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 $617 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $624 in Tonga versus $962 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $904 in Tonga versus $1,307 in French Polynesia.

Living in Tonga costs about 44% less than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Tonga 75% lower, French Polynesia 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 TOP 19.74

$17.62 CFPF 1,810

-52.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 TOP 148

$78.3 CFPF 8,044

-19.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 TOP 24.84

$14.82 CFPF 1,523

-28.88%

Cappuccino

$2.88 TOP 6.78

$4.36 CFPF 448

-33.94%

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

$2.76 TOP 6.51

$2.65 CFPF 272

4.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 TOP 5.91

$2.68 CFPF 276

-6.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 TOP 7.92

$4.97 CFPF 510

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 TOP 11.59

$5.97 CFPF 613

-17.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 TOP 3.58

$1.45 CFPF 149

4.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 TOP 2.50

$4.41 CFPF 454

-75.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 TOP 4.75

$1.70 CFPF 174

18.24%

Eggs

$5.02 TOP 11.83

$7.05 CFPF 724

-28.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 TOP 21.66

$36.25 CFPF 3,725

-74.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 TOP 13.64

$16.21 CFPF 1,666

-64.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 TOP 18.32

$24.96 CFPF 2,565

-68.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 TOP 6.58

$5.26 CFPF 540

-46.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 TOP 6.45

$2.87 CFPF 295

-4.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 TOP 6.91

$6.88 CFPF 707

-57.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 TOP 8.75

$7.86 CFPF 808

-52.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 TOP 7.57

$3.09 CFPF 318

3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 TOP 6.26

$2.47 CFPF 254

7.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 TOP 5.34

$3.67 CFPF 377

-38.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 TOP 3.17

$1.27 CFPF 130

5.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.22 TOP 24.09

$13.47 CFPF 1,384

-24.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 TOP 40.70

$24.26 CFPF 2,493

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 TOP 7.39

$2.90 CFPF 298

7.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 TOP 7.86

$3.93 CFPF 404

-15.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 TOP 5.01

$1.93 CFPF 198

9.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.92 TOP 98.8

$14.44 CFPF 1,483

190.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 5.01

$9.61 CFPF 987

-77.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 TOP 4.81

$2.46 CFPF 253

-17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.88 TOP 98.8

$24.04 CFPF 2,470

74.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.46

$1.53 CFPF 157

-3.92%

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

$5,746 TOP 13.5K

$18.7K CFPF 1.9M

-69.22%

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

$8,208 TOP 19.4K

$30.8K CFPF 3.2M

-73.35%

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

$186 TOP 439

$180 CFPF 18.5K

3.19%

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

$22.04 TOP 52.0

$20.11 CFPF 2,067

9.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$126 TOP 297

$72.9 CFPF 7,492

72.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.74 TOP 72.5

$77.5 CFPF 7,960

-60.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 TOP 99.8

Cinema Ticket

$41.23 TOP 97.2

$14.71 CFPF 1,511

180.29%

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

$159 TOP 374

$479 CFPF 49.2K

-66.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$251 TOP 592

$9,901 CFPF 1.0M

-97.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.35 TOP 33.84

$72.3 CFPF 7,430

-80.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.50 TOP 41.27

$73.9 CFPF 7,593

-76.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.74 TOP 48.91

$80.3 CFPF 8,251

-74.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.69 TOP 67.6

$93.4 CFPF 9,593

-69.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 TOP 1,455

$1,287 CFPF 132.3K

-52.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.2 TOP 118

$989 CFPF 101.6K

-94.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 TOP 1,940

$1,910 CFPF 196.2K

-56.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 TOP 1,379

$1,553 CFPF 159.6K

-62.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$422 TOP 995

$7,378 CFPF 758.1K

-94.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$247 TOP 583

$9,236 CFPF 949.0K

-97.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 TOP 1,576

$1,950 CFPF 200.3K

-65.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

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

Last update for Tonga: September 1, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $208 in Tonga, $353 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $624 in Nuku'alofa vs $1,389 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $682 in Tonga, $2,095 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 70% higher in French Polynesia.

Public transport is 600% more expensive 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 $1,169 per month in French Polynesia and $515 in Tonga, there's a 127% 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.