Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Whangarei

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $1,437 in Whangarei, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Whangarei
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Whangarei Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Whangarei

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suva and in Whangarei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Suva versus $1,437 in Whangarei.

Suva $927
Whangarei $1,437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Suva versus $2,302 in Whangarei.

Suva $1,681
Whangarei $2,302

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Suva versus $3,167 in Whangarei.

Suva $2,435
Whangarei $3,167

Living in Suva costs roughly 35% less than in Whangarei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suva is 31% below, Whangarei is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 FJD 12.82

$12.15 NZ$21.65

-52.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.13 FJD 98.9

$73.8 NZ$132

-40.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 FJD 17.37

$8.21 NZ$14.63

-5.48%

Cappuccino

$2.91 FJD 6.52

$3.41 NZ$6.08

-14.66%

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

$1.50 FJD 3.36

$2.00 NZ$3.56

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.65

$1.59 NZ$2.84

-54.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 FJD 8.21

$5.98 NZ$10.65

-38.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 FJD 9.70

$5.53 NZ$9.85

-21.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 FJD 2.86

$1.48 NZ$2.63

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 FJD 1.26

$1.30 NZ$2.31

-56.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 FJD 2.52

$1.62 NZ$2.89

-30.25%

Eggs

$3.39 FJD 7.60

$5.30 NZ$9.44

-36.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 FJD 22.49

$5.60 NZ$9.98

79.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 FJD 13.58

$7.40 NZ$13.18

-18.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 FJD 17.51

$14.64 NZ$26.09

-46.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.54

$2.62 NZ$4.68

-5.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 FJD 5.43

$2.15 NZ$3.83

12.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 FJD 7.79

$2.99 NZ$5.32

16.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 FJD 7.00

$2.92 NZ$5.20

6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

$2.23 NZ$3.97

-45.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 FJD 2.39

$1.72 NZ$3.06

-37.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 FJD 2.73

$1.64 NZ$2.92

-25.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$1.21 NZ$2.15

-39.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 FJD 21.63

$25.58 NZ$45.58

-62.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 FJD 16.42

$9.36 NZ$16.68

-21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 FJD 4.64

$2.22 NZ$3.95

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 FJD 7.69

$2.81 NZ$5.01

22.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 FJD 2.11

$1.66 NZ$2.96

-43.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.37 FJD 50.1

$127 NZ$226

-82.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.94

$3.71 NZ$6.61

-76.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$1.63 NZ$2.91

-74.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 FJD 20.05

$13.35 NZ$23.79

-32.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 FJD 3.26

$1.70 NZ$3.02

-14.12%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.7K

$26.8K NZ$47.7K

-8.89%

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

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

$21.7K NZ$38.7K

18.06%

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

$46.38 FJD 104

$152 NZ$271

-69.56%

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

$12.79 FJD 28.66

$27.05 NZ$48.20

-52.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.98 FJD 53.7

$50.1 NZ$89.3

-52.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 FJD 82.5

$35.43 NZ$63.1

4.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.30 FJD 25.30

$2.75 NZ$4.90

310.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 FJD 7.68

$10.22 NZ$18.21

-66.44%

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

$228 FJD 510

$695 NZ$1,239

-67.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

$22.1K NZ$39.4K

-39.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.19 FJD 74.3

$70.0 NZ$125

-52.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 FJD 90.8

$32.07 NZ$57.2

26.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 FJD 154

$69.6 NZ$124

-0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 FJD 138

$92.2 NZ$164

-33.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,996

$418 NZ$745

113.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 FJD 740

$408 NZ$726

-18.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,641 FJD 5,916

$753 NZ$1,342

250.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 FJD 2,242

$750 NZ$1,336

33.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 FJD 2,957

$4,306 NZ$7,673

-69.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$818 FJD 1,832

$3,210 NZ$5,720

-74.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 FJD 2,152

$2,283 NZ$4,068

-57.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.75

33.91%

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

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$330 34.9%

Whangarei

$408 28.2% 23.3% $77

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$228 24.1%

Whangarei

$272 18.8% 19.4% $44

Eating Out

Suva

$140 14.8%

Whangarei

$218 15.1% 55.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.7%

Whangarei

$119 8.2% 29.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$83 8.8%

Whangarei

$230 15.9% 176% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$44 4.6%

Whangarei

$56 3.9% 27.8% $12

Getting Around

Suva

$29 3.1%

Whangarei

$145 10.1% 400% $116

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Suva and $418 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whangarei pays 138% 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 $74.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $272 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇳🇿 Whangarei

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

23:10 11:10 PM

1 h ahead of Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

54,300

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.446 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.446 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Suva Whangarei 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Suva
Whangarei

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 Whangarei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Whangarei. 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 138% lower in Whangarei. 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 $418 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Suva runs roughly 467% less than in Whangarei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $228 in Suva versus $695 in Whangarei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $927 in Suva versus $1,437 in Whangarei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Whangarei. 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 Whangarei 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 55% less than in Whangarei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.