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: $617 in French Polynesia versus $343 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $962 in French Polynesia versus $624 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,307 in French Polynesia versus $904 in Tonga.

Living in French Polynesia is roughly 80% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: French Polynesia 55% lower, Tonga 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 CFPF 1,810

$8.37 TOP 19.74

110.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 CFPF 8,044

$62.8 TOP 148

24.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.82 CFPF 1,523

$10.54 TOP 24.84

40.61%

Cappuccino

$4.36 CFPF 448

$2.88 TOP 6.78

51.39%

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

$2.65 CFPF 272

$2.76 TOP 6.51

-3.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 CFPF 276

$2.51 TOP 5.91

6.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 CFPF 510

$3.36 TOP 7.92

47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CFPF 613

$4.92 TOP 11.59

21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 CFPF 149

$1.52 TOP 3.58

-4.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 CFPF 454

$1.06 TOP 2.50

316.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 CFPF 174

$2.01 TOP 4.75

-15.42%

Eggs

$7.05 CFPF 724

$5.02 TOP 11.83

40.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.25 CFPF 3,725

$9.19 TOP 21.66

294.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.21 CFPF 1,666

$5.78 TOP 13.64

180.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.96 CFPF 2,565

$7.77 TOP 18.32

221.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.26 CFPF 540

$2.79 TOP 6.58

88.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 CFPF 295

$2.74 TOP 6.45

4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.88 CFPF 707

$2.93 TOP 6.91

134.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.86 CFPF 808

$3.71 TOP 8.75

111.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 CFPF 318

$3.21 TOP 7.57

-3.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CFPF 254

$2.65 TOP 6.26

-6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.67 CFPF 377

$2.26 TOP 5.34

62.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 130

$1.34 TOP 3.17

-5.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CFPF 1,384

$10.22 TOP 24.09

31.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.26 CFPF 2,493

$17.26 TOP 40.70

40.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CFPF 298

$3.13 TOP 7.39

-7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 CFPF 404

$3.33 TOP 7.86

18.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 CFPF 198

$2.12 TOP 5.01

-8.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 CFPF 1,483

$41.92 TOP 98.8

-65.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 CFPF 987

$2.13 TOP 5.01

351.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 CFPF 253

$2.04 TOP 4.81

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.04 CFPF 2,470

$41.88 TOP 98.8

-42.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 CFPF 157

$1.47 TOP 3.46

4.08%

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

$18.7K CFPF 1.9M

$5,746 TOP 13.5K

224.89%

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

$30.8K CFPF 3.2M

$8,208 TOP 19.4K

275.25%

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

$180 CFPF 18.5K

$186 TOP 439

-3.09%

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

$20.11 CFPF 2,067

$22.04 TOP 52.0

-8.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 CFPF 7,492

$126 TOP 297

-42.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.5 CFPF 7,960

$30.74 TOP 72.5

152.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 TOP 99.8

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 CFPF 1,511

$41.23 TOP 97.2

-64.32%

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

$479 CFPF 49.2K

$159 TOP 374

202.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,901 CFPF 1.0M

$251 TOP 592

3845.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 CFPF 7,430

$14.35 TOP 33.84

403.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.9 CFPF 7,593

$17.50 TOP 41.27

322.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 CFPF 8,251

$20.74 TOP 48.91

287.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 CFPF 9,593

$28.69 TOP 67.6

225.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 CFPF 132.3K

$617 TOP 1,455

108.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 CFPF 101.6K

$50.2 TOP 118

1871.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 CFPF 196.2K

$823 TOP 1,940

132.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 CFPF 159.6K

$585 TOP 1,379

165.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,378 CFPF 758.1K

$422 TOP 995

1648.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,236 CFPF 949.0K

$247 TOP 583

3637.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,950 CFPF 200.3K

$668 TOP 1,576

191.74%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tonga: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $353 in French Polynesia, $208 in Tonga. Capital cities: $1,389 in Papeete vs $624 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $2,095 in French Polynesia, $682 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in French Polynesia.

Public transport is 600% more expensive 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 $1,169 per month in French Polynesia and $515 in Tonga, there's a 127% 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.