Live traditional music welcome at Fiji International Airport
My Costs to Travel Around Fiji for 2 Months
Armed with the knowledge that Fiji actively markets to and caters for budget travelers and having a 1-month HelpX assignment lined up at remote Kadavu Island, I headed to exotic Fiji as an independent budget traveler in early June, 2014.
I’d already booked myself into two beach-side budget resorts for the first 10 days of my trip in order to enjoy a much-needed off-work, off-line beach vacation. One resort cost a mere $15 FJD / $8.50 US per night for a dorm bed. The other cost $34 FJD / $18 US per night for a dorm bed, more along the cost in New Zealand for a dorm. Both resorts included breakfast, a swimming pool, landscaped gardens, billiards table and use of sea kayaks.
I also knew Fiji had a substantial 40% Indian population, so I was looking forward to lots of tasty, inexpensive Indian food and cheap daily-living products like toiletries and household items, imported from India. In addition, I had learned that Fiji’s local bus network was quite inexpensive and extensive.
I was good to go!
tanning poolside in Fiji
Over the course of my two months traveling around Fiji, I discovered that Fiji is definitely more expensive than most SE Asian countries and probably on par with costs in New Zealand for budget travelers.
The cheapest that budget travelers can reasonably expect to spend in Fiji is about $60 FJD / $35 US per day for food and room, usually in a dorm. Add to that the cost of local transportation, miscellaneous personal expenses, and any activities and attractions. That tallies to somewhat over $1000 US per month just for room & board, plus all other expenses.
I found that budget rooms/dorms generally cost about the same as in New Zealand. Food also costs about the same as in New Zealand. On the other hand, bus transportation, personal supplies & daily needs are all much cheaper in Fiji and on par with costs in SE Asia.
taking a ferry to Kadavu Island for my HelpX gig in Fiji
In any event, my travels through Fiji included quite a mix of experiences, from staying on my own at somewhat upscale ‘budget’ beach-side resorts to joining a 2-week HelpX gig for an Australian/Fijian couple at Kadavu Island to enjoying a 2-week House/Pet Sitting assignment at a plush home in the hillside suburbs of Suva, Fiji’s capital city.
As a result, my costs from week to week varied tremendously. So I decided to report my total costs for two months of travel in Fiji rather than trying to break it down into month-by-month expenses as I did for New Zealand. Here’s the final tally:
My total costs to travel around Fij for 2 months were $2063 FJD / $1146 US
That averages to $1032 FJD / $573 US per month
Lash kayaking in Fiji
That included:
* 5 days / 4 nights at Wailoaloa Resort near Nadi
* 5 days & nights at Beachouse Resort on the Coral Coast (full expenses)
* 9 days at Levuka town, UNESCO World Heritage City, on Ovalau Island (full expenses)
* 8 nights at historic Royal Hotel in Levuka – oldest hotel in the South Pacific (full expenses)
* 2-week HelpX assignment at Kadavu Island (zero expenses except for transportation to/from Kadavu)
* 2-week House & Pet Sitting assignment in Suva (all costs except accommodation)
* 1 week staying with friends in Suva (all costs except accommodation)
Lash Pet Sitting with Teddy & Rosie in Fiji
* 1 all-day ferry trip
* 1 overnight ferry trip
** total of 19 days with full expenses
** total of 14 days with zero expenses
** total of 23 days with no accommodation costs, but paying for food, transportation and misc expenses
* all transportation, including local buses, taxis and ferries
* free pick up and drop off at Nadi International Airport through Wailoaloa Resort
* miscellaneous personal expenses & supplies
* phone sim & credit
* internet sim & prepaid credit for one month
Lash painting house walls at Fiji HelpX
* all activities & excursions, including:
* visit to orchid gardens
* day trip to two local towns
* day trip to Sand Dunes National Park and Sigatoka town
* Fiji Museum
* exploring historic Levuka town
* trip to a remote Fiji village on Ovalau Island
* guided mountain trek on Ovalau Island
* bicycle rental for 2 days and exploring Ovalau Island by bike
* hiking along Ovalau coast several days
* day trips to 3 towns
* lots of kayaking
* 2 snorkeling trips
* 1 dive on shallow reef
Break down of costs (for 2 months):
accommodation: $487 FJD / $278.50 US
food: $768 FJD / $427 US
phone sim & credit: $25 FJD / $14 US
internet sim & prepaid credit: $30 FJD / $17 US
total transportation: $287 FJD / $159.50 US
local buses: $127 FJD / $70 US
street market – Sigatoka – Fiji
taxis: $40 FJD / $22 US
ferries: $120FJD / $67 US
personal supplies: $200 FJD / $111 US
misc. expenses: $58 FJD / $32 US
attractions: $33 FJD / $18 US
guided hike and bike rental: $30 FJD / $17 US
alcohol: $45FJD / $20 US
Total = $2063 FJD / $1146 US
In addition to my daily expenses in Fiji, I also must count my flight from New Zealand to Fiji in my total costs to visit Fiji. However, I decided to not count my onward flight to Australia (will count in my Australian expenses)
Flight from New Zealand to Fiji: $256.86 US
Total expenses to visit Fiji for 2 months, including flight: $1146 + $257 = $1403 US
Total average per month = $702 US
Notes:
* In the end, my average monthly costs in Fiji were considerably higher than in New Zealand or SE Asia: $702 US per month in Fiji vs. $595 US per month in New Zealand and about $550 per month in SE Asian countries.
* Despite that, please note that for 2 weeks out of 8 I had zero expenses and for 3 weeks out of 8 I had no accommodation costs. I only paid all my own expenses for a total of 3 weeks. During those periods, my expenses were rather high. Had I been paying full expenses the entire 2 months, it would have cost me at least $1200 US per month, about double of traveling around SE Asia.
* My costs for bed & food when staying at resorts or hotels pretty much always cost me $60FJD per day / $35 US per day. That’s significantly more expensive than in SE Asia, where it’s very easy to live comfortably on $20 US per day, including transportation and miscellaneous expenses.
kokoda and fried cassava
* Food was significantly less expensive while I was house/pet sitting in Suva because I could buy groceries at the supermarket, fresh fruit & vegetables at the local market, and cook for myself.
* Eating at restaurants in Fiji, even local restaurants, is relatively expensive. Meals cost from $8 FJD – $15 FJD / $4.50-$8.50 US, with the usual cost $12-15 FJD / $6.70-8.50 US. That’s double or quadruple my meals costs in SE Asian countries. But about the same as cheap meal costs in New Zealand.
* On the other hand, fruits and vegetables at fresh markets in Fiji are extremely cheap. A ‘heap’ of any given fruit or vegetable costs $1-3 FJD / $0.55-2 US. Grocery prices for meats, dairy products, breads and other foods are not cheap, but considerably cheaper than eating out at restaurants.
* Many amenities and activities such as swimming pools, kayaks and billiards are free for guests at most Fiji resorts, including budget resorts and for travelers staying in dorms. So you can do a lot of fun activities free in Fiji. See my post on Fiji’s Amazing Backpacker Resorts
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Hi! I'm Lash, an American nomadic world traveler who's been traveling solo since 1998. I’m passionate about traveling the world nomadically and then sharing it all with you. I hope to inspire you to travel the world, to entertain you with tales from the road, and to help you reach your travel dreams. Welcome! 
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