Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Tonga Cost of Living Comparison Between Papua New Guinea and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $687 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $343 in Tonga, rent included.

A couple spends around $987 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $625 in Tonga, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,287 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $906 in Tonga, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is about 100% higher than in Tonga on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Papua New Guinea and Tonga are more affordable than the global median – Papua New Guinea 49% lower, Tonga 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 PGK 34.27

$8.46 TOP 20.08

-7.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 PGK 210

$62.5 TOP 148

-23.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 PGK 25.82

$10.27 TOP 24.36

-42.84%

Cappuccino

$2.32 PGK 10.23

$2.84 TOP 6.74

-18.31%

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

$0.84 PGK 3.69

$2.80 TOP 6.64

-70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 PGK 3.22

$2.51 TOP 5.94

-70.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 PGK 12.55

$3.30 TOP 7.82

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 PGK 20.51

$4.95 TOP 11.74

-5.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 PGK 8.54

$1.57 TOP 3.73

23.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.78

$1.05 TOP 2.50

46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 PGK 6.62

$2.02 TOP 4.79

-25.25%

Eggs

$3.88 PGK 17.06

$5.21 TOP 12.36

-25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 PGK 27.53

$9.20 TOP 21.83

-31.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 PGK 28.34

$5.95 TOP 14.12

8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 PGK 40.39

$7.85 TOP 18.63

16.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 PGK 17.88

$2.83 TOP 6.71

43.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 12.07

$2.84 TOP 6.75

-3.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.75 PGK 20.91

$2.90 TOP 6.87

63.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 PGK 16.85

$3.64 TOP 8.64

5.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 PGK 14.58

$3.11 TOP 7.38

6.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 PGK 11.13

$2.58 TOP 6.11

-1.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 PGK 13.15

$2.24 TOP 5.31

33.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.63

$1.36 TOP 3.22

-22.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 PGK 27.96

$10.04 TOP 23.83

-36.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 PGK 48.65

$17.20 TOP 40.80

-35.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 PGK 11.44

$3.10 TOP 7.36

-16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 PGK 15.20

$3.38 TOP 8.02

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.19

$2.07 TOP 4.91

-75.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.57 PGK 126

$41.91 TOP 99.4

-31.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 PGK 24.13

$2.06 TOP 4.89

166.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 PGK 10.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.47 PGK 72.5

$42.36 TOP 100

-61.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 PGK 4.76

$1.46 TOP 3.47

-26.03%

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

$23.7K PGK 104.3K

$5,729 TOP 13.6K

313.94%

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

$31.7K PGK 139.4K

$8,279 TOP 19.6K

282.69%

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

$101 PGK 445

$185 TOP 439

-45.32%

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

$48.55 PGK 214

$22.06 TOP 52.3

120.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$209 PGK 919

$125 TOP 297

66.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 PGK 279

$30.72 TOP 72.9

106.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.39 PGK 54.5

$42.12 TOP 99.9

-70.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 PGK 41.30

$41.02 TOP 97.3

-77.11%

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

$439 PGK 1,931

$160 TOP 380

173.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,095 PGK 18.0K

$252 TOP 599

1522.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.78 PGK 153

$14.69 TOP 34.84

136.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 PGK 159

$17.91 TOP 42.48

101.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 PGK 296

$20.81 TOP 49.37

222.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.3 PGK 287

$29.61 TOP 70.2

120.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 PGK 13.7K

$615 TOP 1,460

404.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 PGK 2,110

$49.51 TOP 117

868.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,175 PGK 14.0K

$834 TOP 1,980

280.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 PGK 3,132

$573 TOP 1,360

24.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,131 PGK 9,377

$410 TOP 973

419.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,874 PGK 17.0K

$248 TOP 587

1464.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$432 PGK 1,899

$690 TOP 1,638

-37.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tonga: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,962 in Papua New Guinea vs $208 in Tonga. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,203 in Port Moresby and $624 in Nuku'alofa.

Average salary: $319 in Papua New Guinea vs $668 in Tonga. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 843% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 43% more in Papua New Guinea.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 109% higher in Tonga, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Tonga.

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

Papua New Guinea vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonga is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 66% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Papua New Guinea, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Papua New Guinea consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Tonga, contributing to the overall 66% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Tonga, but in Papua New Guinea it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Tonga is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.