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 $789 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $626 in Tonga versus $1,193 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $908 in Tonga versus $1,597 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 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 TOP 19.22

$15.84 CFPF 1,618

-48.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 TOP 145

$81.2 CFPF 8,292

-23.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 TOP 24.68

$12.08 CFPF 1,234

-12.50%

Cappuccino

$2.97 TOP 6.94

$4.44 CFPF 453

-33.11%

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

$2.88 TOP 6.72

$2.67 CFPF 273

7.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 TOP 5.62

$2.11 CFPF 215

14.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.71

$4.87 CFPF 498

-32.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 TOP 11.95

$4.93 CFPF 503

3.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.67

$1.50 CFPF 153

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.40

$2.76 CFPF 281

-62.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 TOP 4.83

$1.68 CFPF 171

23.21%

Eggs

$5.11 TOP 11.94

$7.17 CFPF 732

-28.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 TOP 21.64

$38.65 CFPF 3,948

-76.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 TOP 13.39

$16.50 CFPF 1,685

-65.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 TOP 17.41

$26.66 CFPF 2,723

-72.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 TOP 6.66

$5.68 CFPF 580

-49.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 TOP 6.27

$2.49 CFPF 254

8.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 TOP 6.75

$6.94 CFPF 709

-58.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.50

$7.77 CFPF 794

-53.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 TOP 7.48

$2.93 CFPF 299

9.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 TOP 6.29

$2.71 CFPF 277

-0.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.26

$3.86 CFPF 394

-41.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.28

$1.17 CFPF 120

19.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 TOP 24.16

$11.90 CFPF 1,216

-13.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 TOP 40.32

$24.41 CFPF 2,493

-29.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 TOP 7.38

$2.55 CFPF 261

23.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 TOP 7.84

$4.78 CFPF 489

-29.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 TOP 4.82

$1.99 CFPF 204

3.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.28 TOP 96.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 4.97

$9.91 CFPF 1,012

-78.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 TOP 96.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.43

$1.57 CFPF 160

-6.37%

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

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

-69.84%

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

$8,185 TOP 19.1K

$29.1K CFPF 3.0M

-71.92%

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

$186 TOP 433

$178 CFPF 18.2K

4.10%

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

$22.05 TOP 51.5

$17.55 CFPF 1,793

25.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 TOP 285

$103 CFPF 10.5K

19.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 TOP 72.2

$75.5 CFPF 7,715

-59.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.91 TOP 97.8

$17.85 CFPF 1,824

134.79%

Cinema Ticket

$41.37 TOP 96.6

$14.57 CFPF 1,488

183.94%

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

$156 TOP 365

$479 CFPF 49.0K

-67.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 591

$9,811 CFPF 1.0M

-97.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.73 TOP 34.39

$98.8 CFPF 10.1K

-85.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 TOP 41.42

$87.0 CFPF 8,888

-79.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.94 TOP 48.89

$109 CFPF 11.2K

-80.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.59 TOP 66.7

$110 CFPF 11.2K

-73.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 TOP 1,449

$1,322 CFPF 135.1K

-53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.4 TOP 118

$1,095 CFPF 111.8K

-95.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 TOP 1,956

$2,149 CFPF 219.5K

-61.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 TOP 1,321

$1,854 CFPF 189.4K

-69.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 956

$8,774 CFPF 896.3K

-95.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 TOP 583

$7,922 CFPF 809.3K

-96.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 TOP 1,562

$1,934 CFPF 197.6K

-65.40%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $205 in Tonga, $532 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $614 in Nuku'alofa vs $1,231 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $674 in Tonga, $2,100 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 160% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 11% more in Tonga.

Salaries are 212% higher in French Polynesia, giving French Polynesia 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 French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,150 per month in French Polynesia and $514 in Tonga, there's a 124% 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 French Polynesia 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 French Polynesia, 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; French Polynesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.