Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Tonga

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonga: $1,067 a month against $1,754 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Spain outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

🇪🇸 Spain
$1,754
/mo nomad
🇹🇴 Tonga
$1,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Spain and in Tonga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Spain and in Tonga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,754 in Spain versus $1,067 in Tonga.

  • Spain $1,754
  • Tonga $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,570 in Spain versus $1,901 in Tonga.

  • Spain $2,570
  • Tonga $1,901

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,386 in Spain versus $2,735 in Tonga.

  • Spain $3,386
  • Tonga $2,735

Living in Spain is roughly 64% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

Spain (30% above) and Tonga (21% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Tonga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 €14.73
$8.43 TOP 20.30
96.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.6 €50.4
$62.2 TOP 150
-9.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.24 €10.00
$10.24 TOP 24.66
9.77%
Cappuccino
$2.32 €2.07
$2.93 TOP 7.05
-20.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 €2.28
$2.79 TOP 6.72
-7.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.52 TOP 6.07
-26.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.34 €2.97
$3.22 TOP 7.76
3.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 €3.58
$5.09 TOP 12.26
-21.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Tonga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.53 TOP 3.67
-20.92%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.01 TOP 2.44
52.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 €1.45
$2.04 TOP 4.90
-20.10%
Eggs
$3.30 €2.93
$5.16 TOP 12.44
-36.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.35 €12.76
$8.91 TOP 21.45
61.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.54 €7.60
$5.85 TOP 14.10
45.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.09 €14.31
$7.56 TOP 18.21
112.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 €2.18
$2.73 TOP 6.58
-10.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.79
$2.71 TOP 6.52
-25.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$2.83 TOP 6.81
-26.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.44 €2.17
$3.83 TOP 9.22
-36.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 €1.58
$3.10 TOP 7.48
-42.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 €1.78
$2.66 TOP 6.40
-24.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 €1.15
$2.26 TOP 5.45
-42.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 €0.66
$1.34 TOP 3.24
-44.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.42 €5.71
$10.31 TOP 24.84
-37.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.71 €5.08
$16.99 TOP 40.94
-66.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.15
$3.15 TOP 7.60
-58.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.77
$3.37 TOP 8.12
-40.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Tonga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 €1.51
$2.04 TOP 4.91
-16.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.97 €30.22
$41.75 TOP 101
-18.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.58 €4.07
$2.05 TOP 4.94
123.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$2.11 TOP 5.09
-29.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.59 €21.87
$41.87 TOP 101
-41.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.48 TOP 3.57
17.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K €31.0K
$5,815 TOP 14.0K
499.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.7K €26.4K
$8,165 TOP 19.7K
263.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Tonga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$147 €131
$186 TOP 448
-21.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.90 €15.92
$21.76 TOP 52.4
-17.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.21 €27.76
$124 TOP 299
-74.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Tonga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.57 €39.65
$30.75 TOP 74.1
44.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.01 €13.35
$41.12 TOP 99.1
-63.50%
Cinema Ticket
$9.24 €8.22
$42.25 TOP 102
-78.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Tonga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$529 €470
$156 TOP 377
238.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.4K €9,212
$248 TOP 596
4083.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Tonga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.8 €75.5
$14.49 TOP 34.92
485.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.80 €32.73
$17.69 TOP 42.60
108.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.7 €79.7
$21.07 TOP 50.8
325.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 €94.8
$29.61 TOP 71.3
260.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Tonga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$988 €879
$627 TOP 1,510
57.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$791 €703
$50.1 TOP 121
1477.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,580 €1,405
$846 TOP 2,038
86.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,196 €1,064
$584 TOP 1,406
104.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 €3,610
$415 TOP 1,000
877.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,615 €2,326
$244 TOP 589
969.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Tonga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,923 €1,711
$672 TOP 1,619
186.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
0
-

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

Last update for Spain: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tonga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Spain
$791
Tonga
$50 93.7% $741
Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272
Tonga
$290 6.6% $18
Eating Out
Spain
$237
Tonga
$181 23.6% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$196
Tonga
$332 69.3% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143
Tonga
$37 73.9% $106
Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$63
Tonga
$115 82.8% $52
Getting Around
Spain
$53
Tonga
$63 18.5% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $908 in Spain, $207 in Tonga. Capital cities: $1,506 in Madrid vs $622 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $680 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 339% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 171% more in Spain.

Public transport is 107% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 190% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Spain
🇹🇴 Tonga
🕒 Local time
08:25 8:25 AM
19:25 7:25 PM
11 h ahead of Spain
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
47,415,750
108,020
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.41 TOP (1 TOP = 0.415 USD). 1 EUR = 2.71 TOP (1 TOP = 0.369 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Spain Tonga 17,730 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Spain
  • Tonga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Spain vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Spain or Tonga?
At $1,754 per month in Spain and $1,067 in Tonga, there's a 64% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Spain or Tonga?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Tonga: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Spain and Tonga?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $908 in Spain and $207 in Tonga. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $1,000 go in Spain compared to Tonga?
In Tonga, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Spain and in Tonga?
It depends on what you're after: Tonga wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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