Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuku'alofa and Mata Utu

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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Nuku'alofa

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,019

/mo nomad

Mata Utu

🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna

$5,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Mata Utu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nuku'alofa is about 81% cheaper than Mata Utu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.52 TOP 20.26

$11.06 CFPF 1,176

-22.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 TOP 147

$111 CFPF 11.8K

-44.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 TOP 24.54

Cappuccino

$2.93 TOP 6.96

$7.68 CFPF 817

-61.85%

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

$2.82 TOP 6.70

$5.73 CFPF 610

-50.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 TOP 5.99

$3.29 CFPF 350

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 TOP 8.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 TOP 11.97

$5.55 CFPF 590

-9.37%

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)

$2.28 TOP 5.42

$11.17 CFPF 1,189

-79.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 TOP 3.37

$4.43 CFPF 471

-67.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 TOP 24.34

$16.77 CFPF 1,784

-38.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.36 TOP 41.28

$16.69 CFPF 1,776

4.01%

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)

$1.47 TOP 3.50

$1.83 CFPF 194

-19.67%

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)

$188 TOP 446

$145 CFPF 15.4K

29.64%

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

$22.27 TOP 52.9

$112 CFPF 12.0K

-80.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$123 TOP 291

$3,335 CFPF 354.8K

-96.33%

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)

$14.35 TOP 34.11

$220 CFPF 23.4K

-93.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.98 TOP 42.74

$91.5 CFPF 9,736

-80.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.42 TOP 48.53

$228 CFPF 24.3K

-91.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.28 TOP 69.6

$283 CFPF 30.1K

-89.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 TOP 1,472

$898 CFPF 95.5K

-31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 CFPF 97.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 TOP 1,976

$2,238 CFPF 238.1K

-62.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 TOP 1,331

$2,282 CFPF 242.8K

-75.46%

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

$3,338 CFPF 355.2K

-79.63%

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

Last update for Nuku'alofa: October 3, 2026

Last update for Mata Utu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nuku'alofa

$332 32.6%

Mata Utu

–

Groceries & Markets

Nuku'alofa

$292 28.6%

Mata Utu

–

Eating Out

Nuku'alofa

$183 17.9%

Mata Utu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Nuku'alofa

$113 11.1%

Mata Utu

–

Getting Around

Nuku'alofa

$63 6.1%

Mata Utu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Nuku'alofa

$37 3.6%

Mata Utu

–

Accommodation & Living

Nuku'alofa

- * 0%

Mata Utu

–

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 $898 in Mata Utu. 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 $62.0 in Nuku'alofa versus $111 in Mata Utu. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Nuku'alofa vs $131 in Mata Utu – so Mata Utu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa

🇼🇫 Mata Utu

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

17:42 5:42 PM

1 h behind Nuku'alofa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,500 Capital

1,200 Capital

💱 Currency

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 TOP = 0.421 USD

1 TOP = 0.375 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, 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).

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).

USD to TOP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Nuku'alofa
Mata Utu

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 Mata Utu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,529 per month in Nuku'alofa and $7,862 in Mata Utu. 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 $62.0 in Nuku'alofa and $111 in Mata Utu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,019 in Nuku'alofa and $5,241 in Mata Utu. 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.