Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Hillah and Lautoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lautoka: $333 a month against $658 in Al Hillah, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
Learn more

Al Hillah Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Lautoka
Learn more

Lautoka Living Index

Jump to prices

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$658

/mo nomad

Lautoka

🇫🇯 Fiji

$333

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Hillah and in Lautoka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al Hillah and in Lautoka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $658 per month in Al Hillah vs $333 in Lautoka, rent included.

Al Hillah $658
Lautoka $333

A couple spends around $1,007 per month in Al Hillah vs $722 in Lautoka, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,007
Lautoka $722

A family of three spends $1,356 per month in Al Hillah vs $1,112 in Lautoka, rent included.

Al Hillah $1,356
Lautoka $1,112

Al Hillah costs about 98% more than Lautoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Al Hillah and Lautoka are more affordable than the global median – Al Hillah 51% lower, Lautoka 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.24 IQD 6,402

$5.19 FJD 11.61

-18.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.23 IQD 39.6K

$79.2 FJD 177

-66.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 IQD 8,369

$7.80 FJD 17.47

-28.97%

Cappuccino

$2.73 IQD 4,123

$2.56 FJD 5.72

6.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 IQD 476

$2.12 FJD 4.74

-85.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 IQD 247

$1.51 FJD 3.38

-89.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 IQD 3,916

$2.43 FJD 5.44

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 IQD 4,937

$3.05 FJD 6.84

7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 IQD 1,336

$1.66 FJD 3.72

-46.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 IQD 1,034

$0.73 FJD 1.64

-6.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 IQD 2,050

$0.87 FJD 1.95

56.32%

Eggs

$1.55 IQD 2,338

$3.44 FJD 7.70

-54.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.38 IQD 5,114

$5.80 FJD 12.98

-41.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 IQD 6,356

$7.62 FJD 17.06

-44.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 IQD 18.9K

$7.58 FJD 16.98

65.30%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,457

$4.42 FJD 9.90

-78.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 IQD 1,349

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 IQD 1,361

$1.30 FJD 2.91

-30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,027

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 895

$0.93 FJD 2.09

-36.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 846

$0.86 FJD 1.93

-34.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 IQD 720

$0.87 FJD 1.96

-44.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 IQD 770

$0.46 FJD 1.03

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,462

$10.93 FJD 24.46

-85.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.51 IQD 17.4K

$5.46 FJD 12.22

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 IQD 2,984

$2.57 FJD 5.74

-22.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 IQD 2,968

$3.49 FJD 7.82

-43.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 IQD 522

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.17 IQD 30.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,038

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 IQD 2,015

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 IQD 4,544

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 IQD 694

$1.33 FJD 2.99

-65.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$14.7K IQD 22.1M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$16.6K IQD 25.0M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$66.6 IQD 100.7K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.22 IQD 20.0K

$13.14 FJD 29.43

0.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 IQD 50.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.72 IQD 29.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.70 IQD 25.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 IQD 9,709

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$81.6 IQD 123.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$664 IQD 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.27 IQD 29.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.61 IQD 32.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 IQD 87.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.29 IQD 62.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 IQD 363.3K

$450 FJD 1,007

-46.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 IQD 232.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 IQD 660.1K

$872 FJD 1,952

-49.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 IQD 376.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,470 IQD 2.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$479 IQD 724.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 IQD 658.2K

$688 FJD 1,541

-36.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Al Hillah: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lautoka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Al Hillah

$161 24.5%

Lautoka

$191 * 57.5% 18.6% $30

Accommodation & Living

Al Hillah

$154 23.4%

Lautoka

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Hillah

$113 17.2%

Lautoka

$13 * 4% 88.4% $100

Eating Out

Al Hillah

$105 15.9%

Lautoka

$128 38.6% 22.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Al Hillah

$63 9.6%

Lautoka

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Al Hillah

$33 5%

Lautoka

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Al Hillah

$30 4.6%

Lautoka

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Al Hillah versus $450 in Lautoka. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Lautoka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Al Hillah versus $79.0 in Lautoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $161 vs $191 – making Al Hillah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🇫🇯 Lautoka

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

12:05 12:05 PM

9 h ahead of Al Hillah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,729,666

50,000

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.397 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.52 FJD (1 FJD = 0.397 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Hillah Lautoka 15,050 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Hillah
Lautoka

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Al Hillah vs Lautoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Al Hillah is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $987 per month in Al Hillah and $499 in Lautoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lautoka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Al Hillah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Al Hillah and $79.0 in Lautoka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $658 in Al Hillah and $333 in Lautoka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Lautoka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lautoka. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Al Hillah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.