Short answer: plan on roughly FJD $100 to $150 per person a day for Fiji, and carry more of it in cash than you would expect. Resorts take cards. The markets, taxis, bus fares, kava and the smaller islands often do not.

The card works fine at the resort on Denarau. Then you catch a boat to a smaller island, take a taxi into Nadi town, or stop at the municipal market for fruit, and suddenly it is cash or nothing. Time it right and you land in the middle of something too. Suva's Hibiscus Festival runs for nine days through August, a fixture for more than fifty years, with food stalls, float parades and the crowning of the Hibiscus Queen, and it is the kind of local event that never makes it onto a resort itinerary. Fiji is more cash friendly than most first time visitors expect. Here is how much to take and where you will actually need it.

More Australians are going than ever

Fiji just posted its biggest June on record, with close to 100,000 visitors landing in the month, and Australians made up almost half of that number. It follows a strong start to the year too, Australian arrivals were up 17% year on year in the March quarter. Cheap flights, resort deals, or just the comfort of somewhere close and familiar, whatever is driving it, we are seeing it at the counter as well.

How much spending money do you need for Fiji?

As a guide, per person per day, on top of prepaid flights and accommodation:

Budget: around FJD $80. Guesthouses, local buses, market food, the odd cold drink.
Mid range: around FJD $120 to $150. A mix of restaurants, a day tour, taxis.
Resort and activities: add FJD $150 or more a day for dinners, diving, spa and island transfers.

For a week, most couples land somewhere between FJD $1,500 and $2,500 in spending money.

Where the Fijian dollar still rules

Cash is king at the municipal markets in Nadi and Suva, in taxis and on local buses, for kava, at village visits where a sevusevu gift is expected, at handicraft stalls, for tips, and at the smaller island resorts where card facilities are limited or the line drops out.

Cards versus cash in Fiji

Cards are accepted at larger resorts, across Denarau, and at bigger restaurants and supermarkets. ATMs are easy to find in Nadi, Suva, Lautoka and at Denarau, but thin on the outer islands. If a machine or shop offers to charge you in Australian dollars, decline and choose Fijian dollars, and watch for international ATM fees.

A simple cash plan

Bring enough Fijian dollars from home for your first few days plus your island time. Keep a card for resort extras and emergencies. Split your cash between your wallet and the room safe.