Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lautoka and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Lautoka: $333 a month against $1,267 in Ajijic, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lautoka
🇫🇯 Fiji
$333
/mo nomad
Ajijic
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,267
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lautoka and in Ajijic

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

A single person spends $333 per month in Lautoka vs $1,267 in Ajijic, rent included.

  • Lautoka $333
  • Ajijic $1,267

A couple spends around $722 per month in Lautoka vs $2,020 in Ajijic, rent included.

  • Lautoka $722
  • Ajijic $2,020

A family of three spends $1,112 per month in Lautoka vs $2,773 in Ajijic, rent included.

  • Lautoka $1,112
  • Ajijic $2,773

Lautoka is about 74% cheaper than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lautoka and Ajijic are more affordable than the global median – Lautoka 75% lower, Ajijic 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.19 FJD 11.61
$9.81 MX$181
-47.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.2 FJD 177
$43.69 MX$807
81.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.80 FJD 17.47
$7.22 MX$133
8.03%
Cappuccino
$2.56 FJD 5.72
$3.47 MX$64.1
-26.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 FJD 4.74
$1.60 MX$29.62
32.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 FJD 3.38
$1.24 MX$22.92
21.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 FJD 5.44
$2.24 MX$41.31
8.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 FJD 6.84
$3.32 MX$61.4
-8.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 FJD 3.72
$1.49 MX$27.52
11.41%
White Bread (500g)
$0.73 FJD 1.64
$2.24 MX$41.31
-67.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.87 FJD 1.95
$1.07 MX$19.78
-18.69%
Eggs
$3.44 FJD 7.70
$2.19 MX$40.54
57.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.80 FJD 12.98
$7.84 MX$145
-26.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.62 FJD 17.06
$8.56 MX$158
-10.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.58 FJD 16.98
$7.21 MX$133
5.13%
Apples (1kg)
$4.42 FJD 9.90
$2.30 MX$42.42
92.17%
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.32 MX$24.42
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.30 FJD 2.91
$1.48 MX$27.42
-12.16%
Tomato (1kg)
-
$1.71 MX$31.66
-
Potato (1kg)
$0.93 FJD 2.09
$1.60 MX$29.60
-41.88%
Onion (1kg)
$0.86 FJD 1.93
$1.38 MX$25.57
-37.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 FJD 1.96
$1.03 MX$19.03
-15.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 FJD 1.03
$0.84 MX$15.55
-45.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.93 FJD 24.46
$4.47 MX$82.7
144.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.46 FJD 12.22
$8.92 MX$165
-38.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 FJD 5.74
$1.55 MX$28.60
65.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.49 FJD 7.82
$1.39 MX$25.61
151.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.64 MX$11.84
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.25 MX$23.18
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$4.40 MX$81.3
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$11.00 MX$203
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 FJD 2.99
$1.49 MX$27.50
-10.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$20.9K MX$386.5K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$24.2K MX$447.2K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$55.9 MX$1,033
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.14 FJD 29.43
$14.30 MX$264
-8.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$24.07 MX$445
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$24.24 MX$448
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$5.42 MX$100
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$4.78 MX$88.3
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$212 MX$3,922
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$2,953 MX$54.6K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$44.03 MX$814
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$16.71 MX$309
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$68.7 MX$1,270
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$69.6 MX$1,286
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$450 FJD 1,007
$841 MX$15.5K
-46.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$630 MX$11.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$872 FJD 1,952
$1,506 MX$27.8K
-42.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,267 MX$23.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,332 MX$61.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,734 MX$32.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lautoka
Ajijic
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$688 FJD 1,541
$562 MX$10.4K
22.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.2
-

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

Last update for Lautoka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Lautoka
$191 *
Ajijic
$222 16.4% $31
Eating Out
Lautoka
$128
Ajijic
$171 33.2% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lautoka
$13 *
Ajijic
$94 618% $81
Getting Around
Lautoka
- *
Ajijic
$26 *
Sport & Entertainment
Lautoka
- *
Ajijic
$34
Clothing & Footwear
Lautoka
- *
Ajijic
$90
Accommodation & Living
Lautoka
- *
Ajijic
$630

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Lautoka versus $841 in Ajijic. 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 23% 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 $79.0 in Lautoka versus $44.00 in Ajijic. Groceries tell a different story – $191 in Lautoka vs $222 in Ajijic – so Lautoka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇫🇯 Lautoka
🇲🇽 Ajijic
🕒 Local time
16:32 4:32 PM
22:32 10:32 PM
18 h behind Lautoka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
50,000
11,439
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lautoka Ajijic 9,620 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lautoka
  • Ajijic

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
Lautoka vs Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ajijic cheaper than Lautoka?
Yes – Ajijic is pricier by about 281%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $499 per month in Lautoka and $1,900 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
How do food prices compare in Lautoka and in Ajijic?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Ajijic, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Lautoka or in Ajijic?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Lautoka and $44.00 in Ajijic. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Lautoka or in Ajijic?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lautoka, where all-in costs run around $333, than in Ajijic at $1,267. In Lautoka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ajijic it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lautoka or Ajijic more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Lautoka or Ajijic?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lautoka. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajijic makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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