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 $682 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $343 in Tonga, rent included.

A couple spends around $984 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $626 in Tonga, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,286 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $908 in Tonga, rent included.

Papua New Guinea costs about 99% more than 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

$7.87 PGK 34.33

$8.23 TOP 19.22

-4.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.75 PGK 208

$62.0 TOP 145

-22.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 PGK 25.72

$10.57 TOP 24.68

-44.18%

Cappuccino

$2.31 PGK 10.08

$2.97 TOP 6.94

-22.22%

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

$0.89 PGK 3.90

$2.88 TOP 6.72

-69.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PGK 3.26

$2.41 TOP 5.62

-68.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 PGK 12.40

$3.30 TOP 7.71

-13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 PGK 19.38

$5.12 TOP 11.95

-13.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 PGK 8.61

$1.57 TOP 3.67

25.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 PGK 6.88

$1.03 TOP 2.40

53.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 PGK 6.44

$2.07 TOP 4.83

-28.50%

Eggs

$3.89 PGK 16.95

$5.11 TOP 11.94

-23.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 PGK 26.16

$9.27 TOP 21.64

-35.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 PGK 28.92

$5.73 TOP 13.39

15.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 PGK 39.43

$7.46 TOP 17.41

21.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 PGK 17.75

$2.85 TOP 6.66

42.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 PGK 11.97

$2.69 TOP 6.27

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 PGK 21.42

$2.89 TOP 6.75

69.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 PGK 17.46

$3.64 TOP 8.50

9.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 PGK 14.99

$3.20 TOP 7.48

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 PGK 10.86

$2.70 TOP 6.29

-7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 PGK 12.55

$2.25 TOP 5.26

28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PGK 4.59

$1.40 TOP 3.28

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 PGK 28.52

$10.35 TOP 24.16

-36.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 PGK 48.97

$17.27 TOP 40.32

-34.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 PGK 10.98

$3.16 TOP 7.38

-20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PGK 15.40

$3.36 TOP 7.84

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 PGK 2.20

$2.06 TOP 4.82

-75.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.86 PGK 122

$41.28 TOP 96.4

-32.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 PGK 23.04

$2.13 TOP 4.97

147.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.94 PGK 73.9

$41.20 TOP 96.2

-58.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 PGK 4.84

$1.47 TOP 3.43

-24.49%

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

$24.0K PGK 104.7K

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

311.89%

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

$31.3K PGK 136.3K

$8,185 TOP 19.1K

281.88%

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

$102 PGK 447

$186 TOP 433

-44.81%

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

$48.00 PGK 209

$22.05 TOP 51.5

117.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 PGK 928

$122 TOP 285

74.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 PGK 270

$30.91 TOP 72.2

100.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.34 PGK 53.8

$41.91 TOP 97.8

-70.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 PGK 42.65

$41.37 TOP 96.6

-76.36%

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

$434 PGK 1,893

$156 TOP 365

178.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

$253 TOP 591

1531.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.81 PGK 156

$14.73 TOP 34.39

143.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.50 PGK 155

$17.74 TOP 41.42

100.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 PGK 299

$20.94 TOP 48.89

227.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.6 PGK 291

$28.59 TOP 66.7

133.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

$621 TOP 1,449

390.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 PGK 2,062

$50.4 TOP 118

837.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

$838 TOP 1,956

285.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 PGK 3,189

$566 TOP 1,321

29.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,143 PGK 9,348

$409 TOP 956

423.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

$250 TOP 583

1488.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$427 PGK 1,864

$669 TOP 1,562

-36.16%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,958 in Papua New Guinea vs $205 in Tonga. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,151 in Port Moresby and $614 in Nuku'alofa.

Average salary: $325 in Papua New Guinea vs $674 in Tonga. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 855% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 43% more in Papua New Guinea.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 107% higher in Tonga, giving Tonga stronger purchasing power.

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 64% 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 64% 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.