Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lautoka and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Lautoka: $333 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $29,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Lautoka
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Lautoka Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Lautoka

🇫🇯 Fiji

$333

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lautoka and in Melbourne

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 Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $333 in Lautoka versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Lautoka $333
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $722 in Lautoka versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Lautoka $722
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,112 in Lautoka versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Lautoka $1,112
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Lautoka costs roughly 88% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lautoka is 75% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 FJD 11.61

$17.43 A$25.20

-70.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 FJD 177

$84.6 A$122

-6.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 FJD 17.47

$12.46 A$18.02

-37.40%

Cappuccino

$2.56 FJD 5.72

$4.11 A$5.94

-37.71%

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

$2.12 FJD 4.74

$3.06 A$4.42

-30.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 FJD 3.38

$2.52 A$3.64

-40.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 FJD 5.44

$9.80 A$14.17

-75.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 FJD 6.84

$8.57 A$12.39

-64.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 FJD 3.72

$1.48 A$2.15

12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 FJD 1.64

$2.94 A$4.26

-75.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 FJD 1.95

$2.66 A$3.84

-67.29%

Eggs

$3.44 FJD 7.70

$5.54 A$8.01

-37.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.80 FJD 12.98

$10.51 A$15.21

-44.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 FJD 17.06

$9.65 A$13.96

-21.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 FJD 16.98

$15.22 A$22.02

-50.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 FJD 9.90

$3.99 A$5.78

10.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.36

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 FJD 2.91

$3.10 A$4.49

-58.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.96

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 FJD 2.09

$3.03 A$4.38

-69.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 FJD 1.93

$2.44 A$3.54

-64.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 FJD 1.96

$2.46 A$3.56

-64.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 FJD 1.03

$1.63 A$2.35

-71.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 FJD 24.46

$44.07 A$63.7

-75.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.46 FJD 12.22

$12.70 A$18.37

-57.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 FJD 5.74

$5.54 A$8.01

-53.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 FJD 7.82

$5.23 A$7.56

-33.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$199

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$44.04

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.99

$1.47 A$2.13

-9.52%

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

$29.0K A$41.9K

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

$26.5K A$38.3K

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

$234 A$338

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

$13.14 FJD 29.43

$27.93 A$40.39

-52.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$31.06

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.83

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

$2,371 A$3,430

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$116

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.3

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$189

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 FJD 1,007

$1,759 A$2,544

-74.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,010

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 FJD 1,952

$3,494 A$5,053

-75.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,606

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,321

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 FJD 1,541

$4,383 A$6,339

-84.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Lautoka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lautoka

$191 * 57.5%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 101% $193

Eating Out

Lautoka

$128 38.6%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 145% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lautoka

$13 * 4%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 2315% $304

Getting Around

Lautoka

- * 0%

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Lautoka

- * 0%

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Lautoka

- * 0%

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Accommodation & Living

Lautoka

- * 0%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $450 in Lautoka and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 537% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Lautoka vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $384 per month, with Lautoka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Lautoka

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

1 h behind Lautoka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

1 AUD = 0.691 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.45 AUD (1 AUD = 0.691 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lautoka Melbourne 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lautoka
Melbourne

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lautoka and Melbourne differ by about 748% in total monthly costs ($333 vs $2,821 including rent). Lautoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 537% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $450 in Lautoka versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lautoka – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $333 per month in Lautoka versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 748% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $333 in Lautoka versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lautoka but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. 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.

Safety-wise, Lautoka and Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lautoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 748% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.