Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $343 in Tonga versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $626 in Tonga versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $908 in Tonga versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Tonga costs about 52% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Tonga 74% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 TOP 19.22

$2.81 ¥18.98

192.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 TOP 145

$23.30 ¥158

166.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 TOP 24.68

$5.01 ¥33.87

110.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 TOP 6.94

$3.01 ¥20.38

-1.33%

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

$2.88 TOP 6.72

$0.45 ¥3.03

540.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 TOP 5.62

$0.29 ¥1.97

731.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.71

$0.95 ¥6.41

247.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 TOP 11.95

$2.05 ¥13.87

149.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.67

$1.76 ¥11.87

-10.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.40

$1.62 ¥10.98

-36.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 TOP 4.83

$0.95 ¥6.45

117.89%

Eggs

$5.11 TOP 11.94

$1.56 ¥10.55

227.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 TOP 21.64

$13.06 ¥88.3

-29.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 TOP 13.39

$3.28 ¥22.17

74.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 TOP 17.41

$10.65 ¥72.0

-29.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 TOP 6.66

$1.78 ¥12.03

60.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 TOP 6.27

$1.24 ¥8.42

116.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 TOP 6.75

$1.50 ¥10.12

92.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.50

$1.15 ¥7.79

216.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 TOP 7.48

$0.75 ¥5.07

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 TOP 6.29

$0.86 ¥5.81

213.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.26

$0.62 ¥4.17

262.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.28

$0.56 ¥3.81

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 TOP 24.16

$3.51 ¥23.76

194.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 TOP 40.32

$11.66 ¥78.9

48.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 TOP 7.38

$0.80 ¥5.40

295.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 TOP 7.84

$1.66 ¥11.25

102.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 TOP 4.82

$0.43 ¥2.93

379.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.28 TOP 96.4

$20.86 ¥141

97.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 4.97

$1.37 ¥9.26

55.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 TOP 96.2

$6.63 ¥44.82

521.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.43

$1.14 ¥7.69

28.95%

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

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

-69.61%

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

$8,185 TOP 19.1K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

-51.18%

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

$186 TOP 433

$51.2 ¥346

262.61%

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

$22.05 TOP 51.5

$10.16 ¥68.7

117.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 TOP 285

$11.51 ¥77.9

961.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 TOP 72.2

$40.53 ¥274

-23.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.91 TOP 97.8

$15.05 ¥102

178.47%

Cinema Ticket

$41.37 TOP 96.6

$6.10 ¥41.26

578.20%

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

$156 TOP 365

$402 ¥2,719

-61.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 591

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-98.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.73 TOP 34.39

$45.57 ¥308

-67.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 TOP 41.42

$33.26 ¥225

-46.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.94 TOP 48.89

$72.6 ¥491

-71.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.59 TOP 66.7

$74.5 ¥503

-61.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 TOP 1,449

$429 ¥2,903

44.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.4 TOP 118

$257 ¥1,739

-80.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 TOP 1,956

$895 ¥6,055

-6.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 TOP 1,321

$541 ¥3,660

4.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 956

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-91.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 TOP 583

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-89.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 TOP 1,562

$1,055 ¥7,132

-36.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

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

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $205 in Tonga, $286 in China. Capital cities: $614 in Nuku'alofa vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $674 in Tonga, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 40% higher in China.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 28% higher in China, giving Tonga stronger purchasing power.

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

Tonga vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $514 in Tonga, there's a 68% 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 China 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 China, 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; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.