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: $999 in Samoa versus $343 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,576 in Samoa versus $626 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Samoa versus $908 in Tonga.

Living in Samoa is roughly 191% more expensive than Tonga on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Samoa 25% lower, Tonga 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$53.7 WST 146

$8.23 TOP 19.28

552.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.26 WST 98.8

$62.0 TOP 145

-41.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 WST 38.35

$10.57 TOP 24.76

33.21%

Cappuccino

$2.51 WST 6.83

$2.97 TOP 6.96

-15.49%

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

$2.10 WST 5.73

$2.88 TOP 6.74

-27.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 WST 3.47

$2.41 TOP 5.64

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.25 WST 11.59

$3.30 TOP 7.73

28.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 WST 9.54

$5.12 TOP 11.99

-31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 WST 5.00

$1.57 TOP 3.68

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 WST 2.10

$1.03 TOP 2.41

-25.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 WST 4.76

$2.07 TOP 4.85

-15.46%

Eggs

$4.11 WST 11.20

$5.11 TOP 11.98

-19.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$0.92 WST 2.49

$9.27 TOP 21.70

-90.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 WST 9.81

$5.73 TOP 13.43

-37.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.22 WST 22.41

$7.46 TOP 17.47

10.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 WST 13.45

$2.85 TOP 6.68

73.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 WST 4.97

$2.69 TOP 6.29

-31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 WST 4.95

$2.89 TOP 6.77

-37.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 WST 11.74

$3.64 TOP 8.52

18.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 WST 9.49

$3.20 TOP 7.50

8.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 WST 2.99

$2.70 TOP 6.31

-59.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.28

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 WST 3.25

$1.40 TOP 3.29

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 WST 16.46

$10.35 TOP 24.24

-41.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 WST 44.39

$17.27 TOP 40.44

-5.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 WST 4.91

$3.16 TOP 7.40

-43.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 WST 9.51

$3.36 TOP 7.86

3.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 WST 9.52

$2.06 TOP 4.84

69.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.28 TOP 96.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 WST 14.91

$2.13 TOP 4.98

156.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.53 WST 58.7

$41.20 TOP 96.5

-47.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 WST 2.84

$1.47 TOP 3.44

-29.25%

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

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

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

$8,185 TOP 19.2K

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

$17.93 WST 48.84

$186 TOP 434

-90.34%

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

$17.66 WST 48.10

$22.05 TOP 51.6

-19.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.75 WST 97.4

$122 TOP 286

-70.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 TOP 72.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.91 TOP 98.1

Cinema Ticket

$41.37 TOP 96.9

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

$156 TOP 366

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 593

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 WST 139

$14.73 TOP 34.49

245.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 WST 108

$17.74 TOP 41.54

123.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 WST 207

$20.94 TOP 49.04

263.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 WST 271

$28.59 TOP 66.9

247.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 WST 958

$621 TOP 1,453

-43.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 WST 408

$50.4 TOP 118

196.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 WST 1,925

$838 TOP 1,962

-15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 WST 3,091

$566 TOP 1,325

100.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 959

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 TOP 584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 TOP 1,567

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

Last update for Samoa: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 67% 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 $999 per month in Samoa and $514 in Tonga, there's a 94% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Tonga is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Samoa, it works in regional areas but 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.