Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonga: $1,067 a month against $2,328 in French Polynesia, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
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French Polynesia Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Tonga
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Tonga Living Index

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🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,328

/mo nomad

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in French Polynesia 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 French Polynesia and in Tonga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,328 in French Polynesia versus $1,067 in Tonga.

French Polynesia $2,328
Tonga $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,472 in French Polynesia versus $1,901 in Tonga.

French Polynesia $3,472
Tonga $1,901

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,615 in French Polynesia versus $2,735 in Tonga.

French Polynesia $4,615
Tonga $2,735

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 118% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

French Polynesia (72% above) and Tonga (21% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 CFPF 1,808

$8.43 TOP 20.30

102.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CFPF 8,039

$62.2 TOP 150

22.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.17 CFPF 1,499

$10.24 TOP 24.66

38.38%

Cappuccino

$4.13 CFPF 437

$2.93 TOP 7.05

40.96%

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

$2.51 CFPF 266

$2.79 TOP 6.72

-10.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 CFPF 273

$2.52 TOP 6.07

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 CFPF 482

$3.22 TOP 7.76

41.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CFPF 605

$5.09 TOP 12.26

12.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 152

$1.53 TOP 3.67

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 CFPF 469

$1.01 TOP 2.44

338.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 CFPF 173

$2.04 TOP 4.90

-19.61%

Eggs

$6.68 CFPF 706

$5.16 TOP 12.44

29.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.76 CFPF 3,677

$8.91 TOP 21.45

290.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.77 CFPF 1,668

$5.85 TOP 14.10

169.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.62 CFPF 2,499

$7.56 TOP 18.21

212.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 CFPF 538

$2.73 TOP 6.58

86.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CFPF 306

$2.71 TOP 6.52

6.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.64 CFPF 702

$2.83 TOP 6.81

134.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.88 CFPF 834

$3.83 TOP 9.22

105.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 CFPF 320

$3.10 TOP 7.48

-2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CFPF 248

$2.66 TOP 6.40

-11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.56 CFPF 377

$2.26 TOP 5.45

57.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CFPF 128

$1.34 TOP 3.24

-9.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.11 CFPF 1,387

$10.31 TOP 24.84

27.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.70 CFPF 2,508

$16.99 TOP 40.94

39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CFPF 300

$3.15 TOP 7.60

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 CFPF 388

$3.37 TOP 8.12

8.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 CFPF 203

$2.04 TOP 4.91

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.98 CFPF 1,479

$41.75 TOP 101

-66.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.10 CFPF 963

$2.05 TOP 4.94

343.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 CFPF 253

$2.11 TOP 5.09

13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.23 CFPF 2,457

$41.87 TOP 101

-44.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 151

$1.48 TOP 3.57

-3.38%

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

$18.2K CFPF 1.9M

$5,815 TOP 14.0K

213.18%

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

$30.6K CFPF 3.2M

$8,165 TOP 19.7K

274.76%

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

$178 CFPF 18.8K

$186 TOP 448

-4.25%

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

$18.69 CFPF 1,977

$21.76 TOP 52.4

-14.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.4 CFPF 7,550

$124 TOP 299

-42.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.4 CFPF 7,769

$30.75 TOP 74.1

138.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.12 TOP 99.1

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 CFPF 1,476

$42.25 TOP 102

-66.98%

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

$470 CFPF 49.7K

$156 TOP 377

200.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,475 CFPF 1.0M

$248 TOP 596

3727.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 CFPF 7,107

$14.49 TOP 34.92

363.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CFPF 7,473

$17.69 TOP 42.60

299.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 CFPF 8,369

$21.07 TOP 50.8

275.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 CFPF 9,275

$29.61 TOP 71.3

196.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 CFPF 129.2K

$627 TOP 1,510

94.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 CFPF 98.3K

$50.1 TOP 121

1753.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 CFPF 191.1K

$846 TOP 2,038

113.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 CFPF 155.8K

$584 TOP 1,406

152.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,888 CFPF 728.7K

$415 TOP 1,000

1559.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,027 CFPF 955.0K

$244 TOP 589

3592.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,873 CFPF 198.2K

$672 TOP 1,619

178.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

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

Last update for French Polynesia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tonga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

French Polynesia

$929 39.9%

Tonga

$50 4.7% 94.6% $879

Groceries & Markets

French Polynesia

$566 24.3%

Tonga

$290 27.1% 48.9% $277

Eating Out

French Polynesia

$283 12.2%

Tonga

$181 16.9% 36.2% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

French Polynesia

$268 11.5%

Tonga

$332 31.1% 23.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

French Polynesia

$137 5.9%

Tonga

$37 3.5% 72.8% $100

Sport & Entertainment

French Polynesia

$101 4.4%

Tonga

$115 10.8% 13.7% $14

Getting Around

French Polynesia

$43 1.8%

Tonga

$63 5.9% 46.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $331 in French Polynesia, $207 in Tonga. Capital cities: $1,310 in Papeete vs $622 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $1,990 in French Polynesia, $680 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 60% higher in French Polynesia.

Public transport is 600% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 193% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

Good to know

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🇹🇴 Tonga

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

11:58 11:58 AM

23 h ahead of French Polynesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,786

108,020

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1 TOP = 0.415 USD

1 TOP = 0.369 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.41 TOP (1 TOP = 0.415 USD). 1 EUR = 2.71 TOP (1 TOP = 0.369 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

French Polynesia Tonga 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

French Polynesia
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

French Polynesia vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,328 per month in French Polynesia and $1,067 in Tonga, there's a 118% 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 $331 in French Polynesia and $207 in Tonga. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Tonga, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in French Polynesia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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