Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Nuku'alofa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuku'alofa: $1,019 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Nuku'alofa
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Nuku'alofa Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Nuku'alofa

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Nuku'alofa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,182 in Sydney versus $1,019 in Nuku'alofa.

Sydney $3,182
Nuku'alofa $1,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,696 in Sydney versus $1,886 in Nuku'alofa.

Sydney $4,696
Nuku'alofa $1,886

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,210 in Sydney versus $2,752 in Nuku'alofa.

Sydney $6,210
Nuku'alofa $2,752

Living in Sydney is roughly 212% more expensive than in Nuku'alofa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 137% above, Nuku'alofa is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.37

$8.52 TOP 20.26

107.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$139

$61.8 TOP 147

57.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.15

$10.32 TOP 24.54

15.70%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.75

$2.93 TOP 6.96

36.52%

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

$2.84 A$4.07

$2.82 TOP 6.70

0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.26

$2.52 TOP 5.99

-9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.33

$3.38 TOP 8.02

133.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.24

$5.03 TOP 11.97

41.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.39

$1.52 TOP 3.61

9.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.01

$1.07 TOP 2.54

160.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$2.11 TOP 5.02

9.95%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.94

$4.97 TOP 11.81

11.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.35

$8.75 TOP 20.81

38.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.14

$5.91 TOP 14.04

66.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.87

$7.82 TOP 18.60

112.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.78

$2.79 TOP 6.63

44.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$2.71 TOP 6.44

16.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.03

$2.87 TOP 6.81

21.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.42

$3.68 TOP 8.75

21.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.77

$3.16 TOP 7.51

5.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.65 TOP 6.29

-13.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.37

$2.28 TOP 5.42

2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.66

$1.42 TOP 3.37

-19.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.7

$10.24 TOP 24.34

339.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$20.05

$17.36 TOP 41.28

-19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.72

$3.14 TOP 7.45

26.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.84

$3.41 TOP 8.11

19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.54

$2.14 TOP 5.08

47.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$41.65 TOP 99.0

260.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.96

$2.05 TOP 4.88

68.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.34

$2.07 TOP 4.92

-21.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.4

$41.16 TOP 97.9

-2.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.47 TOP 3.50

-4.76%

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

$28.4K A$40.8K

$5,817 TOP 13.8K

388.55%

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

$29.4K A$42.2K

$8,461 TOP 20.1K

247.53%

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

$220 A$316

$188 TOP 446

17.21%

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

$27.70 A$39.79

$22.27 TOP 52.9

24.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.8

$123 TOP 291

-54.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$107

$31.62 TOP 75.2

135.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.41

$40.72 TOP 96.8

-41.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.46

$40.75 TOP 96.9

-56.49%

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

$2,157 A$3,098

$157 TOP 373

1275.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.6K

$248 TOP 589

11325.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$14.35 TOP 34.11

446.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

$17.98 TOP 42.74

292.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$20.42 TOP 48.53

445.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$29.28 TOP 69.6

349.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,612

$619 TOP 1,472

306.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,487

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$7,022

$831 TOP 1,976

488.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,365

$560 TOP 1,331

442.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$19.0K

$418 TOP 993

3064.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.7K

$252 TOP 598

3124.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,864

$680 TOP 1,616

500.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nuku'alofa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Nuku'alofa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Nuku'alofa

$292 28.6% 23.3% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Nuku'alofa

$332 32.6% 9.7% $29

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Nuku'alofa

$183 17.9% 39% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Nuku'alofa

$37 3.6% 79.1% $140

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Nuku'alofa

$63 6.1% 64.1% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Nuku'alofa

$113 11.1% 3.1% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,514 in Sydney and $619 in Nuku'alofa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 500% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $97.0 in Sydney vs $62.0 in Nuku'alofa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $292 per month, with Nuku'alofa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇹🇴 Nuku'alofa

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

18:42 6:42 PM

2 h ahead of Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

24,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

1 TOP = 0.421 USD

1 TOP = 0.375 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.38 TOP (1 TOP = 0.421 USD). 1 EUR = 2.67 TOP (1 TOP = 0.375 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Nuku'alofa 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Nuku'alofa

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

Sydney vs Nuku'alofa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Nuku'alofa differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($3,182 vs $1,019 including rent). Nuku'alofa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 500% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,514 in Sydney versus $619 in Nuku'alofa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nuku'alofa – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $97.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,182 per month in Sydney versus $1,019 in Nuku'alofa – a 212% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,019 in Nuku'alofa versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nuku'alofa but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Nuku'alofa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sydney and Nuku'alofa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nuku'alofa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.