Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $343 in Tonga versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $626 in Tonga versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $908 in Tonga versus $846 in India.

Living in Tonga costs about 12% less than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Tonga 74% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 TOP 19.22

$2.49 ₹237

230.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 TOP 145

$14.20 ₹1,353

336.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 TOP 24.68

$3.98 ₹379

165.58%

Cappuccino

$2.97 TOP 6.94

$1.88 ₹179

57.98%

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

$2.88 TOP 6.72

$0.44 ₹41.98

554.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 TOP 5.62

$0.19 ₹18.57

1168.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.71

$2.02 ₹192

63.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 TOP 11.95

$3.45 ₹329

48.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.67

$0.72 ₹68.3

118.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.40

$0.52 ₹49.26

98.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 TOP 4.83

$0.72 ₹68.7

187.50%

Eggs

$5.11 TOP 11.94

$0.93 ₹88.8

449.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 TOP 21.64

$5.24 ₹499

76.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 TOP 13.39

$3.07 ₹292

86.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 TOP 17.41

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 TOP 6.66

$2.17 ₹207

31.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 TOP 6.27

$0.76 ₹72.2

253.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 TOP 6.75

$1.05 ₹100

175.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.50

$0.53 ₹50.7

586.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 TOP 7.48

$0.39 ₹37.53

720.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 TOP 6.29

$0.49 ₹46.81

451.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.26

$0.52 ₹49.35

332.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.28

$0.33 ₹31.13

324.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 TOP 24.16

$4.05 ₹386

155.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 TOP 40.32

$7.39 ₹704

133.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 TOP 7.38

$1.84 ₹175

71.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 TOP 7.84

$2.90 ₹277

15.86%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 TOP 4.82

$0.36 ₹34.59

472.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.28 TOP 96.4

$9.74 ₹928

323.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 4.97

$0.95 ₹90.6

124.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 TOP 96.2

$1.73 ₹165

2281.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.43

$1.23 ₹117

19.51%

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

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

-57.93%

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

$8,185 TOP 19.1K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

-63.79%

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

$186 TOP 433

$40.88 ₹3,894

353.89%

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

$22.05 TOP 51.5

$3.91 ₹372

463.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 TOP 285

$7.81 ₹744

1464.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 TOP 72.2

$16.15 ₹1,538

91.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.91 TOP 97.8

$7.49 ₹713

459.55%

Cinema Ticket

$41.37 TOP 96.6

$3.42 ₹326

1109.65%

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

$156 TOP 365

$69.9 ₹6,660

123.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 591

$1,793 ₹170.8K

-85.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.73 TOP 34.39

$25.83 ₹2,460

-42.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 TOP 41.42

$26.61 ₹2,535

-33.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.94 TOP 48.89

$45.24 ₹4,309

-53.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.59 TOP 66.7

$33.68 ₹3,208

-15.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 TOP 1,449

$178 ₹17.0K

248.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.4 TOP 118

$115 ₹10.9K

-56.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 TOP 1,956

$407 ₹38.8K

105.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 TOP 1,321

$264 ₹25.1K

114.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 956

$1,240 ₹118.1K

-66.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 TOP 583

$631 ₹60.1K

-60.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 TOP 1,562

$432 ₹41.2K

54.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

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

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $205 in Tonga, $127 in India. Capital cities: $614 in Nuku'alofa vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $674 in Tonga, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 61% higher in Tonga.

Dining out costs 91% more in Tonga.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 69% higher in Tonga, 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $576 per month in India and $514 in Tonga, there's a 12% 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 India 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 India, 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; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.