Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lautoka and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Lautoka: $334 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Lautoka

🇫🇯 Fiji

$334

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lautoka and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $334 in Lautoka versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Lautoka $334
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $723 in Lautoka versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Lautoka $723
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,113 in Lautoka versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Lautoka $1,113
Phuket $3,154

Living in Lautoka costs roughly 74% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lautoka 75% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.45 FJD 12.16

$4.47 ฿151

21.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 FJD 176

$32.41 ฿1,094

143.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 FJD 17.06

$8.81 ฿297

-13.28%

Cappuccino

$2.54 FJD 5.67

$2.83 ฿95.4

-10.25%

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

$2.10 FJD 4.68

$0.87 ฿29.42

141.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 FJD 3.54

$0.49 ฿16.66

224.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 FJD 5.38

$2.56 ฿86.3

-5.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 FJD 7.14

$3.68 ฿124

-13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 FJD 3.69

$1.66 ฿56.0

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 FJD 1.53

$1.46 ฿49.32

-52.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 FJD 1.96

$1.50 ฿50.5

-41.33%

Eggs

$3.44 FJD 7.68

$2.09 ฿70.5

64.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.72 FJD 12.77

$19.07 ฿643

-70.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 FJD 17.30

$3.30 ฿111

134.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 FJD 16.93

$10.91 ฿368

-30.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 FJD 9.89

$2.93 ฿98.9

51.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 FJD 2.93

$2.25 ฿75.8

-41.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 FJD 1.89

$1.51 ฿51.0

-43.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 FJD 1.93

$1.38 ฿46.54

-37.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 FJD 1.95

$1.07 ฿35.97

-18.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 FJD 0.94

$0.52 ฿17.51

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 FJD 24.66

$4.20 ฿142

163.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.29 FJD 11.80

$18.79 ฿634

-71.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 FJD 5.85

$1.82 ฿61.5

43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 FJD 7.72

$2.84 ฿95.9

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 FJD 2.98

$1.47 ฿49.78

-8.84%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

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

$13.23 FJD 29.54

$11.26 ฿380

17.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 FJD 974

$716 ฿24.2K

-39.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 FJD 1,967

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-54.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 FJD 1,535

$502 ฿17.0K

36.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Lautoka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lautoka

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Lautoka

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lautoka

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Lautoka

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Lautoka

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Lautoka

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Lautoka

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $436 in Lautoka and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lautoka pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Lautoka vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $266, with Lautoka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Lautoka

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

17:01 5:01 PM

5 h behind Lautoka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.448 USD

1 FJD = 0.401 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to FJD – Fijian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇯 Fijian Dollar ($)

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.49 FJD (1 FJD = 0.401 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to FJD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lautoka Phuket 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lautoka
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $334 in Lautoka and $1,278 in Phuket, so Lautoka is about 74% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $436 in Lautoka versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $79 in Lautoka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $334 per month in Lautoka versus $1,278 in Phuket – Lautoka is about 74% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $334 in Lautoka versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Lautoka but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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.