Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and New Caledonia Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and New Caledonia

Name: New Caledonia
Address: NC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $343 in Tonga versus $943 in New Caledonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $626 in Tonga versus $1,462 in New Caledonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $908 in Tonga versus $1,981 in New Caledonia.

Living in Tonga costs about 64% less than in New Caledonia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Tonga 74% lower, New Caledonia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 TOP 19.22

$14.73 CFPF 1,504

-44.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 TOP 145

$97.2 CFPF 9,931

-36.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 TOP 24.68

$14.46 CFPF 1,477

-26.90%

Cappuccino

$2.97 TOP 6.94

$5.82 CFPF 594

-48.97%

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

$2.88 TOP 6.72

$2.40 CFPF 245

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 TOP 5.62

$1.11 CFPF 113

117.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.71

$11.21 CFPF 1,145

-70.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 TOP 11.95

$7.41 CFPF 757

-30.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.67

$1.24 CFPF 127

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.40

$3.08 CFPF 315

-66.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 TOP 4.83

$1.92 CFPF 196

7.81%

Eggs

$5.11 TOP 11.94

$5.72 CFPF 585

-10.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 TOP 21.64

$19.00 CFPF 1,940

-51.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 TOP 13.39

$22.36 CFPF 2,284

-74.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 TOP 17.41

$25.54 CFPF 2,609

-70.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 TOP 6.66

$4.21 CFPF 430

-32.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 TOP 6.27

$7.19 CFPF 734

-62.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 TOP 6.75

$6.84 CFPF 698

-57.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.50

$7.37 CFPF 753

-50.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 TOP 7.48

$3.89 CFPF 397

-17.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 TOP 6.29

$3.25 CFPF 332

-16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.26

$2.99 CFPF 305

-24.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.28

$1.52 CFPF 155

-7.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 TOP 24.16

$19.29 CFPF 1,970

-46.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 TOP 40.32

$15.34 CFPF 1,567

12.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 TOP 7.38

$5.41 CFPF 552

-41.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 TOP 7.84

$5.99 CFPF 612

-43.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 TOP 4.82

$2.93 CFPF 300

-29.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.28 TOP 96.4

$62.2 CFPF 6,355

-33.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 4.97

$5.36 CFPF 547

-60.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 CFPF 103

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 TOP 96.2

$25.33 CFPF 2,587

62.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.43

$1.69 CFPF 173

-13.02%

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

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

$34.2K CFPF 3.5M

-82.95%

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

$8,185 TOP 19.1K

$39.3K CFPF 4.0M

-79.19%

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

$186 TOP 433

$203 CFPF 20.7K

-8.57%

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

$22.05 TOP 51.5

$40.52 CFPF 4,139

-45.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 TOP 285

$56.8 CFPF 5,801

115.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 TOP 72.2

$61.3 CFPF 6,261

-49.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.91 TOP 97.8

$7.89 CFPF 806

431.18%

Cinema Ticket

$41.37 TOP 96.6

$12.90 CFPF 1,318

220.70%

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

$156 TOP 365

$786 CFPF 80.3K

-80.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 591

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.73 TOP 34.39

$111 CFPF 11.3K

-86.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 TOP 41.42

$57.1 CFPF 5,837

-68.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.94 TOP 48.89

$92.9 CFPF 9,485

-77.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.59 TOP 66.7

$243 CFPF 24.8K

-88.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 TOP 1,449

$762 CFPF 77.8K

-18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.4 TOP 118

$785 CFPF 80.2K

-93.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 TOP 1,956

$1,615 CFPF 165.0K

-48.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 TOP 1,321

$1,314 CFPF 134.2K

-56.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 956

$4,845 CFPF 495.0K

-91.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 TOP 583

$3,596 CFPF 367.3K

-93.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 TOP 1,562

$2,822 CFPF 288.2K

-76.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.33

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

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Last update for New Caledonia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $205 in Tonga, $458 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $614 in Nuku'alofa vs $785 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $674 in Tonga, $2,889 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 123% higher in New Caledonia.

Dining out costs 143% more in New Caledonia.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 329% higher in New Caledonia, giving New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,181 per month in New Caledonia and $514 in Tonga, there's a 130% 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 New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia, 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; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.