Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Suva

For one person, living is cheaper in Suva: $927 a month against $2,342 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,342

/mo nomad

Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$927

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Suva

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wellington and in Suva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,342 in Wellington versus $927 in Suva.

Wellington $2,342
Suva $927

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,316 in Wellington versus $1,681 in Suva.

Wellington $3,316
Suva $1,681

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Wellington versus $2,435 in Suva.

Wellington $4,291
Suva $2,435

Living in Wellington is roughly 153% more expensive than in Suva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wellington is 75% above, Suva is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 NZ$24.77

$5.72 FJD 12.81

142.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 NZ$114

$44.13 FJD 98.8

45.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.97

$7.76 FJD 17.37

15.34%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.86

$2.91 FJD 6.52

13.06%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.20

$1.50 FJD 3.36

56.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.98

$0.73 FJD 1.64

128.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.91

$3.67 FJD 8.21

97.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 NZ$12.04

$4.33 FJD 9.70

55.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$1.28 FJD 2.86

48.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$0.56 FJD 1.26

283.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$1.13 FJD 2.52

61.06%

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$12.00

$3.39 FJD 7.60

98.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.15

$10.04 FJD 22.48

-9.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.02

$6.06 FJD 13.57

57.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 NZ$27.29

$7.82 FJD 17.50

95.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.64

$2.47 FJD 5.54

27.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

$2.42 FJD 5.43

-7.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.29

$3.48 FJD 7.79

-14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 NZ$11.28

$3.12 FJD 6.99

102.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.67

$1.22 FJD 2.72

68.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$1.07 FJD 2.39

15.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.55

$1.22 FJD 2.73

63.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.13

$0.73 FJD 1.64

63.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.25

$9.66 FJD 21.62

162.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 NZ$20.28

$7.33 FJD 16.41

55.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.66

$2.07 FJD 4.64

53.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.92

$3.43 FJD 7.69

-19.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 NZ$4.89

$0.94 FJD 2.11

191.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$182

$22.37 FJD 50.1

355.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$0.87 FJD 1.94

109.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.17

$0.42 FJD 0.94

321.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.17 NZ$59.2

$8.95 FJD 20.04

270.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.27

$1.46 FJD 3.26

25.34%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.7K

$24.4K FJD 54.6K

5.02%

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

$25.4K NZ$45.3K

$25.6K FJD 57.4K

-0.77%

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

$199 NZ$354

$46.38 FJD 104

328.50%

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

$32.79 NZ$58.5

$12.79 FJD 28.65

156.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$95.4

$23.98 FJD 53.7

122.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 NZ$68.8

$36.85 FJD 82.5

4.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 NZ$29.25

$11.30 FJD 25.29

45.13%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 NZ$21.66

$3.43 FJD 7.68

253.94%

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

$1,036 NZ$1,849

$228 FJD 509

355.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

$13.4K FJD 30.0K

-3.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 NZ$140

$33.19 FJD 74.3

136.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$50.4

$40.53 FJD 90.8

-30.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$184

$68.9 FJD 154

49.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NZ$276

$61.4 FJD 138

151.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NZ$2,190

$891 FJD 1,995

37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 NZ$2,032

$330 FJD 740

244.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 NZ$3,873

$2,641 FJD 5,913

-17.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 NZ$2,978

$1,001 FJD 2,241

66.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,719 NZ$12.0K

$1,320 FJD 2,956

408.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,505 NZ$6,252

$818 FJD 1,832

328.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,818 NZ$5,027

$961 FJD 2,151

193.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.7

-30.00%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Last update for Suva: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Suva

$330 34.9% 71% $809

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$343 14.5%

Suva

$228 24.1% 33.5% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$285 12.1%

Suva

$83 8.8% 70.8% $202

Eating Out

Wellington

$243 10.3%

Suva

$140 14.8% 42.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7%

Suva

$92 9.7% 44% $72

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.2%

Suva

$29 3.1% 76.5% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$63 2.7%

Suva

$44 4.6% 30.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,228 in Wellington and $891 in Suva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 193% 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: $64.0 in Wellington vs $44.00 in Suva for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $228 per month, with Suva cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇫🇯 Suva

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

13:53 1:53 PM

1 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

100,000 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

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 = 0.5 EUR).

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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wellington Suva 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
Suva

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

Wellington vs Suva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suva wins on cost – living expenses run 153% lower than in Wellington. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Suva the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 193% higher in Wellington, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,228 in Wellington versus $891 in Suva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Suva runs roughly 356% less than in Wellington. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,036 in Wellington versus $228 in Suva. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $927 in Suva versus $2,342 in Wellington, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suva but tight or insufficient in Wellington. 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, Wellington and Suva 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 153% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.