Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Tonga Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $796 in French Polynesia versus $343 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in French Polynesia versus $625 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in French Polynesia versus $906 in Tonga.

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 132% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: French Polynesia 40% lower, Tonga 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.70 CFPF 1,635

$8.46 TOP 19.95

85.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 CFPF 8,447

$62.5 TOP 147

29.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 CFPF 1,252

$10.27 TOP 24.21

17.04%

Cappuccino

$4.45 CFPF 463

$2.84 TOP 6.70

56.69%

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

$2.65 CFPF 276

$2.80 TOP 6.60

-5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CFPF 219

$2.51 TOP 5.91

-16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 CFPF 505

$3.30 TOP 7.77

46.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 CFPF 513

$4.95 TOP 11.66

-0.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 149

$1.57 TOP 3.71

-8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CFPF 297

$1.05 TOP 2.48

171.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 CFPF 174

$2.02 TOP 4.76

-17.33%

Eggs

$7.16 CFPF 746

$5.21 TOP 12.29

37.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$39.04 CFPF 4,066

$9.20 TOP 21.70

324.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.82 CFPF 1,752

$5.95 TOP 14.03

182.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.69 CFPF 2,883

$7.85 TOP 18.51

252.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.56 CFPF 580

$2.83 TOP 6.67

96.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 CFPF 251

$2.84 TOP 6.70

-15.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 CFPF 705

$2.90 TOP 6.83

133.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.73 CFPF 805

$3.64 TOP 8.59

112.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CFPF 306

$3.11 TOP 7.33

-5.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CFPF 273

$2.58 TOP 6.07

1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 CFPF 396

$2.24 TOP 5.28

69.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 116

$1.36 TOP 3.20

-18.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CFPF 1,233

$10.04 TOP 23.68

17.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 CFPF 2,473

$17.20 TOP 40.55

38.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CFPF 265

$3.10 TOP 7.32

-17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CFPF 498

$3.38 TOP 7.97

41.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CFPF 206

$2.07 TOP 4.88

-4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.91 TOP 98.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 CFPF 989

$2.06 TOP 4.86

361.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 TOP 99.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 165

$1.46 TOP 3.45

8.22%

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

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

$5,729 TOP 13.5K

237.39%

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

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

$8,279 TOP 19.5K

246.68%

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

$180 CFPF 18.7K

$185 TOP 436

-2.78%

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

$17.28 CFPF 1,800

$22.06 TOP 52.0

-21.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 CFPF 10.6K

$125 TOP 295

-18.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 CFPF 7,592

$30.72 TOP 72.4

137.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.59 CFPF 1,832

$42.12 TOP 99.3

-58.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 CFPF 1,540

$41.02 TOP 96.7

-63.97%

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

$483 CFPF 50.3K

$160 TOP 378

201.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,795 CFPF 1.0M

$252 TOP 595

3781.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.8 CFPF 10.2K

$14.69 TOP 34.63

565.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.5 CFPF 9,010

$17.91 TOP 42.22

383.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 CFPF 11.3K

$20.81 TOP 49.07

419.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CFPF 11.0K

$29.61 TOP 69.8

257.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 CFPF 136.6K

$615 TOP 1,451

113.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 CFPF 115.1K

$49.51 TOP 117

2131.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 CFPF 223.7K

$834 TOP 1,967

157.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 CFPF 193.7K

$573 TOP 1,352

224.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,319 CFPF 866.4K

$410 TOP 967

1929.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,635 CFPF 795.2K

$248 TOP 584

2983.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,899 CFPF 197.7K

$690 TOP 1,628

175.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

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

Last update for French Polynesia: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tonga: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $534 in French Polynesia, $208 in Tonga. Capital cities: $1,219 in Papeete vs $624 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $2,050 in French Polynesia, $668 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 157% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 11% more in Tonga.

Salaries are 207% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

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 $1,148 per month in French Polynesia and $514 in Tonga, there's a 123% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Tonga: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in French Polynesia is consistently higher than in Tonga across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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.