Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Lautoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lautoka: $333 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Osaka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,362
/mo nomad
Lautoka
🇫🇯 Fiji
$333
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Lautoka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Osaka versus $333 in Lautoka.

  • Osaka $1,362
  • Lautoka $333

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,986 in Osaka versus $722 in Lautoka.

  • Osaka $1,986
  • Lautoka $722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,609 in Osaka versus $1,112 in Lautoka.

  • Osaka $2,609
  • Lautoka $1,112

Living in Osaka is roughly 310% more expensive than in Lautoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Lautoka is 75% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.46 ¥1,020
$5.19 FJD 11.61
24.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.30 ¥4,943
$79.2 FJD 177
-60.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.90 ¥773
$7.80 FJD 17.47
-37.18%
Cappuccino
$2.96 ¥468
$2.56 FJD 5.72
15.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ¥216
$2.12 FJD 4.74
-35.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ¥116
$1.51 FJD 3.38
-51.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 ¥432
$2.43 FJD 5.44
12.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 ¥614
$3.05 FJD 6.84
27.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ¥230
$1.66 FJD 3.72
-12.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 ¥203
$0.73 FJD 1.64
76.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.29 ¥835
$0.87 FJD 1.95
508.05%
Eggs
$2.04 ¥323
$3.44 FJD 7.70
-40.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.63 ¥1,522
$5.80 FJD 12.98
66.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.43 ¥1,488
$7.62 FJD 17.06
23.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.22 ¥2,877
$7.58 FJD 16.98
140.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ¥523
$4.42 FJD 9.90
-25.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 ¥305
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ¥321
$1.30 FJD 2.91
56.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 ¥654
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 ¥240
$0.93 FJD 2.09
63.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 ¥187
$0.86 FJD 1.93
37.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 ¥216
$0.87 FJD 1.96
57.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 ¥126
$0.46 FJD 1.03
73.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.86 ¥610
$10.93 FJD 24.46
-64.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.54 ¥1,506
$5.46 FJD 12.22
74.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 ¥307
$2.57 FJD 5.74
-24.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ¥485
$3.49 FJD 7.82
-12.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.34 ¥212
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.00 ¥5,053
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.87 ¥611
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.21 ¥507
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.07 ¥3,327
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$1.33 FJD 2.99
-20.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K ¥3.4M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.9K ¥2.4M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 ¥21.7K
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.11 ¥3,808
$13.14 FJD 29.43
83.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.75 ¥4,856
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.6 ¥7,994
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.49 ¥2,919
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.74 ¥1,854
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$513 ¥81.0K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K ¥2.1M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.11 ¥7,439
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.51 ¥4,818
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.6 ¥11.3K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.5 ¥14.3K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$698 ¥110.2K
$450 FJD 1,007
55.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$498 ¥78.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,687 ¥266.4K
$872 FJD 1,952
93.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$755 ¥119.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,157 ¥972.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,964 ¥310.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Osaka
Lautoka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,386 ¥376.9K
$688 FJD 1,541
246.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.21
0
-

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

Last update for Osaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lautoka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Osaka
$498
Lautoka
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Osaka
$301
Lautoka
$191 * 36.6% $110
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
$192
Lautoka
$13 * 93.2% $179
Eating Out
Osaka
$132
Lautoka
$128 2.6% $3.5
Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
$108
Lautoka
- * 100%
Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
$74
Lautoka
- * 100%
Getting Around
Osaka
$57
Lautoka
- * 100%

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 $698 in Osaka and $450 in Lautoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 247% 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: $31.00 in Osaka vs $79.0 in Lautoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $191, with Lautoka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Osaka
🇫🇯 Lautoka
🕒 Local time
07:47 7:47 AM
10:47 10:47 AM
3 h ahead of Osaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,691,185
50,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Osaka Lautoka 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Osaka
  • Lautoka

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
Osaka vs Lautoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Osaka and in Lautoka?
Osaka and Lautoka differ by about 310% in total monthly costs ($1,362 vs $333 including rent). Lautoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Osaka or Lautoka?
Average pay runs 247% higher in Osaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Osaka and in Lautoka?
Rent for a central apartment: $698 in Osaka versus $450 in Lautoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Lautoka – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $31.00 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Osaka or Lautoka?
All in, you'll spend $1,362 per month in Osaka versus $333 in Lautoka – a 310% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $333 in Lautoka versus $1,362 in Osaka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lautoka but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Lautoka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Osaka and Lautoka?
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.
Is Osaka or Lautoka safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Osaka and Lautoka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Osaka or Lautoka?
Expats usually find Lautoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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