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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $697 in Lautoka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,222 in Lautoka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,746 in Lautoka.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 86% more expensive than Lautoka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Lautoka 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.02 FJD 11.00

133.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$45.40 FJD 99.4

-8.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.61 FJD 14.48

60.97%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$3.21 FJD 7.03

9.66%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.31 FJD 2.87

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.67 FJD 1.46

44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.41 FJD 5.28

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$3.49 FJD 7.65

27.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.33 FJD 2.91

3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.53 FJD 1.17

256.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.82 FJD 1.79

100.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$3.22 FJD 7.04

-22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.26 FJD 20.28

-9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$7.15 FJD 15.66

16.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.50 FJD 16.43

43.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.53 FJD 5.54

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.51 FJD 5.49

-41.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$2.83 FJD 6.20

-32.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$3.09 FJD 6.77

-32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.96 FJD 2.09

85.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.95 FJD 2.08

130.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.92 FJD 2.02

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.80 FJD 1.75

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$9.42 FJD 20.63

-56.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$5.55 FJD 12.14

85.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$2.24 FJD 4.90

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.61 FJD 5.72

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.70 FJD 1.53

-27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$37.66 FJD 82.5

-29.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$0.64 FJD 1.39

409.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.44 FJD 0.97

465.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$2.73 FJD 5.97

19.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.34 FJD 2.93

-2.24%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$19.3K FJD 42.3K

56.86%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$22.4K FJD 49.1K

4.54%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$46.45 FJD 102

78.41%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$12.98 FJD 28.43

71.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$23.91 FJD 52.4

22.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$3.48 FJD 7.61

45.69%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$230 FJD 503

-12.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$14.0K FJD 30.6K

-62.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$17.68 FJD 38.73

108.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$17.50 FJD 38.32

127.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$66.1 FJD 145

18.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$60.3 FJD 132

44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$354 FJD 776

174.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$133 FJD 292

251.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$856 FJD 1,874

91.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$393 FJD 862

210.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$712 FJD 1,560

-6.79%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lautoka: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $354 in Lautoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lautoka pays 7% 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 $221, 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 86% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $697 including rent). Lautoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lautoka earns 7% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $354 in Lautoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $697 in Lautoka – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lautoka runs roughly 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $697 in Lautoka versus $1,297 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 86% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.