Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuku'alofa and Majuro

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuku'alofa: $1,019 a month against $2,127 in Majuro, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Nuku'alofa
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Nuku'alofa Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
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Majuro Living Index

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Nuku'alofa

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,019

/mo nomad

Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nuku'alofa and in Majuro

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

A single person spends $1,019 per month in Nuku'alofa vs $2,127 in Majuro, rent included.

Nuku'alofa $1,019
Majuro $2,127

A couple spends around $1,886 per month in Nuku'alofa vs $2,970 in Majuro, rent included.

Nuku'alofa $1,886
Majuro $2,970

A family of three spends $2,752 per month in Nuku'alofa vs $3,812 in Majuro, rent included.

Nuku'alofa $2,752
Majuro $3,812

Nuku'alofa is about 52% cheaper than Majuro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nuku'alofa sits 24% below the global median, while Majuro is 59% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 TOP 20.26

$9.92 $9.92

-14.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 TOP 147

$29.92 $29.92

106.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 TOP 24.54

$10.56 $10.56

-2.27%

Cappuccino

$2.93 TOP 6.96

$4.35 $4.35

-32.64%

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

$2.82 TOP 6.70

$1.79 $1.79

57.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 TOP 5.99

$2.02 $2.02

24.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 TOP 8.02

$4.48 $4.48

-24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 TOP 11.97

$5.14 $5.14

-2.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 TOP 3.61

$2.23 $2.23

-31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 TOP 2.54

$3.44 $3.44

-68.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 TOP 5.02

$1.77 $1.77

19.21%

Eggs

$4.97 TOP 11.81

$5.14 $5.14

-3.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 TOP 20.81

$30.83 $30.83

-71.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 TOP 14.04

$11.07 $11.07

-46.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 TOP 18.60

$18.03 $18.03

-56.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 TOP 6.63

$4.28 $4.28

-34.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 TOP 6.44

$7.14 $7.14

-62.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 TOP 6.81

$8.93 $8.93

-67.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 TOP 8.75

$12.84 $12.84

-71.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 TOP 7.51

$5.16 $5.16

-38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 TOP 6.29

$5.60 $5.60

-52.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 TOP 5.42

$3.79 $3.79

-39.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 TOP 3.37

$1.88 $1.88

-24.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 TOP 24.34

$5.98 $5.98

71.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.36 TOP 41.28

$9.99 $9.99

73.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 TOP 7.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 TOP 8.11

$2.50 $2.50

36.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 TOP 5.08

$2.91 $2.91

-26.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.65 TOP 99.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 TOP 4.88

$2.68 $2.68

-23.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 TOP 4.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.16 TOP 97.9

$5.11 $5.11

705.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.50

$1.77 $1.77

-16.95%

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

$5,817 TOP 13.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

-76.83%

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

$8,461 TOP 20.1K

$34.8K $34.8K

-75.68%

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

$188 TOP 446

$252 $252

-25.58%

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

$22.27 TOP 52.9

$37.28 $37.28

-40.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$123 TOP 291

$80.2 $80.2

52.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.62 TOP 75.2

$37.80 $37.80

-16.35%

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

$148 $148

5.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$248 TOP 589

$2,635 $2,635

-90.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.35 TOP 34.11

$70.8 $70.8

-79.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.98 TOP 42.74

$40.02 $40.02

-55.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.42 TOP 48.53

$30.23 $30.23

-32.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.28 TOP 69.6

$50.1 $50.1

-41.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 TOP 1,472

$790 $790

-21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 $883

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 TOP 1,976

$1,334 $1,334

-37.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 TOP 1,331

$1,262 $1,262

-55.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$418 TOP 993

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$252 TOP 598

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 TOP 1,616

$1,007 $1,007

-32.49%

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

Last update for Nuku'alofa: October 3, 2026

Last update for Majuro: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nuku'alofa

$332 32.6%

Majuro

$370 17.3% 11.2% $37

Groceries & Markets

Nuku'alofa

$292 28.6%

Majuro

$540 * 25.2% 85.1% $248

Eating Out

Nuku'alofa

$183 17.9%

Majuro

$211 9.9% 15.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Nuku'alofa

$113 11.1%

Majuro

$38 * 1.8% 66.6% $75

Getting Around

Nuku'alofa

$63 6.1%

Majuro

$14 * 0.7% 77.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Nuku'alofa

$37 3.6%

Majuro

$86 4% 133% $49

Accommodation & Living

Nuku'alofa

- * 0%

Majuro

$883 41.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Nuku'alofa versus $790 in Majuro. 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 48% higher in Majuro, 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 $62.0 in Nuku'alofa versus $30.00 in Majuro. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Nuku'alofa vs $540 in Majuro – so Nuku'alofa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa

🇲🇭 Majuro

🕒 Local time

14:11 2:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

1 h behind Nuku'alofa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,500 Capital

26,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 TOP = 0.421 USD

1 TOP = 0.375 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TOP – Tongan Paʻanga Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇴 Tongan Paʻanga (T$)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to TOP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Nuku'alofa Majuro 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nuku'alofa
Majuro

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

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

Yes – Majuro is pricier by about 109%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,529 per month in Nuku'alofa and $3,190 in Majuro. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,019 in Nuku'alofa and $2,127 in Majuro. That's a gap of about 109%.

Kindergarten costs $157 per month in Nuku'alofa and $148 in Majuro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nuku'alofa, where all-in costs run around $1,019, than in Majuro at $2,127. In Nuku'alofa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Majuro 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, Majuro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.