Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Cook Islands and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonga: $1,067 a month against $1,568 in the Cook Islands, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in the Cook Islands outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Tonga
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Tonga Living Index

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🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,568

/mo nomad

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the Cook Islands and in Tonga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the Cook Islands and in Tonga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,568 in the Cook Islands versus $1,067 in Tonga.

Cook Islands $1,568
Tonga $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,058 in the Cook Islands versus $1,893 in Tonga.

Cook Islands $2,058
Tonga $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,548 in the Cook Islands versus $2,719 in Tonga.

Cook Islands $2,548
Tonga $2,719

Internal cost variation is higher in the Cook Islands: monthly costs span $1,117 to $1,638, compared to $1,021–$1,021 in Tonga. City choice carries more weight in the Cook Islands.

Living in the Cook Islands is roughly 47% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

The Cook Islands (15% above) and Tonga (22% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.40 NZ$20.07

$8.17 TOP 19.47

39.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 NZ$98.2

$62.4 TOP 149

-10.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 NZ$12.64

$10.42 TOP 24.85

-31.09%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NZ$6.09

$2.89 TOP 6.89

19.72%

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

$2.44 NZ$4.29

$2.78 TOP 6.63

-12.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 NZ$4.29

$2.53 TOP 6.03

-3.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 NZ$10.01

$3.35 TOP 7.99

69.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 NZ$9.23

$5.02 TOP 11.96

4.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NZ$4.08

$1.52 TOP 3.62

52.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NZ$5.55

$1.03 TOP 2.45

205.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.95

$2.09 TOP 4.98

-19.62%

Eggs

$5.56 NZ$9.79

$5.23 TOP 12.48

6.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 NZ$16.18

$8.93 TOP 21.28

2.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 NZ$13.65

$5.71 TOP 13.60

35.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 NZ$17.86

$7.51 TOP 17.90

35.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$5.05

$2.84 TOP 6.76

1.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 NZ$2.95

$2.85 TOP 6.79

-41.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NZ$6.07

$2.99 TOP 7.13

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.98 NZ$15.81

$3.69 TOP 8.80

143.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$4.98

$3.23 TOP 7.70

-12.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.04

$2.67 TOP 6.35

-13.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.95

$2.17 TOP 5.18

3.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 NZ$4.97

$1.41 TOP 3.35

100.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.25 NZ$19.81

$10.21 TOP 24.34

10.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 NZ$22.35

$16.92 TOP 40.33

-24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NZ$5.84

$3.27 TOP 7.79

1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 NZ$8.23

$3.29 TOP 7.84

42.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 NZ$5.11

$2.10 TOP 5.00

38.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.09 TOP 100

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 NZ$35.52

$2.06 TOP 4.91

879.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 TOP 4.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.06 NZ$60.0

$41.74 TOP 99.5

-18.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.30

$1.42 TOP 3.39

32.39%

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

$11.3K NZ$20.0K

$5,854 TOP 14.0K

93.83%

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

$8,434 TOP 20.1K

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

$105 NZ$184

$187 TOP 447

-44.15%

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

$48.58 NZ$85.5

$21.76 TOP 51.9

123.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 NZ$181

$122 TOP 292

-16.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.86 TOP 73.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.74 TOP 97.1

Cinema Ticket

$41.47 TOP 98.9

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

$155 TOP 369

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$249 TOP 594

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.26 TOP 33.98

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.69 TOP 42.16

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.67 TOP 49.27

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.16 TOP 69.5

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 NZ$1,273

$611 TOP 1,457

18.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NZ$1,225

$50.9 TOP 121

1267.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 NZ$691

$822 TOP 1,959

-52.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 NZ$1,115

$570 TOP 1,359

11.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$413 TOP 985

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$956 NZ$1,683

$247 TOP 589

286.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 NZ$6,957

$679 TOP 1,619

482.10%

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

Last update for the Cook Islands: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tonga: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cook Islands

–

Tonga

$332 31.1%

Groceries & Markets

Cook Islands

–

Tonga

$292 27.3%

Eating Out

Cook Islands

–

Tonga

$179 16.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Cook Islands

–

Tonga

$114 10.7%

Getting Around

Cook Islands

–

Tonga

$63 5.9%

Accommodation & Living

Cook Islands

–

Tonga

$51 4.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Cook Islands

–

Tonga

$37 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $707 in the Cook Islands, $619 in Tonga. Capital cities: $968 in Avarua vs $619 in Nuku’alofa.

National salary averages: $3,985 in the Cook Islands, $692 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 14% higher in the Cook Islands.

Dining out costs 13% more in Tonga.

Salaries are about 5.8 times higher in the Cook Islands, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the Cook Islands.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

🇹🇴 Tonga

🕒 Local time

00:20 12:20 AM

23:20 11:20 PM

23 h ahead of the Cook Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,222

108,020

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

1 TOP = 0.42 USD

1 TOP = 0.377 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2.38 TOP (1 TOP = 0.42 USD). 1 EUR = 2.65 TOP (1 TOP = 0.377 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cook Islands Tonga 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cook Islands
Tonga

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

Cook Islands vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,568 per month in the Cook Islands and $1,067 in Tonga, there’s a 47% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $707 in the Cook Islands and $619 in Tonga. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Tonga wins on affordability; the Cook Islands may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.