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 $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $228 in Suva versus $2,373 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $927 in Suva versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. 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 Melbourne 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 208% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.