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: $950 in New Caledonia versus $343 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,466 in New Caledonia versus $625 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,982 in New Caledonia versus $906 in Tonga.

Living in New Caledonia is roughly 177% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: New Caledonia 29% lower, Tonga 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 CFPF 1,501

$8.46 TOP 20.08

70.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.3 CFPF 10.0K

$62.5 TOP 148

54.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.50 CFPF 1,509

$10.27 TOP 24.36

41.19%

Cappuccino

$5.87 CFPF 611

$2.84 TOP 6.74

106.69%

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

$2.49 CFPF 259

$2.80 TOP 6.64

-11.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CFPF 111

$2.51 TOP 5.94

-57.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.02 CFPF 1,147

$3.30 TOP 7.82

233.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CFPF 793

$4.95 TOP 11.74

54.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 122

$1.57 TOP 3.73

-25.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CFPF 321

$1.05 TOP 2.50

194.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 CFPF 198

$2.02 TOP 4.79

-5.94%

Eggs

$5.53 CFPF 576

$5.21 TOP 12.36

6.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 CFPF 1,985

$9.20 TOP 21.83

107.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.43 CFPF 2,334

$5.95 TOP 14.12

276.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.35 CFPF 2,741

$7.85 TOP 18.63

235.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 CFPF 437

$2.83 TOP 6.71

48.41%

Banana (1kg)

$7.33 CFPF 763

$2.84 TOP 6.75

158.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.68 CFPF 695

$2.90 TOP 6.87

130.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.37 CFPF 767

$3.64 TOP 8.64

102.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 CFPF 388

$3.11 TOP 7.38

19.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 CFPF 343

$2.58 TOP 6.11

27.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 CFPF 299

$2.24 TOP 5.31

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CFPF 160

$1.36 TOP 3.22

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.61 CFPF 2,041

$10.04 TOP 23.83

95.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 CFPF 1,563

$17.20 TOP 40.80

-12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.19 CFPF 540

$3.10 TOP 7.36

67.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 CFPF 632

$3.38 TOP 8.02

79.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 CFPF 301

$2.07 TOP 4.91

39.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 CFPF 6,598

$41.91 TOP 99.4

51.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 CFPF 562

$2.06 TOP 4.89

162.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 CFPF 104

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.07 CFPF 2,608

$42.36 TOP 100

-40.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 CFPF 176

$1.46 TOP 3.47

15.75%

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

$34.0K CFPF 3.5M

$5,729 TOP 13.6K

492.74%

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

$40.2K CFPF 4.2M

$8,279 TOP 19.6K

385.92%

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

$206 CFPF 21.5K

$185 TOP 439

11.55%

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

$40.45 CFPF 4,208

$22.06 TOP 52.3

83.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 CFPF 6,054

$125 TOP 297

-53.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 CFPF 6,352

$30.72 TOP 72.9

98.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 CFPF 785

$42.12 TOP 99.9

-82.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 CFPF 1,331

$41.02 TOP 97.3

-68.80%

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

$793 CFPF 82.5K

$160 TOP 380

394.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$252 TOP 599

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.6K

$14.69 TOP 34.84

657.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 CFPF 6,005

$17.91 TOP 42.48

222.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CFPF 9,645

$20.81 TOP 49.37

345.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$243 CFPF 25.2K

$29.61 TOP 70.2

719.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 CFPF 78.2K

$615 TOP 1,460

22.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 CFPF 80.9K

$49.51 TOP 117

1470.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CFPF 163.9K

$834 TOP 1,980

88.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 141.4K

$573 TOP 1,360

137.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CFPF 496.2K

$410 TOP 973

1063.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 CFPF 367.1K

$248 TOP 587

1324.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,756 CFPF 286.8K

$690 TOP 1,638

299.28%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tonga: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $459 in New Caledonia, $208 in Tonga. Capital cities: $805 in Noumea vs $624 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $2,814 in New Caledonia, $668 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 121% higher in New Caledonia.

Dining out costs 138% more in New Caledonia.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 321% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

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 $1,195 per month in New Caledonia and $514 in Tonga, there's a 132% 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 New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia 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; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.