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 $473 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $343 in Tonga, rent included.

A couple spends around $747 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $624 in Tonga, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,021 per month in Papua New Guinea vs $904 in Tonga, rent included.

The cost of living in Papua New Guinea is about 38% 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 66% lower, Tonga 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 PGK 30.82

$8.37 TOP 19.74

-14.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.01 PGK 195

$62.8 TOP 148

-28.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 PGK 25.09

$10.54 TOP 24.84

-44.97%

Cappuccino

$2.39 PGK 10.36

$2.88 TOP 6.78

-17.01%

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

$0.80 PGK 3.46

$2.76 TOP 6.51

-71.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 PGK 2.94

$2.51 TOP 5.91

-72.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 PGK 11.98

$3.36 TOP 7.92

-17.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 PGK 17.97

$4.92 TOP 11.59

-15.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 PGK 7.99

$1.52 TOP 3.58

21.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 PGK 6.66

$1.06 TOP 2.50

45.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 PGK 6.07

$2.01 TOP 4.75

-30.35%

Eggs

$3.70 PGK 16.00

$5.02 TOP 11.83

-26.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 PGK 27.74

$9.19 TOP 21.66

-30.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PGK 24.95

$5.78 TOP 13.64

-0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 PGK 39.23

$7.77 TOP 18.32

16.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 PGK 17.14

$2.79 TOP 6.58

41.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 PGK 14.80

$2.74 TOP 6.45

24.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 PGK 26.97

$2.93 TOP 6.91

112.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 PGK 21.19

$3.71 TOP 8.75

32.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 PGK 15.53

$3.21 TOP 7.57

11.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 PGK 10.68

$2.65 TOP 6.26

-6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 PGK 7.74

$2.26 TOP 5.34

-20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PGK 4.62

$1.34 TOP 3.17

-20.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 PGK 26.96

$10.22 TOP 24.09

-39.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 PGK 47.78

$17.26 TOP 40.70

-36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 PGK 12.22

$3.13 TOP 7.39

-9.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 PGK 16.45

$3.33 TOP 7.86

14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 PGK 1.90

$2.12 TOP 5.01

-79.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.99 PGK 112

$41.92 TOP 98.8

-38.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 PGK 22.10

$2.13 TOP 5.01

139.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 PGK 9.67

$2.04 TOP 4.81

9.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.45 PGK 62.6

$41.88 TOP 98.8

-65.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 PGK 4.29

$1.47 TOP 3.46

-32.65%

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

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

$5,746 TOP 13.5K

287.59%

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

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

$8,208 TOP 19.4K

186.28%

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

$94.1 PGK 407

$186 TOP 439

-49.44%

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

$28.27 PGK 122

$22.04 TOP 52.0

28.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$120 PGK 520

$126 TOP 297

-4.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 PGK 280

$30.74 TOP 72.5

110.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 PGK 90.7

$42.32 TOP 99.8

-50.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 PGK 39.87

$41.23 TOP 97.2

-77.66%

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

$534 PGK 2,313

$159 TOP 374

237.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

$251 TOP 592

2154.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.36 PGK 153

$14.35 TOP 33.84

146.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.17 PGK 135

$17.50 TOP 41.27

78.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 PGK 299

$20.74 TOP 48.91

233.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 PGK 404

$28.69 TOP 67.6

225.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 PGK 7,161

$617 TOP 1,455

168.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 PGK 1,972

$50.2 TOP 118

808.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

$823 TOP 1,940

215.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 PGK 4,580

$585 TOP 1,379

80.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 PGK 8,867

$422 TOP 995

385.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

$247 TOP 583

1466.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$416 PGK 1,799

$668 TOP 1,576

-37.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

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

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tonga: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $780 in Papua New Guinea vs $208 in Tonga. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,657 in Port Moresby and $624 in Nuku'alofa.

Average salary: $317 in Papua New Guinea vs $682 in Tonga. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 275% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 11% more in Tonga.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 115% 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 51% 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 51% 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.