Which is Better, Renting a Car or Using a Taxi in Fiji?

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Comparing the Cost of Car Rental and Taxis in Fiji

The biggest consideration for most of us is the price. Which is cheaper in Fiji, car rental or taxis? Check out the list of prices below to get an idea of transport costs via rental car and taxis.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Car for a Day in Fiji?

Depending on the type of vehicle you hire, the base cost of car rental in Fiji can be anywhere between FJ$80-$300. For the sake of this comparison, we will compare the cost of our recommended vehicle type: a budget SUV vehicle (see why in How to Drive in Fiji). Car rental for just one day in a budget SUV is approximately FJ$150-$200 per day.

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip – Our experience shows that this roughly comes to FJ$42-$45 if travelling approximately 140 km (87 mi), such as the drive from Nadi Airport to Sigatoka and back.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay FJ$195-$245 for your transportation in Fiji for one day in a budget SUV. This does not include any additional services like vehicle delivery outside of Nadi, insurance excess reduction, additional drivers, etc. For more details on car rental costs, check out How Much Does it Cost to Rent a Car in Fiji?

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Taxi for a Day in Fiji?

Individual taxi drivers have their own rules when it comes to pricing for a full-day private driver + taxi hire. However, most will fall between FJ$250 and $480 for a full day of sightseeing. Alternatively, some drivers charge around FJ$50 an hour. There are no extra costs involved for the passengers except perhaps gratuities, which are not an expectation in Fiji but are at the discretion of the customer (see Fiji Tipping & Tax Guide for Travellers for more advice).

How Much Does it Cost to Take a Taxi for One-Way Trips?

Another consideration is using taxis for individual trips. Short trips using “LT” taxis within towns can be very affordable; for instance, they typically cost between FJ$5-$10 to go across town in Nadi, Suva, and Savusavu. “LH” transfers, however, cost twice as much and travelling outside of the boundaries of towns can also become less cost-effective. See some examples of taxi fares in our complete guide, Taxi Prices in Fiji: The Costs You Need to Know.

Which is Cheaper, Hiring a Car or a Taxi Driver?

As you can see, hiring a taxi driver for the day is almost comparable to renting your own car in terms of cost. It is, however, possible to reduce the daily cost of car rental by choosing the very cheapest type of vehicle on the car rental market, usually a compact Toyota Yaris or IST, starting at around FJ$80-$100 per day.

Therefore, if you want to base your decision purely on price, it’s best to go with the cheapest car rental you can find. See 20 Best Car Rentals in Fiji for recommendations. Plus, check out the 10 Ways to Save Money on Car Rental in Fiji for more tips.

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Car Rental in Fiji: The Pros and Cons

An easy way to see if car rental is right for your holiday is to simply weigh the pros and cons of renting a car in Fiji.

Car Rental Pros

• Ultimate freedom: Go where you want when you want.
• Privacy: It’s just you, your loved ones/friends and the road.
• Cost-effective for road trips: It can be cheaper to hire a car if you are driving between towns every day.
• Good for families: Baby seats are sometimes available to hire.

Car Rental Cons

• Driving can be stressful: Fiji has a few road hazards that you might not be used to.
• Navigation can be hard: GPS navigation systems are good in Fiji’s larger towns but less so for rural areas.
• Not cost-effective for short trips: Car rental in Fiji isn’t super cheap, so it might not be worth it if you’re not using your vehicle daily.
• Availability: Car hire isn’t as available as taxis.

For more information on hiring a car, head to The Guide to Renting a Car in Fiji.

When to Rent a Car

If the pros and cons don’t help you make up your mind, then there are certain situations where it might make more sense to hire a car rather than use taxis.

One such circumstance is if you plan on doing a road trip around Viti Levu. For instance, travelling around Fiji’s main island makes a fun three to five-day trip, staying in various resorts or lodges along the way. Other than hiring a car, the only other way to enjoy a road trip around the island is with a bus tour company. Get inspired for your road trip with our Fiji Couples’ Itinerary: 7 Days or Fiji Food Itinerary: 7 Days or Fiji Budget Itinerary: 7 Days.

Alternatively, you might want to rent a car if you plan on staying in one accommodation but visiting surrounding towns multiple times. You’ll then have the added benefit of being able to make short trips to the supermarket, for example.

Finally, if you are staying somewhere remote, hiring a car from the nearest town or airport for a few days is likely more reliable and cheaper than using taxis.

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Taxis in Fiji: The Pros and Cons

And on the taxi side of the argument, here are the pros and cons of using a taxi in Fiji.

Taxi Pros

• Stress-free: Someone else drives the foreign roads and navigates for you.
• Availability: Taxis tend to be more readily available than car rentals.
• Cheap in town: Taxis are very cheap for inner-city travel.
• Driver hire: Some taxis can be hired for the day, providing good value for sightseeing.

Taxi Cons

• Longer trips are expensive: Inter-town travel is usually expensive and can make travel costs higher than car rental if used often.
• “Fiji time” drivers: Some taxi drivers are on “Fiji time” and can show up late for bookings.
• No baby seats: Taxis typically don’t have baby seats available.
• Not convenient for large groups: Larger groups will have to book minivans with “LH” operators rather than use cheaper “LT” taxis.

For more information on using taxis for day hires in A Guide to Private Drivers in Fiji or for simple A-to-B services, check out The Guide to Taxis in Fiji.

When to Use a Taxi

There are certain situations where using a taxi makes more sense than hiring a car in Fiji. For instance, if you’re staying in a town like Nadi, Lautoka, or Suva, then using a taxi to get around the town is incredibly cheap, which is cheaper than hiring a car.

Additionally, if you plan to do perhaps just one or two longer sightseeing trips in Fiji, then it is likely to be more cost-effective to hire a driver for the day. Alternatively, day tours for sightseeing shared with other travellers may cut the costs further – take a look at the 10 Best Sightseeing Tours in Fiji.