For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $1,400 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Osaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Suva versus $1,400 in Osaka.
Suva $927
Osaka $1,400
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Suva versus $1,991 in Osaka.
Suva $1,681
Osaka $1,991
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Suva versus $2,582 in Osaka.
Suva $2,435
Osaka $2,582
🌍
Living in Suva costs roughly 34% less than in Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 31% below, Osaka is 4% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Suva
Osaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.72FJD 12.82
$6.19¥979
-7.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.13FJD 98.9
$31.80¥5,032
38.77%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.76FJD 17.37
$4.93¥781
57.40%
Cappuccino
$2.91FJD 6.52
$3.00¥474
-3.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.50FJD 3.36
$1.45¥229
3.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73FJD 1.65
$0.72¥113
1.39%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.67FJD 8.21
$2.62¥415
40.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.33FJD 9.70
$3.91¥618
10.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Suva
Osaka
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.28FJD 2.86
$1.46¥230
-12.33%
White Bread(500g)
$0.56FJD 1.26
$1.31¥207
-57.25%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.13FJD 2.52
$5.25¥831
-78.48%
Eggs
$3.39FJD 7.60
$2.03¥321
67.00%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.04FJD 22.49
$9.77¥1,545
2.76%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.06FJD 13.58
$9.22¥1,460
-34.27%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.82FJD 17.51
$17.95¥2,841
-56.43%
Apples(1kg)
$2.47FJD 5.54
$3.29¥520
-24.92%
Banana(1kg)
$2.42FJD 5.43
$2.00¥317
21.00%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.48FJD 7.79
$2.11¥334
64.93%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.12FJD 7.00
$4.11¥650
-24.09%
Potato(1kg)
$1.22FJD 2.73
$1.51¥239
-19.21%
Onion(1kg)
$1.07FJD 2.39
$1.19¥188
-10.08%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.22FJD 2.73
$1.30¥206
-6.15%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73FJD 1.64
$0.86¥137
-15.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$9.66FJD 21.63
$3.82¥604
152.88%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.33FJD 16.42
$9.74¥1,542
-24.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07FJD 4.64
$1.87¥296
10.70%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43FJD 7.69
$3.15¥499
8.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Suva
Osaka
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.94FJD 2.11
$1.34¥212
-29.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$22.37FJD 50.1
$32.68¥5,171
-31.55%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.87FJD 1.94
$3.85¥610
-77.40%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.42FJD 0.94
$3.19¥505
-86.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.95FJD 20.05
$21.93¥3,470
-59.19%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.46FJD 3.26
$1.10¥173
32.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4KFJD 54.7K
$21.5K¥3.4M
13.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6KFJD 57.4K
$15.1K¥2.4M
69.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suva
Osaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$46.38FJD 104
$140¥22.2K
-66.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.79FJD 28.66
$24.14¥3,821
-47.02%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.98FJD 53.7
$30.58¥4,840
-21.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Suva
Osaka
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$36.85FJD 82.5
$49.41¥7,819
-25.42%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.30FJD 25.30
$18.41¥2,914
-38.62%
Cinema Ticket
$3.43FJD 7.68
$12.27¥1,941
-72.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Suva
Osaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$228FJD 510
$511¥80.9K
-55.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.4KFJD 30.0K
$13.1K¥2.1M
2.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Suva
Osaka
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.19FJD 74.3
$47.50¥7,517
-30.13%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.53FJD 90.8
$30.12¥4,767
34.56%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$68.9FJD 154
$73.4¥11.6K
-6.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$61.4FJD 138
$91.0¥14.4K
-32.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Suva
Osaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$891FJD 1,996
$704¥111.3K
26.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$330FJD 740
$508¥80.4K
-34.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,641FJD 5,916
$1,751¥277.2K
50.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,001FJD 2,242
$765¥121.1K
30.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,320FJD 2,957
$6,208¥982.3K
-78.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$818FJD 1,832
$1,938¥306.7K
-57.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Suva
Osaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$961FJD 2,152
$2,346¥371.2K
-59.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.7
2.21
248.42%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026
Last update for Osaka: October 3, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Suva
$330 34.9%
Osaka
$508 36.9% ↑ 53.7%$177
🛒Groceries & Markets
Suva
$228 24.1%
Osaka
$301 21.9% ↑ 32%$73
🍽Eating Out
Suva
$140 14.8%
Osaka
$130 9.5% ↓ 7.2%$10
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Suva
$92 9.7%
Osaka
$109 7.9% ↑ 18.6%$17
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suva
$83 8.8%
Osaka
$195 14.2% ↑ 134%$112
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Suva
$44 4.6%
Osaka
$74 5.4% ↑ 69.2%$30
🚌Getting Around
Suva
$29 3.1%
Osaka
$58 4.2% ↑ 98.6%$29
🏠Accommodation & Living
Suva
$1K 40.3%
Osaka
$765 29.2% ↓ 23.6%$236
🛒Groceries & Markets
Suva
$530 21.4%
Osaka
$694 26.5% ↑ 30.9%$164
🍽Eating Out
Suva
$492 19.8%
Osaka
$417 15.9% ↓ 15.4%$76
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Suva
$204 8.2%
Osaka
$242 9.2% ↑ 18.6%$38
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suva
$96 3.9%
Osaka
$219 8.4% ↑ 128%$123
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Suva
$99 4%
Osaka
$166 6.3% ↑ 68.5%$68
🚌Getting Around
Suva
$60 2.4%
Osaka
$118 4.5% ↑ 96.9%$58
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Suva and $704 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Osaka pays 144% 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 $32.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $301, with Suva cheaper for home cooking.
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 Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Suva and in Osaka?
Suva and Osaka differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($927 vs $1,400 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 144% lower in Osaka. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Suva and in Osaka?
Rent for a central apartment: $891 in Suva versus $704 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Suva and in Osaka?
A monthly transit pass in Suva runs roughly 46% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Suva and Osaka?
Childcare runs $228 in Suva versus $511 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $927 in Suva versus $1,400 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Suva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Suva and Osaka?
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.
Is Suva or Osaka safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Suva and Osaka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Suva or Osaka?
Expats usually find Suva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.