Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mata Utu and Nuku'alofa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuku'alofa: $1,019 a month against $5,241 in Mata Utu, rent and utilities included – about $50,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Nuku'alofa
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Nuku'alofa Living Index

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Mata Utu

🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna

$5,241

/mo nomad

Nuku'alofa

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mata Utu and in Nuku'alofa

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

A single person spends $5,241 per month in Mata Utu vs $1,019 in Nuku'alofa, rent included.

Mata Utu $5,241
Nuku'alofa $1,019

A couple spends around $6,656 per month in Mata Utu vs $1,886 in Nuku'alofa, rent included.

Mata Utu $6,656
Nuku'alofa $1,886

A family of three spends $8,071 per month in Mata Utu vs $2,752 in Nuku'alofa, rent included.

Mata Utu $8,071
Nuku'alofa $2,752

Mata Utu costs about 414% more than Nuku'alofa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Mata Utu sits 291% above the global median, while Nuku'alofa is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 CFPF 1,176

$8.52 TOP 20.26

29.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$61.8 TOP 147

79.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 TOP 24.54

Cappuccino

$7.68 CFPF 817

$2.93 TOP 6.96

162.12%

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

$5.73 CFPF 610

$2.82 TOP 6.70

103.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 CFPF 350

$2.52 TOP 5.99

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 TOP 8.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CFPF 590

$5.03 TOP 11.97

10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 TOP 3.61

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 TOP 2.54

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 TOP 5.02

Eggs

$4.97 TOP 11.81

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 TOP 20.81

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 TOP 14.04

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 TOP 18.60

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 TOP 6.63

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 TOP 6.44

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 TOP 6.81

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 TOP 8.75

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 TOP 7.51

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 TOP 6.29

Lettuce (1 head)

$11.17 CFPF 1,189

$2.28 TOP 5.42

389.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.43 CFPF 471

$1.42 TOP 3.37

211.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.77 CFPF 1,784

$10.24 TOP 24.34

63.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 CFPF 1,776

$17.36 TOP 41.28

-3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 TOP 7.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 TOP 8.11

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 TOP 5.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.65 TOP 99.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 TOP 4.88

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 TOP 4.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.16 TOP 97.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 CFPF 194

$1.47 TOP 3.50

24.49%

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

$5,817 TOP 13.8K

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

$8,461 TOP 20.1K

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

$145 CFPF 15.4K

$188 TOP 446

-22.86%

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

$112 CFPF 12.0K

$22.27 TOP 52.9

404.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3,335 CFPF 354.8K

$123 TOP 291

2622.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.62 TOP 75.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.72 TOP 96.8

Cinema Ticket

$40.75 TOP 96.9

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

$157 TOP 373

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$248 TOP 589

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$220 CFPF 23.4K

$14.35 TOP 34.11

1435.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.5 CFPF 9,736

$17.98 TOP 42.74

408.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$228 CFPF 24.3K

$20.42 TOP 48.53

1017.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$283 CFPF 30.1K

$29.28 TOP 69.6

864.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 CFPF 95.5K

$619 TOP 1,472

44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 CFPF 97.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 CFPF 238.1K

$831 TOP 1,976

169.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 CFPF 242.8K

$560 TOP 1,331

307.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$418 TOP 993

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$252 TOP 598

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,338 CFPF 355.2K

$680 TOP 1,616

390.99%

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

Last update for Mata Utu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nuku'alofa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mata Utu

–

Nuku'alofa

$332 32.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mata Utu

–

Nuku'alofa

$292 28.6%

Eating Out

Mata Utu

–

Nuku'alofa

$183 17.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Mata Utu

–

Nuku'alofa

$113 11.1%

Getting Around

Mata Utu

–

Nuku'alofa

$63 6.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Mata Utu

–

Nuku'alofa

$37 3.6%

Accommodation & Living

Mata Utu

–

Nuku'alofa

- * 0%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $898 in Mata Utu versus $619 in Nuku'alofa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 391% higher in Mata Utu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Mata Utu versus $62.0 in Nuku'alofa. Groceries tell a different story – $131 in Mata Utu vs $292 in Nuku'alofa – so Mata Utu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇼🇫 Mata Utu

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa

🕒 Local time

14:55 2:55 PM

15:55 3:55 PM

1 h ahead of Mata Utu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,200 Capital

24,500 Capital

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

1 TOP = 0.421 USD

1 TOP = 0.375 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.38 TOP (1 TOP = 0.421 USD). 1 EUR = 2.67 TOP (1 TOP = 0.375 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mata Utu Nuku'alofa 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mata Utu
Nuku'alofa

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

Mata Utu vs Nuku'alofa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $5,241 in Mata Utu, $1,019 in Nuku'alofa – roughly 414% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,862 per month in Mata Utu and $1,529 in Nuku'alofa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nuku'alofa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Mata Utu and $62.0 in Nuku'alofa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,241 in Mata Utu and $1,019 in Nuku'alofa. That's a gap of about 414%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nuku'alofa, where all-in costs run around $1,019, than in Mata Utu at $5,241. In Nuku'alofa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mata Utu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nuku'alofa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nuku'alofa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mata Utu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.