Cost of Living Comparison Between Samoa and Tonga Cost of Living Comparison Between Samoa and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,002 in Samoa versus $332 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,533 in Samoa versus $611 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,063 in Samoa versus $890 in Tonga.

Living in Samoa is roughly 202% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Samoa 25% lower, Tonga 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$53.0 WST 145

$8.26 TOP 19.54

541.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.49 WST 97.3

$62.8 TOP 148

-43.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 WST 37.92

$10.43 TOP 24.66

32.50%

Cappuccino

$2.54 WST 6.97

$2.94 TOP 6.96

-13.61%

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

$1.99 WST 5.46

$2.90 TOP 6.87

-31.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 WST 3.46

$2.39 TOP 5.66

-47.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 WST 12.12

$3.25 TOP 7.69

36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 WST 9.47

$4.89 TOP 11.57

-29.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 WST 4.95

$1.60 TOP 3.79

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 WST 2.10

$1.01 TOP 2.40

-24.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 WST 5.05

$2.01 TOP 4.75

-8.46%

Eggs

$4.22 WST 11.58

$4.96 TOP 11.74

-14.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.85 WST 2.33

$9.17 TOP 21.68

-90.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 WST 9.98

$5.86 TOP 13.85

-37.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.39 WST 23.02

$7.69 TOP 18.19

9.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 WST 14.12

$2.70 TOP 6.39

90.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 WST 5.01

$2.85 TOP 6.74

-35.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 WST 5.01

$2.83 TOP 6.68

-35.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 WST 12.04

$3.63 TOP 8.58

20.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 WST 9.90

$3.11 TOP 7.34

16.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 WST 2.87

$2.64 TOP 6.25

-60.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 TOP 5.14

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 WST 3.29

$1.34 TOP 3.18

-10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 WST 16.86

$10.29 TOP 24.34

-40.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 WST 44.57

$16.71 TOP 39.51

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 WST 5.04

$3.16 TOP 7.48

-41.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 WST 9.92

$3.23 TOP 7.65

11.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 WST 9.97

$2.09 TOP 4.94

73.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 TOP 96.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 WST 14.54

$2.09 TOP 4.95

153.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.05 WST 57.8

$42.21 TOP 99.8

-50.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 WST 2.87

$1.47 TOP 3.48

-28.57%

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

$5,872 TOP 13.9K

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

$8,160 TOP 19.3K

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

$18.13 WST 49.73

$188 TOP 445

-90.36%

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

$17.80 WST 48.83

$21.84 TOP 51.6

-18.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.42 WST 99.9

$127 TOP 300

-71.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.87 TOP 73.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.29 TOP 100

Cinema Ticket

$40.85 TOP 96.6

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

$156 TOP 370

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$247 TOP 583

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 WST 136

$14.66 TOP 34.67

238.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 WST 112

$17.94 TOP 42.42

126.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 WST 206

$20.72 TOP 49.00

262.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 WST 273

$28.94 TOP 68.5

243.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 WST 954

$614 TOP 1,453

-43.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 WST 412

$50.6 TOP 120

196.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 WST 1,948

$834 TOP 1,973

-14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 WST 3,229

$578 TOP 1,367

103.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$417 TOP 986

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$251 TOP 592

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 TOP 1,632

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

Last update for Samoa: July 20, 2026

Last update for Tonga: July 22, 2026

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 71% more in Samoa.

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

Samoa vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,002 per month in Samoa and $499 in Tonga, there's a 101% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Tonga: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Samoa is consistently higher than in Tonga across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Tonga, $800 covers most cities easily; in Samoa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Tonga wins on affordability; Samoa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.