Call me biased, but I think Fiji is one of the best places in the world to live as an expat if you are willing to go along with its laid-back, island lifestyle. Coconuts and fresh fruit are cheap and abundant, weekend trips to remote islands are just a boat ride away, and the welcoming “Bula” spirit of those who live here makes it an easy place to find friends. What what should you expect to pay if you want to live in paradise?
In this guide, I’ll cover the costs of living in Fiji. All prices are listed in Fijian Dollars.
Calculate Fijian dollars to your home currency using XE converter.
Read: So You Want to Move to Fiji? Here’s What You Need to Know
Tips for saving money in Fiji
“How much does it cost to live in Fiji?” will often give you the cliche answer of “how long is a piece of string?” The price you’ll pay each month will vary wildly depending on your lifestyle and penchant for luxurious stays and/or imported goods.
If you want to keep costs low, you’ll need to adapt to local living. Public transportation, local produce, and food staples are much cheaper than what you’d pay for the exact same service or item in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, or Australia. Likewise, rent in older buildings and sharehouses will be lower than more modern apartments or homes (advertised as ‘executive’ accommodation).
Cost of recurring expenses in Fiji
It’s common to find fully furnished rental units. Rent estimations are for a two-person household. Prices are based on the Suva market. Consider that rent will typically be cheaper outside of Suva, and expect to pay about 30% less for similar accommodations in Nadi.
Rent: Two-bedroom ‘executive’ apartment or home is around $2500-4000/month that includes 24/7 security, hot water, security bars on windows, air conditioning unit, semi-central location. Top-of-the-line modern buildings or two-bedroom homes in a central location cost $4000-7000/month.
An older two-bedroom standard apartment or home is around $800-2500/month. This may not include 24/7 security, hot water, and may be removed from the city center.
Electricity: $80/month — factors in working from home, mild use of air conditioning.
Internet: $50/month for a 100GB (50GB daytime/50GB nighttime) plan with Digicel. Cheaper data packages available.
Phone plan: $37/month for 25GB of data and $7 of calling credit/month with Vodafone. Digicel is slightly cheaper. Cheaper data and calling packages available.
House cleaning: $40/per half-day of cleaning.
Taxis: Prices start at $1.50 plus $.10 per kilometer of travel. After 10 p.m., taxi fares start at $2.00. A trip across the city is about $7 one-way. A taxi from Suva to Nausori Airport costs $30/trip. Note that taxis in Nadi do not always turn their meter on, and are more likely to rip you off than the taxis in Suva are.
Bus: $.50/trip or $15 for a ride from Suva to Nadi (4-4.5 hours).
Read: How to Get Around Fiji
Gas/Petrol: ~$2.00/liter
Costs of food and daily items in Fiji
Meal at ‘upscale’ restaurant: $40-50/person including appetizer, main course, and drink.
Meal at casual restaurant: $8-15/person including main course and drink.
Coffee: $5.00/cup
Groceries: Based on recent purchases from one of the main supermarkets and local markets.
- Almond/soy milk: $5.95/Liter
- Multigrain bread: $8.00/Loaf
- White bread: $4.00/Loaf
- Black beans (400g can): $4.50
- Silken tofu (350g block): $6.75
- Cheese — locally made (250g): $6.95
- Cheese — imported (250g): $15.00
- Potatoes: $2.00/kg
- Onions: $2.00/kg
- Carrots: $2.50/kg
- Lettuce: $3.00/head
- Cucumber: $3.00/kg
- Tomatoes (in season): $5.00/kg
- Mangoes (in season): $4.00/kg
- Coconut: $2.00/each
- Pineapple (in season): $4.00/each
- Eggs — local, free-range: $7.95/dozen
- Bouquet of flowers: $10/small, $20/large
What other prices would you like to know?