Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $1,635 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

Jump to prices

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Tokyo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Suva versus $1,635 in Tokyo.

Suva $927
Tokyo $1,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Suva versus $2,608 in Tokyo.

Suva $1,681
Tokyo $2,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Suva versus $3,581 in Tokyo.

Suva $2,435
Tokyo $3,581

Living in Suva costs roughly 43% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 31% below, Tokyo is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 FJD 12.81

$7.64 ¥1,207

-25.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.13 FJD 98.8

$38.51 ¥6,087

14.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 17.37

$5.05 ¥799

53.66%

Cappuccino

$2.91 FJD 6.52

$3.61 ¥570

-19.39%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$1.62 ¥257

-7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$0.86 ¥135

-15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 FJD 8.21

$3.69 ¥583

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 FJD 9.70

$5.27 ¥834

-17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$1.53 ¥242

-16.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 FJD 1.26

$1.76 ¥278

-68.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.52

$5.59 ¥883

-79.79%

Eggs

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$2.24 ¥354

51.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 FJD 22.48

$10.65 ¥1,684

-5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 FJD 13.57

$6.60 ¥1,043

-8.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 FJD 17.50

$16.74 ¥2,646

-53.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.54

$4.86 ¥768

-49.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 FJD 5.43

$2.35 ¥371

2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 FJD 7.79

$4.33 ¥684

-19.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 FJD 6.99

$5.28 ¥835

-40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 FJD 2.72

$3.41 ¥539

-64.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 FJD 2.39

$3.19 ¥504

-66.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

$1.18 ¥187

3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$0.83 ¥131

-12.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 FJD 21.62

$3.84 ¥607

151.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 FJD 16.41

$9.27 ¥1,466

-20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 FJD 4.64

$1.64 ¥259

26.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 FJD 7.69

$2.75 ¥434

24.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.11

$1.29 ¥204

-27.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

$62.1 ¥9,819

-63.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.94

$3.08 ¥487

-71.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$3.21 ¥507

-86.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 FJD 20.04

$18.41 ¥2,909

-51.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FJD 3.26

$1.07 ¥169

36.45%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

$22.2K ¥3.5M

10.09%

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

$15.3K ¥2.4M

67.54%

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

$46.38 FJD 104

$148 ¥23.3K

-68.58%

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

$12.79 FJD 28.65

$21.97 ¥3,472

-41.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.98 FJD 53.7

$30.43 ¥4,810

-21.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-43.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.29

$25.55 ¥4,039

-55.77%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

$12.87 ¥2,034

-73.35%

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

$228 FJD 509

$1,360 ¥215.0K

-83.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$18.3K ¥2.9M

-26.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

$56.5 ¥8,932

-41.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

$33.16 ¥5,241

22.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

$64.4 ¥10.2K

7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

$71.8 ¥11.3K

-14.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,995

$1,275 ¥201.5K

-30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

$702 ¥111.0K

-52.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,913

$2,565 ¥405.5K

2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 FJD 2,241

$1,480 ¥234.0K

-32.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,956

$9,152 ¥1.4M

-85.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

$4,191 ¥662.4K

-80.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,151

$2,998 ¥473.8K

-67.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

2.25

242.22%

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

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$330 34.9%

Tokyo

$702 42.2% 113% $372

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$228 24.1%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 42.5% $97

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Tokyo

$158 9.5% 13.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.7%

Tokyo

$102 6.1% 10.6% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Tokyo

$200 12% 141% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Tokyo

$91 5.5% 108% $47

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 197% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Suva and $1,275 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 212% 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 $39.00 in Tokyo. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $325, with Suva cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

17:20 5:20 PM

3 h behind Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, 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).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Suva Tokyo 7,240 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Tokyo

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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Tokyo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Suva the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 212% lower in Tokyo. 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: $891 in Suva versus $1,275 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Suva runs roughly 178% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $228 in Suva versus $1,360 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $927 in Suva versus $1,635 in Tokyo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. The gap between the two cities makes Suva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Suva delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $927 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Suva hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Suva and Tokyo 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 76% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.