Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palikir and Nuku'alofa

For one person, living costs are similar in Palikir and in Nuku'alofa: $1,021 and $1,019 a month, rent and utilities included.

50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index
49

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

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Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Nuku'alofa

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palikir 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 Palikir and in Nuku'alofa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,021 in Palikir versus $1,019 in Nuku'alofa.

Palikir $1,021
Nuku'alofa $1,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,593 in Palikir versus $1,886 in Nuku'alofa.

Palikir $1,593
Nuku'alofa $1,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,165 in Palikir versus $2,752 in Nuku'alofa.

Palikir $2,165
Nuku'alofa $2,752

Monthly costs are close between Palikir and Nuku'alofa; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Palikir 24% lower, Nuku'alofa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.98 $29.98

$8.52 TOP 20.43

251.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.63 $45.63

$61.8 TOP 148

-26.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 $5.88

$10.32 TOP 24.74

-43.02%

Cappuccino

$2.92 $2.92

$2.93 TOP 7.02

-0.34%

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

$1.13 $1.13

$2.82 TOP 6.75

-59.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.52 TOP 6.03

-19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 $0.99

$3.38 TOP 8.09

-70.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$5.03 TOP 12.07

-59.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.22 $0.22

$1.52 TOP 3.64

-85.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.07 TOP 2.56

104.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.11 TOP 5.07

1.42%

Eggs

$2.34 $2.34

$4.97 TOP 11.91

-52.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$8.75 TOP 20.98

-50.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.91 TOP 14.16

-26.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$7.82 TOP 18.75

-15.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.79 TOP 6.69

27.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.71 TOP 6.49

-8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.87 TOP 6.87

-24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.68 TOP 8.82

-16.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.16 TOP 7.57

6.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.65 TOP 6.34

-15.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.28 TOP 5.46

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.42 TOP 3.40

-21.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.02 $18.02

$10.24 TOP 24.54

75.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$17.36 TOP 41.62

-60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

$3.14 TOP 7.51

-54.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$3.41 TOP 8.18

-58.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.14 TOP 5.12

-62.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.38 $33.38

$41.65 TOP 99.8

-19.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 $6.34

$2.05 TOP 4.92

209.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.07 TOP 4.96

-17.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$41.16 TOP 98.7

-88.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.47 TOP 3.53

117.69%

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

$4,053 $4,053

$5,817 TOP 13.9K

-30.33%

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

$4,073 $4,073

$8,461 TOP 20.3K

-51.87%

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

$39.98 $39.98

$188 TOP 450

-78.69%

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

$15.26 $15.26

$22.27 TOP 53.4

-31.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$261 $261

$123 TOP 294

112.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.13 $41.13

$31.62 TOP 75.8

30.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.37 $20.37

$40.72 TOP 97.6

-49.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 $7.09

$40.75 TOP 97.7

-82.60%

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

$115 $115

$157 TOP 376

-26.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,664 $1,664

$248 TOP 593

572.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.93 $19.93

$14.35 TOP 34.38

38.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.85 $24.85

$17.98 TOP 43.09

38.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$20.42 TOP 48.93

244.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.8 $54.8

$29.28 TOP 70.2

87.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 TOP 1,484

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 TOP 1,992

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 TOP 1,342

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$843 $843

$418 TOP 1,001

101.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$694 $694

$252 TOP 603

175.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 $252

$680 TOP 1,630

-62.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

380000

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

Last update for Palikir: October 6, 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

Palikir

$316 30.8%

Nuku'alofa

$332 32.6% 5.2% $16

Eating Out

Palikir

$314 30.6%

Nuku'alofa

$183 17.9% 41.9% $131

Groceries & Markets

Palikir

$213 20.7%

Nuku'alofa

$292 28.6% 37.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Palikir

$77 7.5%

Nuku'alofa

$37 3.6% 51.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Palikir

$55 5.4%

Nuku'alofa

$113 11.1% 105% $58

Getting Around

Palikir

$51 5%

Nuku'alofa

$63 6.1% 21.7% $11

Accommodation & Living

Palikir

- * 0%

Nuku'alofa

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

Nuku'alofa pays 170% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $46.00 in Palikir vs $62.0 in Nuku'alofa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $292 per month, with Palikir cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇲 Palikir

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

03:18 3:18 AM

2 h ahead of Palikir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,942 Capital

24,500 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 TOP = 0.417 USD

1 TOP = 0.372 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇴 Tongan Paʻanga (T$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.4 TOP (1 TOP = 0.417 USD). 1 EUR = 2.69 TOP (1 TOP = 0.372 EUR).

TOP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Palikir Nuku'alofa 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Palikir
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

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

On paper, salaries run 170% lower in Nuku'alofa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

A monthly transit pass in Nuku'alofa runs roughly 25% less than in Palikir. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Palikir pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,019 in Nuku'alofa versus $1,021 in Palikir, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nuku'alofa but tight or insufficient in Palikir. The gap between the two cities makes Nuku'alofa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Palikir and Nuku'alofa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Nuku'alofa wins on affordability, Palikir on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.