Cost of Living Comparison Between Lautoka and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lautoka and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Lautoka versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,225 in Lautoka versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,771 in Lautoka versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Lautoka costs roughly 34% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lautoka 49% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 FJD 11.01

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-20.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.93 FJD 101

$32.60 COP 106.1K

37.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 FJD 15.25

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-7.22%

Cappuccino

$3.16 FJD 7.07

$1.72 COP 5,600

83.72%

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

$1.30 FJD 2.92

$1.05 COP 3,420

23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 FJD 1.46

$0.77 COP 2,515

-15.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 FJD 5.46

$1.69 COP 5,488

44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 FJD 7.76

$3.17 COP 10.3K

9.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 FJD 2.88

$1.05 COP 3,423

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 FJD 1.10

$1.30 COP 4,236

-62.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 FJD 1.79

$1.40 COP 4,544

-42.86%

Eggs

$3.30 FJD 7.38

$2.16 COP 7,047

52.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 FJD 20.61

$4.39 COP 14.3K

109.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 FJD 15.93

$5.88 COP 19.1K

21.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 FJD 16.99

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.53

$2.28 COP 7,426

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 FJD 5.52

$1.11 COP 3,604

122.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 FJD 6.27

$1.53 COP 4,983

83.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 FJD 7.15

$1.35 COP 4,410

136.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 FJD 2.25

$1.13 COP 3,674

-10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 FJD 2.23

$1.13 COP 3,692

-11.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 FJD 2.06

$0.85 COP 2,753

8.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 FJD 1.80

$0.91 COP 2,975

-12.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.21 FJD 20.61

$2.34 COP 7,630

293.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 FJD 11.75

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-57.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 FJD 4.91

$1.20 COP 3,909

82.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 FJD 6.06

$2.49 COP 8,104

8.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 FJD 1.55

$0.84 COP 2,728

-17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.56 FJD 84.1

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-7.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 FJD 1.46

$1.42 COP 4,623

-54.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 FJD 1.01

$1.92 COP 6,235

-76.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 FJD 6.15

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-64.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 FJD 3.02

$0.99 COP 3,223

36.36%

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

$19.3K FJD 43.1K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

6.92%

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

$21.9K FJD 49.1K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-17.58%

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

$45.50 FJD 102

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-43.70%

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

$13.08 FJD 29.28

$9.95 COP 32.4K

31.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.81 FJD 53.3

$24.18 COP 78.7K

-1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.61 FJD 8.08

$3.98 COP 13.0K

-9.30%

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

$222 FJD 496

$305 COP 993.5K

-27.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K FJD 32.2K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

137.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.66 FJD 39.52

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-69.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.09 FJD 40.50

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-43.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 FJD 146

$101 COP 327.9K

-35.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.8 FJD 138

$108 COP 350.8K

-42.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 FJD 781

$477 COP 1.6M

-26.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 FJD 303

$376 COP 1.2M

-64.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 FJD 1,882

$845 COP 2.7M

-0.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 FJD 896

$730 COP 2.4M

-45.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$692 FJD 1,548

$617 COP 2.0M

12.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-47.88%

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

Last update for Lautoka: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Lautoka and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lautoka pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Lautoka vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lautoka and Medellin differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($678 vs $1,031 including rent). Lautoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Lautoka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $349 in Lautoka versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $678 per month in Lautoka versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lautoka runs roughly 8% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $678 in Lautoka versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lautoka but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lautoka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lautoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.