Moving to Fiji...Living costs etc.

Hi,

I have been offered a job in Fiji and am wondering about living costs. After a bit of research I figure I will be able to find comfortable accommodation (in Nadi for me and my girlfriend) for about $(USD)80/week each. I am wondering about daily living expenses such as: electricity/cable/internet/water? food per week? alcohol per week (flat or two of beer will do me)?

We are comfortable living very cheaply; buying from the cheapest markets and only really eating at home.

Also generally, what is living in Nadi like? We have never been to Fiji, but are very excited about this opportunity. We realise it won't be some magical island paradise, but for a 20 something couple that love traveling and experiencing other cultures, it will suit us just fine. Saying that, we are only human and like a beautiful beach every now and again...are the nearby islands close/easy to get to/cheap to get to? Are the beaches on the mainland near Nadi half-decent?

I know we're asking a hell of a lot of questions, but if anyone has lived in Nadi and has any information on the cost of living you would be a great help!

Q - are the nearby islands close/easy to get to/cheap to get to?
A - yes , by boat from Denerau or Lautoka

Q - Are the beaches on the mainland near Nadi half-decent?
A - not really. You ne3ed to head to Coral Coast or an island for that.

Hi,

I'm a Fiji born citizen. I live in the Capital city, Suva and have never lived in Nadi but we make the trip every couple of weeks to visit family, holiday or jump on a boat to the outer islands for work (Mamanuca's and Yasawa's). Nadi is our 'tourist town' as that's where our main International airport is and most of the mainland (Viti Levu) resorts and hotels are.

Housing rentals are quite cheap in Nadi compared to Suva.
$80 USD is about double and a bit here - $150 FJD. So for FJD $600/month you can find very decent apartments, some furnished, ceiling fans, hot water.

Utilities are quite cheap. My boyfriend and i pay about FJD $70/month for electricity (http://www.fea.com.fj/) and that's because we have an ancient electric hot water system and a dryer. You're thinking, what the heck, a dryer in fiji?! Well did i mention it rains quite a bit in the capital :) You wont have to worry about that though, Nadi & surrounding towns are called the 'burning west' for a reason.

Water is the cheapest and we pay from FJD $3.00- FJD $5.00 at most a month BUT be prepared for water outages once in a while - some scheduled some not. No biggie though, scheduled outages don't last longer then 24 hrs.

Internet - we have 3 main service providers and often there are special deals to outbid eachother:
Connect - http://www.connect.com.fj/
Kidanet - http://www.kidanet.com.fj/
Unwired - http://www.unwired.com.fj/

Food & Shopping
The Nadi Markets have an abundance of fresh, cheap fruit & veggies. You can spend about FJD $20 and have carrots, bokchoy , eggplant, lettuce, tomatoes, pineapple, papaya , kumara and a watermelon!
Individually they sell for $2-$3 a heap.
Depending on WHERE you shop, groceries can be very pricey, especially since the introduction of the new VAT rate of 15%. Look for local supermarkets like RB Patel and Shop & Save that are cheaper.

Alcohol - local beers are abt $2 a stubbie. Imported beers and spirit prices will scare you! So get your spirits in duty free if you must :)

Ok the best part - BEACHES!
There is one decent beach that i know of in Nadi - Wailoaloa.
But for the good stuff, the REAL stuff you have to head out to the Mamanucas and Yasawas. The Yasawa Flyer (http://www.awesomefiji.com/) does daily excursions + island hopping passes etc etc. Beachcomber is a popular flashpackers for the youngies (http://www.beachcomberfiji.com/). I have visited or stayed at many of the islands so if you want more recommendations let me know!

Things you should stock up on before coming:
- Sun screen
- Heavy duty shoes for walking, camping (good shoe options are limited and $$$)
- Table spreads (seriously! get your Vegemite/Marmite stock ready or expect to part with $12 for a little jar)

Hope this helps and ask away if you have any more questions.

Wow bfiji, that was amazingly helpful- thank you so much! I'm sure I will think of some questions, and I'll get back to you soon! And thank you to everybody who's replied so far- any snippet of Fiji info is greatly appreciated...

Hi there could anyone tell me what kinda visa do you need in fiji to relocate from oz and what do you need to do?