Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and French Polynesia Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $343 in Tonga versus $796 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $625 in Tonga versus $1,203 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $906 in Tonga versus $1,609 in French Polynesia.

Living in Tonga costs about 57% less than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Tonga 74% lower, French Polynesia 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 TOP 20.08

$15.70 CFPF 1,634

-46.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 TOP 148

$81.1 CFPF 8,438

-22.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 TOP 24.36

$12.02 CFPF 1,251

-14.56%

Cappuccino

$2.84 TOP 6.74

$4.45 CFPF 463

-36.18%

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

$2.80 TOP 6.64

$2.65 CFPF 276

5.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 TOP 5.94

$2.10 CFPF 219

19.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.82

$4.85 CFPF 504

-31.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 TOP 11.74

$4.93 CFPF 512

0.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.73

$1.43 CFPF 149

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 TOP 2.50

$2.85 CFPF 297

-63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 TOP 4.79

$1.67 CFPF 174

20.96%

Eggs

$5.21 TOP 12.36

$7.16 CFPF 745

-27.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 TOP 21.83

$39.04 CFPF 4,062

-76.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.95 TOP 14.12

$16.82 CFPF 1,751

-64.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 TOP 18.63

$27.69 CFPF 2,881

-71.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 TOP 6.71

$5.56 CFPF 579

-49.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 TOP 6.75

$2.41 CFPF 250

17.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 TOP 6.87

$6.77 CFPF 705

-57.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.64

$7.73 CFPF 804

-52.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 TOP 7.38

$2.93 CFPF 305

6.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 TOP 6.11

$2.62 CFPF 273

-1.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 TOP 5.31

$3.80 CFPF 395

-41.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 TOP 3.22

$1.11 CFPF 116

22.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 TOP 23.83

$11.83 CFPF 1,231

-15.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.20 TOP 40.80

$23.74 CFPF 2,471

-27.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 TOP 7.36

$2.55 CFPF 265

21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 TOP 8.02

$4.78 CFPF 498

-29.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 TOP 4.91

$1.98 CFPF 206

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.91 TOP 99.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 TOP 4.89

$9.50 CFPF 988

-78.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 TOP 100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 TOP 3.47

$1.58 CFPF 165

-7.59%

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

$5,729 TOP 13.6K

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

-70.36%

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

$8,279 TOP 19.6K

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

-71.16%

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

$185 TOP 439

$180 CFPF 18.7K

2.86%

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

$22.06 TOP 52.3

$17.28 CFPF 1,798

27.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 TOP 297

$102 CFPF 10.6K

22.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.72 TOP 72.9

$72.9 CFPF 7,585

-57.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.12 TOP 99.9

$17.59 CFPF 1,831

139.45%

Cinema Ticket

$41.02 TOP 97.3

$14.78 CFPF 1,538

177.54%

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

$160 TOP 380

$483 CFPF 50.3K

-66.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$252 TOP 599

$9,795 CFPF 1.0M

-97.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.69 TOP 34.84

$97.8 CFPF 10.2K

-84.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.91 TOP 42.48

$86.5 CFPF 9,002

-79.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.81 TOP 49.37

$108 CFPF 11.3K

-80.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.61 TOP 70.2

$106 CFPF 11.0K

-72.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 TOP 1,460

$1,312 CFPF 136.5K

-53.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$49.51 TOP 117

$1,105 CFPF 115.0K

-95.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 TOP 1,980

$2,148 CFPF 223.5K

-61.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 TOP 1,360

$1,860 CFPF 193.5K

-69.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$410 TOP 973

$8,319 CFPF 865.6K

-95.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$248 TOP 587

$7,635 CFPF 794.5K

-96.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 TOP 1,638

$1,899 CFPF 197.5K

-63.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

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

Last update for Tonga: July 13, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $208 in Tonga, $534 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $624 in Nuku'alofa vs $1,219 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $668 in Tonga, $2,050 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 157% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 11% more in Tonga.

Salaries are 207% higher in French Polynesia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

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 French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,148 per month in French Polynesia and $514 in Tonga, there's a 123% 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 French Polynesia 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, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in French Polynesia 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; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.