Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suva and Lautoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lautoka: $334 a month against $941 in Suva, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Suva
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Suva Living Index

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Suva

🇫🇯 Fiji

$941

/mo nomad

Lautoka

🇫🇯 Fiji

$334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $941 in Suva versus $334 in Lautoka.

Suva $941
Lautoka $334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Suva versus $723 in Lautoka.

Suva $1,702
Lautoka $723

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,463 in Suva versus $1,113 in Lautoka.

Suva $2,463
Lautoka $1,113

Living in Suva is roughly 182% more expensive than in Lautoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Suva 31% lower, Lautoka 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 FJD 13.24

$5.45 FJD 12.16

8.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.61 FJD 97.4

$78.9 FJD 176

-44.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.67 FJD 17.13

$7.64 FJD 17.06

0.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 FJD 6.47

$2.54 FJD 5.67

14.17%

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

$1.52 FJD 3.40

$2.10 FJD 4.68

-27.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 FJD 1.65

$1.59 FJD 3.54

-53.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 FJD 7.75

$2.41 FJD 5.38

43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 FJD 10.19

$3.20 FJD 7.14

42.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 FJD 2.93

$1.65 FJD 3.69

-20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 FJD 1.17

$0.69 FJD 1.53

-24.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 FJD 2.49

$0.88 FJD 1.96

26.14%

Eggs

$3.22 FJD 7.19

$3.44 FJD 7.68

-6.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 FJD 23.20

$5.72 FJD 12.77

81.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.32 FJD 14.10

$7.75 FJD 17.30

-18.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 FJD 17.15

$7.58 FJD 16.93

1.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 FJD 5.50

$4.43 FJD 9.89

-44.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 FJD 5.59

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 FJD 7.65

$1.31 FJD 2.93

161.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 FJD 7.16

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 FJD 2.76

$0.85 FJD 1.89

45.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 FJD 2.45

$0.86 FJD 1.93

27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 FJD 2.67

$0.87 FJD 1.95

37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 FJD 1.53

$0.42 FJD 0.94

64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 FJD 22.37

$11.05 FJD 24.66

-9.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 FJD 16.11

$5.29 FJD 11.80

36.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 FJD 4.73

$2.62 FJD 5.85

-19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 FJD 7.53

$3.46 FJD 7.72

-2.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 FJD 1.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.49 FJD 54.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 FJD 1.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 FJD 0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 FJD 20.17

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 FJD 3.21

$1.34 FJD 2.98

7.46%

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

$24.4K FJD 54.4K

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

$25.4K FJD 56.7K

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

$45.96 FJD 103

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

$12.73 FJD 28.41

$13.23 FJD 29.54

-3.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 FJD 52.8

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 FJD 82.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 FJD 24.52

Cinema Ticket

$3.38 FJD 7.54

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

$224 FJD 499

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K FJD 29.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.66 FJD 75.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.60 FJD 88.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 FJD 156

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.5 FJD 137

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 FJD 1,989

$436 FJD 974

104.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 FJD 720

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,636 FJD 5,882

$881 FJD 1,967

199.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$978 FJD 2,182

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,327 FJD 2,962

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$827 FJD 1,847

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 FJD 2,112

$688 FJD 1,535

37.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

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

Last update for Suva: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lautoka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Suva

$322 34.3%

Lautoka

–

Groceries & Markets

Suva

$229 24.4%

Lautoka

–

Eating Out

Suva

$141 15%

Lautoka

–

Clothing & Footwear

Suva

$92 9.8%

Lautoka

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suva

$82 8.8%

Lautoka

–

Sport & Entertainment

Suva

$43 4.6%

Lautoka

–

Getting Around

Suva

$30 3.2%

Lautoka

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $891 in Suva and $436 in Lautoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suva pays 38% 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: $44 in Suva vs $79 in Lautoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $190, with Lautoka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇯 Suva

🇫🇯 Lautoka

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

Same time as Suva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FJD = 0.448 USD

1 FJD = 0.401 EUR

1 FJD = 0.448 USD

1 FJD = 0.401 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Suva Lautoka 120 km

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Suva
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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

Suva vs Lautoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $941 in Suva and $334 in Lautoka, so Lautoka is about 65% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Suva, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $891 in Suva versus $436 in Lautoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Suva – a meal for two runs $44 versus $79 in Lautoka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $941 per month in Suva versus $334 in Lautoka – Lautoka is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Lautoka wins on affordability, Suva on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.