Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Lautoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Lautoka: $333 a month against $2,358 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Lautoka
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Lautoka Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,358

/mo nomad

Lautoka

🇫🇯 Fiji

$333

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,358 in Wellington versus $333 in Lautoka.

Wellington $2,358
Lautoka $333

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,368 in Wellington versus $722 in Lautoka.

Wellington $3,368
Lautoka $722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,378 in Wellington versus $1,112 in Lautoka.

Wellington $4,378
Lautoka $1,112

Living in Wellington is roughly 609% more expensive than in Lautoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 NZ$24.48

$5.19 FJD 11.61

164.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$114

$79.2 FJD 177

-19.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.96

$7.80 FJD 17.47

14.74%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$6.11

$2.56 FJD 5.72

33.59%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.35

$2.12 FJD 4.74

15.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$1.51 FJD 3.38

11.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.22 NZ$12.87

$2.43 FJD 5.44

197.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 NZ$11.86

$3.05 FJD 6.84

118.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 NZ$3.41

$1.66 FJD 3.72

15.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 NZ$3.93

$0.73 FJD 1.64

201.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.27

$0.87 FJD 1.95

110.34%

Eggs

$6.77 NZ$12.08

$3.44 FJD 7.70

96.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.14

$5.80 FJD 12.98

56.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NZ$17.58

$7.62 FJD 17.06

29.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 NZ$27.10

$7.58 FJD 16.98

100.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.57

$4.42 FJD 9.90

-29.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.94

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.48

$1.30 FJD 2.91

136.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.59 NZ$11.75

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.67

$0.93 FJD 2.09

121.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.20

$0.86 FJD 1.93

43.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 NZ$3.69

$0.87 FJD 1.96

137.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$2.05

$0.46 FJD 1.03

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.86 NZ$44.34

$10.93 FJD 24.46

127.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 NZ$20.12

$5.46 FJD 12.22

106.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 NZ$5.51

$2.57 FJD 5.74

20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 NZ$5.12

$3.49 FJD 7.82

-17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 NZ$5.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$181

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 NZ$3.25

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.15 NZ$60.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 NZ$3.25

$1.33 FJD 2.99

36.84%

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

$25.0K NZ$44.6K

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

$25.4K NZ$45.3K

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

$197 NZ$351

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

$32.00 NZ$57.1

$13.14 FJD 29.43

143.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 NZ$93.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NZ$67.3

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 NZ$28.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NZ$21.28

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

$1,056 NZ$1,883

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NZ$22.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 NZ$136

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$50.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 NZ$178

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NZ$272

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NZ$2,188

$450 FJD 1,007

172.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NZ$2,035

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 NZ$3,823

$872 FJD 1,952

145.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 NZ$3,048

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,578 NZ$11.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,559 NZ$6,349

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,968

$688 FJD 1,541

304.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Wellington: 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

Wellington

$1.1K 48.4%

Lautoka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$346 14.7%

Lautoka

$191 * 57.5% 44.8% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$281 11.9%

Lautoka

$13 * 4% 95.3% $268

Eating Out

Wellington

$244 10.3%

Lautoka

$128 38.6% 47.3% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$160 6.8%

Lautoka

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.3%

Lautoka

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$62 2.6%

Lautoka

- * 0% 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 $1,226 in Wellington and $450 in Lautoka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 305% 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: $64.0 in Wellington vs $79.0 in Lautoka. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $191, with Lautoka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇫🇯 Lautoka

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

10:48 10:48 AM

1 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Wellington Lautoka 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Wellington
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

Wellington vs Lautoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington and Lautoka differ by about 609% in total monthly costs ($2,358 vs $333 including rent). Lautoka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 305% higher in Wellington, 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: $1,226 in Wellington versus $450 in Lautoka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lautoka – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $64.0 in Wellington. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,358 per month in Wellington versus $333 in Lautoka – a 609% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $333 in Lautoka versus $2,358 in Wellington, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lautoka but tight or insufficient in Wellington. 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.

Safety-wise, Wellington 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.

Expats usually find Lautoka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 609% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.