Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Nuku'alofa

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $1,019 in Nuku'alofa, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Nuku'alofa despite lower rent and utilities.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Nuku'alofa
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Nuku'alofa Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Nuku'alofa

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Nuku'alofa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Suva versus $1,019 in Nuku'alofa.

Suva $927
Nuku'alofa $1,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Suva versus $1,886 in Nuku'alofa.

Suva $1,681
Nuku'alofa $1,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Suva versus $2,752 in Nuku'alofa.

Suva $2,435
Nuku'alofa $2,752

Living in Suva costs roughly 9% less than in Nuku'alofa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suva 31% lower, Nuku'alofa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 FJD 12.81

$8.52 TOP 20.26

-32.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.13 FJD 98.8

$61.8 TOP 147

-28.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 17.37

$10.32 TOP 24.54

-24.81%

Cappuccino

$2.91 FJD 6.52

$2.93 TOP 6.96

-0.68%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$2.82 TOP 6.70

-46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$2.52 TOP 5.99

-71.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 FJD 8.21

$3.38 TOP 8.02

8.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 FJD 9.70

$5.03 TOP 11.97

-13.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$1.52 TOP 3.61

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 FJD 1.26

$1.07 TOP 2.54

-47.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.52

$2.11 TOP 5.02

-46.45%

Eggs

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$4.97 TOP 11.81

-31.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 FJD 22.48

$8.75 TOP 20.81

14.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 FJD 13.57

$5.91 TOP 14.04

2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 FJD 17.50

$7.82 TOP 18.60

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.54

$2.79 TOP 6.63

-11.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 FJD 5.43

$2.71 TOP 6.44

-10.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 FJD 7.79

$2.87 TOP 6.81

21.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$3.68 TOP 8.75

-15.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 FJD 2.72

$3.16 TOP 7.51

-61.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 FJD 2.39

$2.65 TOP 6.29

-59.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

$2.28 TOP 5.42

-46.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.42 TOP 3.37

-48.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 FJD 21.62

$10.24 TOP 24.34

-5.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 FJD 16.41

$17.36 TOP 41.28

-57.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 FJD 4.64

$3.14 TOP 7.45

-34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 FJD 7.69

$3.41 TOP 8.11

0.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.11

$2.14 TOP 5.08

-56.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

$41.65 TOP 99.0

-46.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.94

$2.05 TOP 4.88

-57.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$2.07 TOP 4.92

-79.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 FJD 20.04

$41.16 TOP 97.9

-78.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FJD 3.26

$1.47 TOP 3.50

-0.68%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

$5,817 TOP 13.8K

319.53%

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

$8,461 TOP 20.1K

202.74%

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

$46.38 FJD 104

$188 TOP 446

-75.28%

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

$12.79 FJD 28.65

$22.27 TOP 52.9

-42.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.98 FJD 53.7

$123 TOP 291

-80.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

$31.62 TOP 75.2

16.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.29

$40.72 TOP 96.8

-72.25%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

$40.75 TOP 96.9

-91.58%

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

$228 FJD 509

$157 TOP 373

45.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$248 TOP 589

5302.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

$14.35 TOP 34.11

131.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

$17.98 TOP 42.74

125.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

$20.42 TOP 48.53

237.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

$29.28 TOP 69.6

109.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,995

$619 TOP 1,472

43.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,913

$831 TOP 1,976

217.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 FJD 2,241

$560 TOP 1,331

78.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,956

$418 TOP 993

216.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

$252 TOP 598

224.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,151

$680 TOP 1,616

41.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

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

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nuku'alofa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$330 34.9%

Nuku'alofa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$228 24.1%

Nuku'alofa

$292 28.6% 27.8% $64

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Nuku'alofa

$183 17.9% 30.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.7%

Nuku'alofa

$37 3.6% 59.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Nuku'alofa

$332 32.6% 300% $249

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Nuku'alofa

$113 11.1% 159% $69

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Nuku'alofa

$63 6.1% 115% $33

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 $891 in Suva and $619 in Nuku'alofa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suva pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Suva vs $62.0 in Nuku'alofa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $292 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa

🕒 Local time

17:39 5:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

1 h ahead of Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

24,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

1 TOP = 0.421 USD

1 TOP = 0.375 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, 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).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.38 TOP (1 TOP = 0.421 USD). 1 EUR = 2.67 TOP (1 TOP = 0.375 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Suva Nuku'alofa 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Nuku'alofa

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 Nuku'alofa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva and Nuku'alofa differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($927 vs $1,019 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Suva, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $891 in Suva versus $619 in Nuku'alofa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Suva – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $62.0 in Nuku'alofa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $927 per month in Suva versus $1,019 in Nuku'alofa – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $927 in Suva versus $1,019 in Nuku'alofa, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Nuku'alofa. 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 Nuku'alofa 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 10% less than in Nuku'alofa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.