Cost of Living Comparison Between Lautoka and Rabat Cost of Living Comparison Between Lautoka and Rabat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $697 in Lautoka versus $1,883 in Rabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,222 in Lautoka versus $2,839 in Rabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,746 in Lautoka versus $3,796 in Rabat.

Living in Lautoka costs roughly 63% less than in Rabat, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lautoka is 48% below, Rabat is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.02 FJD 11.00

$17.07 €14.69

-70.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.40 FJD 99.4

$70.7 €60.9

-35.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 FJD 14.48

$11.36 €9.78

-41.81%

Cappuccino

$3.21 FJD 7.03

$2.45 €2.11

31.02%

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

$1.31 FJD 2.87

$2.66 €2.29

-50.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 FJD 1.46

$1.69 €1.45

-60.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 FJD 5.28

$3.51 €3.02

-31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 FJD 7.65

$3.39 €2.92

2.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 FJD 2.91

$1.15 €0.99

15.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 FJD 1.17

$1.28 €1.11

-58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 FJD 1.79

$2.36 €2.03

-65.25%

Eggs

$3.22 FJD 7.04

$3.68 €3.17

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 FJD 20.28

$10.22 €8.80

-9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 FJD 15.66

$8.32 €7.17

-14.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 FJD 16.43

$18.92 €16.29

-60.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 FJD 5.54

$4.31 €3.71

-41.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 FJD 5.49

$2.35 €2.02

6.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 FJD 6.20

$3.27 €2.82

-13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 FJD 6.77

$2.26 €1.95

36.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 FJD 2.09

$1.19 €1.02

-19.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 FJD 2.08

$1.19 €1.03

-20.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 FJD 2.02

$1.18 €1.02

-22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 FJD 1.75

$1.19 €1.02

-32.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.42 FJD 20.63

$6.53 €5.62

44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.55 FJD 12.14

$8.44 €7.27

-34.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 FJD 4.90

$1.88 €1.62

19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 FJD 5.72

$2.30 €1.98

13.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 FJD 1.53

$2.81 €2.42

-75.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.66 FJD 82.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 FJD 1.39

$5.67 €4.89

-88.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 FJD 0.97

$4.19 €3.61

-89.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 FJD 5.97

$49.43 €42.57

-94.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 FJD 2.93

$1.52 €1.31

-11.84%

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

$19.3K FJD 42.3K

$38.2K €32.9K

-49.44%

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

$22.4K FJD 49.1K

$37.4K €32.2K

-40.04%

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

$46.45 FJD 102

$94.2 €81.1

-50.69%

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

$12.98 FJD 28.43

$12.60 €10.85

3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 FJD 52.4

$45.84 €39.47

-47.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.3 €59.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.35 €29.58

Cinema Ticket

$3.48 FJD 7.61

$10.56 €9.09

-67.05%

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

$230 FJD 503

$435 €375

-47.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K FJD 30.6K

$11.1K €9,574

25.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.68 FJD 38.73

$90.1 €77.6

-80.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.50 FJD 38.32

$28.48 €24.53

-38.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 FJD 145

$74.0 €63.7

-10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 FJD 132

$103 €88.4

-41.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 FJD 776

$1,129 €972

-68.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 FJD 292

$956 €823

-86.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$856 FJD 1,874

$2,011 €1,732

-57.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 FJD 862

$1,509 €1,299

-73.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,371 €3,764

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,116 €2,683

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$712 FJD 1,560

$1,387 €1,194

-48.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

118.75%

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

Last update for Lautoka: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rabat: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Lautoka and $1,129 in Rabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rabat pays 95% 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: $45.00 in Lautoka vs $71.0 in Rabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $293 per month, with Lautoka 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 Rabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lautoka and Rabat differ by about 170% in total monthly costs ($697 vs $1,883 including rent). Lautoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rabat earns 95% less. 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: $354 in Lautoka versus $1,129 in Rabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Lautoka versus $435 in Rabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lautoka – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $71.0 in Rabat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $697 in Lautoka versus $1,883 in Rabat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lautoka but tight or insufficient in Rabat. 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 Rabat 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 170% less than in Rabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.