Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Paarl Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Paarl

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $968 per month in Suva vs $1,815 in Paarl, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,755 per month in Suva vs $2,384 in Paarl, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,541 per month in Suva vs $2,952 in Paarl, rent included.

Suva is about 47% cheaper than Paarl, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Suva sits 30% below the global median, while Paarl is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 FJD 13.19

$12.65 R 204

-52.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.14 FJD 101

$49.77 R 801

-7.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 FJD 17.04

$5.91 R 95.2

31.64%

Cappuccino

$3.04 FJD 6.65

$2.21 R 35.51

37.56%

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

$1.62 FJD 3.55

$1.08 R 17.37

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 FJD 1.68

$1.06 R 17.06

-27.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 FJD 7.83

$2.45 R 39.38

45.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 FJD 9.93

$2.77 R 44.56

63.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 FJD 2.88

$1.41 R 22.76

-6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 FJD 1.31

$1.17 R 18.79

-48.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 FJD 2.40

$2.28 R 36.67

-51.75%

Eggs

$3.50 FJD 7.67

$2.91 R 46.88

20.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 FJD 23.11

$7.37 R 119

43.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 FJD 13.70

$5.90 R 94.9

5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.95 FJD 17.41

$9.95 R 160

-20.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 FJD 5.45

$1.93 R 31.16

29.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 FJD 5.54

$2.00 R 32.14

26.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 FJD 7.88

$1.78 R 28.59

102.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 FJD 7.14

$2.08 R 33.50

56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 FJD 2.74

$0.67 R 10.81

86.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 FJD 2.36

$1.39 R 22.35

-22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 FJD 2.62

$1.29 R 20.78

-7.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 FJD 1.63

$1.01 R 16.18

-26.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 FJD 21.84

$3.83 R 61.6

160.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 FJD 16.75

$4.94 R 79.6

54.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 FJD 4.79

$1.42 R 22.91

54.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 FJD 7.59

$2.18 R 35.05

58.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 FJD 2.12

$1.27 R 20.47

-23.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.92 FJD 50.2

$94.6 R 1,523

-75.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 FJD 2.07

$0.61 R 9.78

55.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 FJD 0.96

$0.48 R 7.74

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 FJD 19.59

$5.06 R 81.6

76.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 FJD 3.16

$1.46 R 23.53

-1.37%

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

$25.6K FJD 56.0K

$36.1K R 581.3K

-29.16%

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

$26.0K FJD 57.0K

$33.1K R 533.4K

-21.42%

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

$47.08 FJD 103

$84.8 R 1,365

-44.45%

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

$13.29 FJD 29.12

$31.86 R 513

-58.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.95 FJD 54.7

$40.89 R 659

-38.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.34 FJD 81.8

$43.34 R 698

-13.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.19 FJD 24.52

$18.65 R 300

-40.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 FJD 7.59

$9.44 R 152

-63.24%

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

$232 FJD 509

$272 R 4,381

-14.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 29.3K

$3,838 R 61.8K

248.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.83 FJD 74.1

$58.4 R 941

-42.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.07 FJD 90.0

$33.15 R 534

23.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 FJD 158

$120 R 1,936

-40.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.5 FJD 139

$110 R 1,779

-42.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 FJD 2,027

$811 R 13.1K

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 FJD 736

$981 R 15.8K

-65.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,744 FJD 6,012

$1,313 R 21.1K

109.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 FJD 2,181

$1,048 R 16.9K

-5.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,376 FJD 3,015

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$854 FJD 1,871

$4,372 R 70.4K

-80.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 FJD 2,197

$1,174 R 18.9K

-14.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

11.02

-30.13%

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

Last update for Suva: September 6, 2026

Last update for Paarl: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $925 in Suva versus $811 in Paarl. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Paarl, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Suva versus $50.0 in Paarl. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Suva vs $211 in Paarl – so Paarl wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Paarl: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paarl costs about 88% more than Suva, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,452 per month in Suva and $2,722 in Paarl. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suva, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Suva and $50.0 in Paarl. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $968 in Suva and $1,815 in Paarl. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $968, than in Paarl at $1,815. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paarl it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Suva – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Suva. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Paarl makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.