Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lautoka Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lautoka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $678 in Lautoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,225 in Lautoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,771 in Lautoka.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 85% more expensive than in Lautoka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lautoka 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$4.92 FJD 11.01

143.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$44.93 FJD 101

-7.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.81 FJD 15.25

57.86%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.16 FJD 7.07

10.76%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.30 FJD 2.92

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.65 FJD 1.46

35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.44 FJD 5.46

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.47 FJD 7.76

29.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.29 FJD 2.88

10.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.49 FJD 1.10

275.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.80 FJD 1.79

96.25%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.30 FJD 7.38

-23.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.21 FJD 20.61

-10.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.12 FJD 15.93

18.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.59 FJD 16.99

40.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.47 FJD 5.53

5.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.47 FJD 5.52

-41.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.80 FJD 6.27

-30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$3.19 FJD 7.15

-34.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.01 FJD 2.25

83.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.00 FJD 2.23

117.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.92 FJD 2.06

11.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.80 FJD 1.80

33.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$9.21 FJD 20.61

-55.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.25 FJD 11.75

93.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.19 FJD 4.91

-23.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.71 FJD 6.06

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.69 FJD 1.55

-26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$37.56 FJD 84.1

-30.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.65 FJD 1.46

396.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.45 FJD 1.01

435.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.75 FJD 6.15

17.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.35 FJD 3.02

-2.22%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.3K FJD 43.1K

54.05%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$21.9K FJD 49.1K

7.82%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$45.50 FJD 102

80.24%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$13.08 FJD 29.28

75.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$23.81 FJD 53.3

26.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.61 FJD 8.08

37.95%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$222 FJD 496

-10.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$14.4K FJD 32.2K

-62.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$17.66 FJD 39.52

101.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$18.09 FJD 40.50

122.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$65.3 FJD 146

20.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$61.8 FJD 138

44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$349 FJD 781

171.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$135 FJD 303

250.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$841 FJD 1,882

95.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$400 FJD 896

202.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$692 FJD 1,548

-5.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

63.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lautoka: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $349 in Lautoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lautoka pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $45.00 in Lautoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $220, with Lautoka cheaper for home cooking.

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

Playa del Carmen vs Lautoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Lautoka differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $678 including rent). Lautoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Lautoka. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $349 in Lautoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $678 in Lautoka – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lautoka runs roughly 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $678 in Lautoka versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lautoka but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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 85% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.