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 $987 in New Caledonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $624 in Tonga versus $1,545 in New Caledonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $904 in Tonga versus $2,102 in New Caledonia.

Living in Tonga costs about 65% less than in New Caledonia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Tonga 75% lower, New Caledonia 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 TOP 19.74

$21.60 CFPF 2,220

-61.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 TOP 148

$115 CFPF 11.8K

-45.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 TOP 24.84

$14.40 CFPF 1,480

-26.81%

Cappuccino

$2.88 TOP 6.78

$4.65 CFPF 478

-38.06%

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

$2.76 TOP 6.51

$2.07 CFPF 213

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 TOP 5.91

$1.28 CFPF 131

96.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 TOP 7.92

$9.46 CFPF 972

-64.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 TOP 11.59

$7.40 CFPF 760

-33.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 TOP 3.58

$1.22 CFPF 126

24.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 TOP 2.50

$3.63 CFPF 373

-70.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 TOP 4.75

$2.33 CFPF 239

-13.73%

Eggs

$5.02 TOP 11.83

$6.61 CFPF 679

-24.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 TOP 21.66

$30.55 CFPF 3,139

-69.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 TOP 13.64

$29.27 CFPF 3,008

-80.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 TOP 18.32

$28.78 CFPF 2,957

-73.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 TOP 6.58

$4.97 CFPF 510

-43.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 TOP 6.45

$7.44 CFPF 765

-63.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 TOP 6.91

$6.22 CFPF 639

-52.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 TOP 8.75

$8.26 CFPF 849

-55.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 TOP 7.57

$5.72 CFPF 588

-43.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 TOP 6.26

$3.85 CFPF 395

-31.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 TOP 5.34

$4.25 CFPF 436

-46.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 TOP 3.17

$1.51 CFPF 155

-11.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.22 TOP 24.09

$19.42 CFPF 1,995

-47.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 TOP 40.70

$15.70 CFPF 1,613

9.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 TOP 7.39

$5.98 CFPF 615

-47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 TOP 7.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 TOP 5.01

$5.01 CFPF 515

-57.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.92 TOP 98.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 5.01

$7.09 CFPF 728

-69.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 TOP 4.81

$1.17 CFPF 120

74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.88 TOP 98.8

$21.49 CFPF 2,208

94.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.46

$1.69 CFPF 174

-13.02%

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

$5,746 TOP 13.5K

$34.1K CFPF 3.5M

-83.17%

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

$8,208 TOP 19.4K

$38.4K CFPF 3.9M

-78.61%

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

$186 TOP 439

$199 CFPF 20.5K

-6.61%

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

$22.04 TOP 52.0

$45.09 CFPF 4,633

-51.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$126 TOP 297

$54.9 CFPF 5,636

129.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.74 TOP 72.5

$53.3 CFPF 5,476

-42.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 TOP 99.8

$8.83 CFPF 908

379.28%

Cinema Ticket

$41.23 TOP 97.2

$14.85 CFPF 1,526

177.64%

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

$159 TOP 374

$782 CFPF 80.4K

-79.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$251 TOP 592

$9,649 CFPF 991.5K

-97.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.35 TOP 33.84

$116 CFPF 11.9K

-87.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.50 TOP 41.27

$67.9 CFPF 6,979

-74.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.74 TOP 48.91

$98.0 CFPF 10.1K

-78.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.69 TOP 67.6

$263 CFPF 27.1K

-89.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 TOP 1,455

$761 CFPF 78.2K

-18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.2 TOP 118

$795 CFPF 81.7K

-93.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 TOP 1,940

$1,587 CFPF 163.1K

-48.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 TOP 1,379

$1,408 CFPF 144.7K

-58.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$422 TOP 995

$4,943 CFPF 507.9K

-91.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$247 TOP 583

$3,550 CFPF 364.8K

-93.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 TOP 1,576

$2,815 CFPF 289.3K

-76.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

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

Last update for Tonga: September 1, 2026

Last update for New Caledonia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $208 in Tonga, $458 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $624 in Nuku'alofa vs $785 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $682 in Tonga, $2,896 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 120% higher in New Caledonia.

Dining out costs 167% more in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 325% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

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 $1,251 per month in New Caledonia and $515 in Tonga, there's a 143% 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 New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia 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; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.