Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $395 a month against $1,070 in Tonga, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Tonga
Learn more

Tonga Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇳 India

$395

/mo nomad

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,070

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $395 in India versus $1,070 in Tonga.

India $395
Tonga $1,070

Estimated couple costs with rent: $628 in India versus $1,905 in Tonga.

India $628
Tonga $1,905

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $861 in India versus $2,739 in Tonga.

India $861
Tonga $2,739

Living in India costs about 63% less than in Tonga on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Tonga 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹203

$8.40 TOP 20.23

-74.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.57 ₹1,004

$61.3 TOP 148

-82.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.77 ₹358

$10.58 TOP 25.48

-64.37%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ₹167

$2.86 TOP 6.89

-38.46%

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

$0.42 ₹39.67

$2.90 TOP 6.99

-85.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.45

$2.52 TOP 6.07

-94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 ₹186

$3.39 TOP 8.17

-42.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₹295

$4.88 TOP 11.76

-36.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 ₹59.6

$1.60 TOP 3.86

-60.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹43.45

$1.05 TOP 2.53

-56.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.3

$2.12 TOP 5.10

-67.92%

Eggs

$0.93 ₹88.4

$4.94 TOP 11.91

-81.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.83 ₹458

$8.76 TOP 21.11

-44.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 ₹276

$5.95 TOP 14.34

-51.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 TOP 18.32

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$2.73 TOP 6.57

-26.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ₹59.6

$2.75 TOP 6.62

-77.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 ₹92.8

$2.95 TOP 7.11

-66.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ₹48.04

$3.75 TOP 9.04

-86.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.28

$3.20 TOP 7.70

-88.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹36.72

$2.61 TOP 6.29

-85.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.31

$2.23 TOP 5.37

-80.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.53

$1.40 TOP 3.36

-79.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹488

$10.16 TOP 24.48

-49.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.33 ₹696

$17.20 TOP 41.44

-57.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₹157

$3.09 TOP 7.45

-46.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₹259

$3.40 TOP 8.19

-19.71%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.08 ₹483

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹23.70

$2.06 TOP 4.96

-87.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.49 ₹806

$41.49 TOP 100.0

-79.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹97.9

$2.12 TOP 5.11

-51.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹23.69

$2.06 TOP 4.96

-87.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₹153

$41.51 TOP 100

-96.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹101

$1.47 TOP 3.54

-27.21%

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

$11.3K ₹1.1M

$5,897 TOP 14.2K

92.17%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$8,405 TOP 20.2K

139.50%

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

$37.73 ₹3,583

$188 TOP 453

-79.94%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$22.53 TOP 54.3

-84.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.89 ₹655

$122 TOP 295

-94.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.63 ₹1,390

$31.75 TOP 76.5

-53.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 ₹688

$41.46 TOP 99.9

-82.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 ₹301

$41.90 TOP 101

-92.43%

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

$56.5 ₹5,369

$158 TOP 381

-64.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,646 ₹156.3K

$253 TOP 610

550.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.73 ₹2,158

$14.63 TOP 35.23

55.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ₹2,283

$17.80 TOP 42.88

35.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.04 ₹3,898

$20.73 TOP 49.93

97.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.60 ₹2,906

$28.54 TOP 68.8

7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₹13.6K

$628 TOP 1,512

-77.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.5 ₹8,691

$49.33 TOP 119

85.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 ₹30.8K

$827 TOP 1,992

-60.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.3K

$587 TOP 1,413

-63.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,200 ₹114.0K

$408 TOP 982

194.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 ₹58.8K

$244 TOP 588

153.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$440 ₹41.8K

$682 TOP 1,642

-35.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.92

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

Last update for India: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tonga: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.8%

Tonga

$291 27.2% 186% $189

Accommodation & Living

India

$92 23.1%

Tonga

$49 4.6% 46.1% $42

Eating Out

India

$68 17.1%

Tonga

$182 17% 168% $114

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.5%

Tonga

$37 3.4% 31% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12.2%

Tonga

$333 31.1% 591% $285

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.3%

Tonga

$116 10.8% 451% $95

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Tonga

$62 5.8% 429% $50

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $119 in India, $206 in Tonga. Capital cities: $271 in Delhi vs $619 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $413 in India, $672 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 73% higher in Tonga.

Dining out costs 110% more in Tonga.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 63% higher in Tonga, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇹🇴 Tonga

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

14:31 2:31 PM

7 h 30 min ahead of India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

108,020

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 TOP = 0.415 USD

1 TOP = 0.369 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 2.41 TOP (1 TOP = 0.415 USD). 1 EUR = 2.71 TOP (1 TOP = 0.369 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

India Tonga 12,770 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

India
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

India vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $395 per month in India and $1,070 in Tonga, there's a 171% 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 $206 in Tonga and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Tonga 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: India wins on affordability; Tonga may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.