Cost of Living Comparison Between New Caledonia and Tonga Cost of Living Comparison Between New Caledonia and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in New Caledonia versus $343 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,462 in New Caledonia versus $626 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,981 in New Caledonia versus $908 in Tonga.

Living in New Caledonia is roughly 175% more expensive than Tonga on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: New Caledonia 30% lower, Tonga 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.73 CFPF 1,504

$8.23 TOP 19.22

78.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.2 CFPF 9,931

$62.0 TOP 145

56.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.46 CFPF 1,477

$10.57 TOP 24.68

36.80%

Cappuccino

$5.82 CFPF 594

$2.97 TOP 6.94

95.96%

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

$2.40 CFPF 245

$2.88 TOP 6.72

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 113

$2.41 TOP 5.62

-53.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.21 CFPF 1,145

$3.30 TOP 7.71

239.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 CFPF 757

$5.12 TOP 11.95

44.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 CFPF 127

$1.57 TOP 3.67

-21.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 CFPF 315

$1.03 TOP 2.40

199.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 CFPF 196

$2.07 TOP 4.83

-7.25%

Eggs

$5.72 CFPF 585

$5.11 TOP 11.94

11.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 CFPF 1,940

$9.27 TOP 21.64

104.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.36 CFPF 2,284

$5.73 TOP 13.39

290.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 CFPF 2,609

$7.46 TOP 17.41

242.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CFPF 430

$2.85 TOP 6.66

47.72%

Banana (1kg)

$7.19 CFPF 734

$2.69 TOP 6.27

167.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.84 CFPF 698

$2.89 TOP 6.75

136.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.37 CFPF 753

$3.64 TOP 8.50

102.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 CFPF 397

$3.20 TOP 7.48

21.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 CFPF 332

$2.70 TOP 6.29

20.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 CFPF 305

$2.25 TOP 5.26

32.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CFPF 155

$1.40 TOP 3.28

8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.29 CFPF 1,970

$10.35 TOP 24.16

86.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.34 CFPF 1,567

$17.27 TOP 40.32

-11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 CFPF 552

$3.16 TOP 7.38

71.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CFPF 612

$3.36 TOP 7.84

78.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CFPF 300

$2.06 TOP 4.82

42.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 CFPF 6,355

$41.28 TOP 96.4

50.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 CFPF 547

$2.13 TOP 4.97

151.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 CFPF 103

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.33 CFPF 2,587

$41.20 TOP 96.2

-38.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 CFPF 173

$1.47 TOP 3.43

14.97%

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

$34.2K CFPF 3.5M

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

486.51%

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

$39.3K CFPF 4.0M

$8,185 TOP 19.1K

380.62%

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

$203 CFPF 20.7K

$186 TOP 433

9.37%

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

$40.52 CFPF 4,139

$22.05 TOP 51.5

83.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 CFPF 5,801

$122 TOP 285

-53.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 CFPF 6,261

$30.91 TOP 72.2

98.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 CFPF 806

$41.91 TOP 97.8

-81.17%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 CFPF 1,318

$41.37 TOP 96.6

-68.82%

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

$786 CFPF 80.3K

$156 TOP 365

403.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 591

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.3K

$14.73 TOP 34.39

650.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 CFPF 5,837

$17.74 TOP 41.42

222.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 CFPF 9,485

$20.94 TOP 48.89

343.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$243 CFPF 24.8K

$28.59 TOP 66.7

749.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 CFPF 77.8K

$621 TOP 1,449

22.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 CFPF 80.2K

$50.4 TOP 118

1457.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CFPF 165.0K

$838 TOP 1,956

92.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 CFPF 134.2K

$566 TOP 1,321

132.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,845 CFPF 495.0K

$409 TOP 956

1083.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,596 CFPF 367.3K

$250 TOP 583

1341.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,822 CFPF 288.2K

$669 TOP 1,562

321.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.33

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

Last update for New Caledonia: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $458 in New Caledonia, $205 in Tonga. Capital cities: $785 in Noumea vs $614 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $2,889 in New Caledonia, $674 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 123% higher in New Caledonia.

Dining out costs 143% more in New Caledonia.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 329% higher in New Caledonia, giving New Caledonia stronger purchasing power.

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

New Caledonia vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,181 per month in New Caledonia and $514 in Tonga, there's a 130% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Tonga is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 New Caledonia beats 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 New Caledonia, it works in regional areas but 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; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.