Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto la Cruz and Lautoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lautoka: $334 a month against $745 in Puerto la Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela
Lautoka, Fiji
Puerto la Cruz
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$745
/mo nomad
Lautoka
🇫🇯 Fiji
$334
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto la Cruz 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 Puerto la Cruz and in Lautoka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Puerto la Cruz versus $334 in Lautoka.

  • Puerto la Cruz $745
  • Lautoka $334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Puerto la Cruz versus $723 in Lautoka.

  • Puerto la Cruz $1,322
  • Lautoka $723

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,899 in Puerto la Cruz versus $1,113 in Lautoka.

  • Puerto la Cruz $1,899
  • Lautoka $1,113

Living in Puerto la Cruz is roughly 123% more expensive than in Lautoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto la Cruz 45% lower, Lautoka 75% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.09 VES 8,937
$5.45 FJD 12.15
85.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.8 VES 53.9K
$78.9 FJD 176
-22.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.53 VES 6,667
$7.64 FJD 17.05
-1.44%
Cappuccino
$3.59 VES 3,182
$2.54 FJD 5.66
41.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 VES 587
$2.10 FJD 4.67
-68.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 VES 426
$1.59 FJD 3.54
-69.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.22 VES 1,084
$2.41 FJD 5.38
-49.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 VES 1,368
$3.20 FJD 7.13
-51.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 VES 1,749
$1.65 FJD 3.68
19.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.22 VES 1,079
$0.69 FJD 1.53
76.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 VES 1,095
$0.88 FJD 1.96
40.91%
Eggs
$2.35 VES 2,083
$3.44 FJD 7.68
-31.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.94 VES 6,145
$5.72 FJD 12.76
21.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.77 VES 7,772
$7.75 FJD 17.28
13.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.99 VES 9,734
$7.58 FJD 16.92
44.99%
Apples (1kg)
$7.24 VES 6,410
$4.43 FJD 9.88
63.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 VES 1,135
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$0.48 VES 429
$1.31 FJD 2.93
-63.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 VES 2,008
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.22 VES 1,966
$0.85 FJD 1.89
161.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 VES 1,898
$0.86 FJD 1.93
148.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 VES 1,435
$0.87 FJD 1.94
86.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 VES 1,452
$0.42 FJD 0.94
290.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.07 VES 3,605
$11.05 FJD 24.64
-63.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.78 VES 6,889
$5.29 FJD 11.79
47.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 VES 865
$2.62 FJD 5.85
-62.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 VES 1,341
$3.46 FJD 7.72
-56.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 VES 322
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.65 VES 27.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 VES 2,581
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.70 VES 2,396
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.87 VES 8,741
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.52 VES 462
$1.34 FJD 2.98
-61.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.3K VES 22.4M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K VES 34.5M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$22.07 VES 19.6K
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.98 VES 8,845
$13.23 FJD 29.52
-24.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.71 VES 24.6K
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.56 VES 27.1K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.36 VES 22.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.88 VES 4,325
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$60.8 VES 53.9K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,941 VES 2.6M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.33 VES 42.8K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.15 VES 30.3K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$45.42 VES 40.2K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.28 VES 41.9K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$150 VES 132.7K
$436 FJD 973
-65.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$96.1 VES 85.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$311 VES 275.5K
$881 FJD 1,966
-64.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$204 VES 180.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$741 VES 656.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$372 VES 329.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto la Cruz
Lautoka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$229 VES 203.1K
$688 FJD 1,534
-66.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15
0
-

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

Last update for Puerto la Cruz: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lautoka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Puerto la Cruz
$262
Lautoka
–
Eating Out
Puerto la Cruz
$160
Lautoka
–
Accommodation & Living
Puerto la Cruz
$96
Lautoka
–
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto la Cruz
$79
Lautoka
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto la Cruz
$60
Lautoka
–
Getting Around
Puerto la Cruz
$49
Lautoka
–
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto la Cruz
$40
Lautoka
–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $150 in Puerto la Cruz and $436 in Lautoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lautoka pays about 3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Puerto la Cruz vs $79 in Lautoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $190, with Lautoka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇻🇪 Puerto la Cruz
🇫🇯 Lautoka
🕒 Local time
09:06 9:06 AM
01:06 1:06 AM
16 h ahead of Puerto la Cruz
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
272,231
50,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.23 FJD (1 FJD = 0.448 USD). 1 EUR = 2.48 FJD (1 FJD = 0.403 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto la Cruz Lautoka 13,290 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Puerto la Cruz
  • 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
Puerto la Cruz vs Lautoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Puerto la Cruz and in Lautoka?
Puerto la Cruz and Lautoka differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($745 vs $334 including rent). Lautoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Puerto la Cruz. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Puerto la Cruz and in Lautoka?
Rent for a central apartment: $150 in Puerto la Cruz versus $436 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 Puerto la Cruz – a meal for two runs $61 versus $79 in Lautoka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Puerto la Cruz or Lautoka?
All in, you’ll spend $745 per month in Puerto la Cruz versus $334 in Lautoka – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How far does $1,200 go in Puerto la Cruz compared to Lautoka?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Lautoka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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