Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Nelson

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,833 in Nelson, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index

Jump to prices

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Nelson

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Suva versus $1,833 in Nelson.

Suva $946
Nelson $1,833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,717 in Suva versus $2,842 in Nelson.

Suva $1,717
Nelson $2,842

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,489 in Suva versus $3,852 in Nelson.

Suva $2,489
Nelson $3,852

Living in Suva costs roughly 48% less than in Nelson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 30% below, Nelson is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 FJD 13.28

$13.86 NZ$24.51

-57.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 FJD 100

$64.6 NZ$114

-30.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 FJD 16.81

$8.53 NZ$15.08

-11.96%

Cappuccino

$2.85 FJD 6.37

$3.24 NZ$5.74

-12.04%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-12.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.67

$1.65 NZ$2.91

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 FJD 7.98

$7.13 NZ$12.61

-50.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 FJD 10.24

$5.53 NZ$9.79

-17.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.97

$1.90 NZ$3.36

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 FJD 1.28

$2.05 NZ$3.63

-72.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.53

$1.83 NZ$3.24

-38.25%

Eggs

$3.38 FJD 7.57

$5.70 NZ$10.08

-40.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 FJD 22.78

$9.09 NZ$16.08

11.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 FJD 14.19

$7.34 NZ$12.98

-13.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 FJD 17.82

$13.70 NZ$24.22

-41.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 FJD 5.58

$3.08 NZ$5.45

-19.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 FJD 5.43

$2.19 NZ$3.88

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 FJD 7.94

$3.06 NZ$5.41

16.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 FJD 7.11

$5.61 NZ$9.92

-43.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 FJD 2.83

$2.05 NZ$3.63

-38.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 FJD 2.37

$1.28 NZ$2.27

-17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 FJD 2.61

$1.97 NZ$3.48

-41.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 FJD 1.54

$1.01 NZ$1.79

-31.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 FJD 22.15

$24.79 NZ$43.85

-60.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 FJD 16.10

$9.44 NZ$16.69

-23.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 FJD 4.74

$3.06 NZ$5.41

-31.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$2.75 NZ$4.86

23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 FJD 1.97

$2.22 NZ$3.92

-60.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 FJD 2.05

$1.82 NZ$3.21

-49.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FJD 1.01

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-74.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 FJD 19.70

$33.41 NZ$59.1

-73.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 FJD 3.21

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-11.18%

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

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

$17.1K NZ$30.2K

42.35%

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

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

$21.9K NZ$38.7K

12.69%

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

$46.26 FJD 104

$131 NZ$231

-64.56%

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

$12.75 FJD 28.54

$32.95 NZ$58.3

-61.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 FJD 54.2

$41.79 NZ$73.9

-42.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 FJD 82.4

$99.3 NZ$176

-62.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

$33.61 NZ$59.4

-66.35%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 FJD 7.65

$11.01 NZ$19.48

-68.94%

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

$225 FJD 503

$440 NZ$777

-48.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$12.7K NZ$22.4K

5.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.29 FJD 74.5

$52.4 NZ$92.6

-36.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 FJD 88.8

$27.78 NZ$49.13

42.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 FJD 154

$101 NZ$179

-32.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 FJD 134

$138 NZ$245

-56.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 FJD 1,992

$1,000 NZ$1,769

-11.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 FJD 736

$795 NZ$1,406

-58.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 FJD 5,797

$1,704 NZ$3,014

51.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 FJD 2,236

$1,456 NZ$2,574

-31.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 FJD 2,933

$1,374 NZ$2,430

-4.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 FJD 1,836

$827 NZ$1,462

-0.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

$2,017 NZ$3,568

-52.18%

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 Nelson: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$329 34.7%

Nelson

$795 43.4% 142% $466

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$231 24.4%

Nelson

$312 17% 35.2% $81

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Nelson

$236 12.9% 68.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$91 9.6%

Nelson

$144 7.9% 58.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Nelson

$205 11.2% 147% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Nelson

$121 6.6% 178% $78

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Nelson

$20 * 1.1% 32.6% $9.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Suva and $1,000 in Nelson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nelson pays 109% 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: $45.00 in Suva vs $65.0 in Nelson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $312 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇳🇿 Nelson

🕒 Local time

06:39 6:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

1 h ahead of Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

51,100

💱 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 Nelson 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Nelson

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 Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Nelson. 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 109% lower in Nelson. 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: $889 in Suva versus $1,000 in Nelson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Suva versus $440 in Nelson. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Suva – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $65.0 in Nelson. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $946 in Suva versus $1,833 in Nelson, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Nelson. 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 Nelson 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 94% less than in Nelson. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.