Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Paihia

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,878 in Paihia, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Paihia
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Paihia Living Index

Jump to prices

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Paihia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Paihia

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

A single person spends $946 per month in Suva vs $1,878 in Paihia, rent included.

Suva $946
Paihia $1,878

A couple spends around $1,717 per month in Suva vs $2,919 in Paihia, rent included.

Suva $1,717
Paihia $2,919

A family of three spends $2,489 per month in Suva vs $3,960 in Paihia, rent included.

Suva $2,489
Paihia $3,960

Suva is about 50% cheaper than Paihia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Suva sits 30% below the global median, while Paihia is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 FJD 13.28

$13.79 NZ$24.39

-57.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 FJD 100

$33.24 NZ$58.8

34.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 FJD 16.81

$8.35 NZ$14.77

-10.06%

Cappuccino

$2.85 FJD 6.37

$3.31 NZ$5.86

-13.90%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$1.92 NZ$3.40

-21.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.67

$1.80 NZ$3.18

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 FJD 7.98

$6.68 NZ$11.81

-46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 FJD 10.24

$6.63 NZ$11.72

-31.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.97

$1.86 NZ$3.29

-28.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 FJD 1.28

$2.24 NZ$3.96

-74.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.53

$1.89 NZ$3.34

-40.21%

Eggs

$3.38 FJD 7.57

$6.39 NZ$11.29

-47.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 FJD 22.78

$8.42 NZ$14.89

20.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 FJD 14.19

$9.68 NZ$17.13

-34.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 FJD 17.82

$17.32 NZ$30.63

-54.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 FJD 5.58

$2.83 NZ$5.00

-12.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 FJD 5.43

$2.11 NZ$3.74

15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 FJD 7.94

$3.01 NZ$5.33

17.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 FJD 7.11

$5.68 NZ$10.05

-44.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 FJD 2.83

$2.08 NZ$3.67

-39.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 FJD 2.37

$1.53 NZ$2.70

-30.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 FJD 2.61

$1.99 NZ$3.52

-41.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 FJD 1.54

$1.04 NZ$1.83

-33.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 FJD 22.15

$27.24 NZ$48.17

-63.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 FJD 16.10

$10.39 NZ$18.37

-30.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 FJD 4.74

$2.73 NZ$4.82

-22.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$3.30 NZ$5.84

2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 FJD 1.97

$1.60 NZ$2.82

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

$82.1 NZ$145

-72.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 FJD 2.05

$1.70 NZ$3.01

-45.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FJD 1.01

$2.00 NZ$3.54

-77.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 FJD 19.70

$31.30 NZ$55.4

-71.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 FJD 3.21

$1.87 NZ$3.30

-23.53%

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

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

-4.82%

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

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

10.36%

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

$46.26 FJD 104

$184 NZ$325

-74.79%

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

$12.75 FJD 28.54

$26.10 NZ$46.16

-51.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 FJD 54.2

$50.5 NZ$89.4

-52.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 FJD 82.4

$33.25 NZ$58.8

10.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 FJD 7.65

$12.74 NZ$22.53

-73.16%

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

$225 FJD 503

$1,097 NZ$1,939

-79.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$19.4K NZ$34.3K

-30.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.29 FJD 74.5

$77.9 NZ$138

-57.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 FJD 88.8

$39.32 NZ$69.5

0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 FJD 154

$91.0 NZ$161

-24.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 FJD 134

$108 NZ$192

-44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 FJD 1,992

$939 NZ$1,660

-5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 FJD 736

$742 NZ$1,311

-55.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 FJD 5,797

$1,802 NZ$3,187

43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 FJD 2,236

$1,607 NZ$2,843

-37.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 FJD 2,933

$4,161 NZ$7,359

-68.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 FJD 1,836

$3,605 NZ$6,376

-77.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.37

43.39%

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

Last update for Suva: October 10, 2026

Last update for Paihia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$329 34.7%

Paihia

$742 39.5% 126% $413

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$231 24.4%

Paihia

$338 18% 46.4% $107

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Paihia

$237 12.6% 68.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$91 9.6%

Paihia

$143 7.6% 57.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Paihia

$260 13.9% 213% $177

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Paihia

$59 3.1% 34.6% $15

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Paihia

$100 5.3% 245% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $889 in Suva versus $939 in Paihia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Suva versus $33.00 in Paihia. Groceries tell a different story – $231 in Suva vs $338 in Paihia – so Suva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇳🇿 Paihia

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

1 h ahead of Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

1,800

💱 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

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Between locations

Suva Paihia 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Paihia

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 Paihia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $946 in Suva, $1,878 in Paihia – roughly 98% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,419 per month in Suva and $2,816 in Paihia. 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.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Paihia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Suva and $33.00 in Paihia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Suva, where all-in costs run around $946, than in Paihia at $1,878. In Suva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paihia 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, Paihia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.