Suva - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Housing is a very mixed bag and causes quite a bit of drama within the Embassy community. Simplest way to describe housing is this: the housing is adequate. Some houses have pools, and nice yards, but the big issue is all houses are small. There is not a lot of storage space, and anything stored outside will quickly be covered in mold and mildew.
Housing is expensive in Suva, and housing that meets standards is limited. Many international and diplomatic groups are competing for houses, so price does quickly become an issue. There seems to be no real middle class in Fiji, therefore you have either really run-down houses or very, very expensive houses.
The two main areas are Tamavua or Domain. Domain is about a 10-15 minute cab ride to the embassy. Domain houses are closer to downtown/waterfront and tend to be smaller and older, but the yards are bigger, and the houses tend to have some character. Tamavua, while closer to the embassy (some within walking distance), and bigger, you are further away from downtown and traffic can be bad. Depending on the house, road noise can be an issue.
All housing is leased. Expect to have bugs and geckos in your house. You will run your dehumidifier all the time. Expect houses to be older and quirky. You won't have a lot (if any) storage space. If you are coming from a location that had big, modern houses you might feel disappointed. - Oct 2018
Most banks and embassy families are in single family homes - not many live in apartments. Many houses have pools, and housing sizes vary greatly. Most expats live in two areas of the city: The Domain and Tamavua. Commute time in Suva is never more than 20 minutes to ANY one point. - Apr 2016
