Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $946 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

Jump to prices

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$946

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Palmerston North

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $946 in Suva versus $1,562 in Palmerston North.

Suva $946
Palmerston North $1,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,717 in Suva versus $2,537 in Palmerston North.

Suva $1,717
Palmerston North $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,489 in Suva versus $3,511 in Palmerston North.

Suva $2,489
Palmerston North $3,511

Living in Suva costs roughly 39% less than in Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 30% below, Palmerston North is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 FJD 13.28

$13.50 NZ$23.87

-56.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 FJD 100

$63.7 NZ$113

-29.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 FJD 16.81

$8.80 NZ$15.56

-14.66%

Cappuccino

$2.85 FJD 6.37

$3.13 NZ$5.54

-8.95%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$2.36 NZ$4.18

-36.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 FJD 1.67

$1.68 NZ$2.97

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 FJD 7.98

$6.43 NZ$11.38

-44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 FJD 10.24

$6.52 NZ$11.53

-29.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.97

$1.84 NZ$3.26

-27.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 FJD 1.28

$2.14 NZ$3.78

-73.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.53

$1.37 NZ$2.42

-17.52%

Eggs

$3.38 FJD 7.57

$4.85 NZ$8.58

-30.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 FJD 22.78

$6.41 NZ$11.34

58.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 FJD 14.19

$9.50 NZ$16.80

-33.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.96 FJD 17.82

$10.78 NZ$19.06

-26.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 FJD 5.58

$2.54 NZ$4.48

-1.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 FJD 5.43

$2.23 NZ$3.94

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 FJD 7.94

$2.30 NZ$4.07

54.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 FJD 7.11

$5.53 NZ$9.78

-42.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 FJD 2.83

$1.41 NZ$2.49

-10.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 FJD 2.37

$0.86 NZ$1.53

23.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 FJD 2.61

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 FJD 1.54

$0.75 NZ$1.33

-8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 FJD 22.15

$22.06 NZ$39.00

-55.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 FJD 16.10

$7.91 NZ$13.99

-9.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 FJD 4.74

$2.65 NZ$4.69

-20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$2.78 NZ$4.91

21.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 FJD 1.97

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-77.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.34 FJD 50.0

$82.3 NZ$146

-72.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 FJD 2.05

$1.87 NZ$3.30

-50.80%

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

$16.63 NZ$29.40

-47.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 FJD 3.21

$1.64 NZ$2.90

-12.80%

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

$24.3K FJD 54.5K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

12.78%

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

$24.7K FJD 55.3K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

3.21%

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

$46.26 FJD 104

$68.2 NZ$121

-32.19%

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

$12.75 FJD 28.54

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-60.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 FJD 54.2

$34.64 NZ$61.3

-30.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 FJD 82.4

$21.79 NZ$38.54

68.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.31 FJD 25.32

$14.08 NZ$24.90

-19.67%

Cinema Ticket

$3.42 FJD 7.65

$11.60 NZ$20.52

-70.52%

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

$225 FJD 503

$1,034 NZ$1,829

-78.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

56.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.29 FJD 74.5

$69.5 NZ$123

-52.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 FJD 88.8

$27.70 NZ$48.98

43.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 FJD 154

$83.1 NZ$147

-17.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 FJD 134

$82.5 NZ$146

-27.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 FJD 1,992

$906 NZ$1,602

-1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 FJD 736

$639 NZ$1,129

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 FJD 5,797

$1,587 NZ$2,807

63.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 FJD 2,236

$1,311 NZ$2,318

-23.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,310 FJD 2,933

$2,023 NZ$3,577

-35.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$820 FJD 1,836

$1,836 NZ$3,247

-55.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$965 FJD 2,160

$2,494 NZ$4,411

-61.32%

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 Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$329 34.7%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 94.3% $310

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$231 24.4%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 22.7% $52

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 66.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$91 9.6%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 30.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 62.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 3.1% $1.4

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 275% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $889 in Suva and $906 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 159% 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 $64.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $283 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

09:12 9:12 AM

1 h ahead of Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

90,500

💱 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 Palmerston North 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Palmerston North

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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva and Palmerston North differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($946 vs $1,562 including rent). Suva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 159% lower in Palmerston North. 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 $906 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Suva versus $1,034 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $946 in Suva versus $1,562 in Palmerston North, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. 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 Palmerston North 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 65% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.