Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and Papua New Guinea Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and Papua New Guinea

Name: Papua New Guinea
Address: PG

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $343 per month in Tonga vs $687 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $625 per month in Tonga vs $987 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $906 per month in Tonga vs $1,287 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Tonga is roughly 50% lower than in Papua New Guinea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Tonga and Papua New Guinea are more affordable than the global median – Tonga 74% lower, Papua New Guinea 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 TOP 20.08

$7.79 PGK 34.27

8.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 TOP 148

$47.76 PGK 210

30.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 TOP 24.36

$5.87 PGK 25.82

74.96%

Cappuccino

$2.84 TOP 6.74

$2.32 PGK 10.23

22.41%

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

$2.80 TOP 6.64

$0.84 PGK 3.69

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 TOP 5.94

$0.73 PGK 3.22

243.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.82

$2.85 PGK 12.55

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 TOP 11.74

$4.66 PGK 20.51

6.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.73

$1.94 PGK 8.54

-19.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 TOP 2.50

$1.54 PGK 6.78

-31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 TOP 4.79

$1.51 PGK 6.62

33.77%

Eggs

$5.21 TOP 12.36

$3.88 PGK 17.06

34.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 TOP 21.83

$6.26 PGK 27.53

46.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.95 TOP 14.12

$6.44 PGK 28.34

-7.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 TOP 18.63

$9.18 PGK 40.39

-14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 TOP 6.71

$4.06 PGK 17.88

-30.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 TOP 6.75

$2.74 PGK 12.07

3.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 TOP 6.87

$4.75 PGK 20.91

-38.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.64

$3.83 PGK 16.85

-4.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 TOP 7.38

$3.31 PGK 14.58

-6.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 TOP 6.11

$2.53 PGK 11.13

1.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 TOP 5.31

$2.99 PGK 13.15

-25.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 TOP 3.22

$1.05 PGK 4.63

29.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 TOP 23.83

$6.35 PGK 27.96

58.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.20 TOP 40.80

$11.06 PGK 48.65

55.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 TOP 7.36

$2.60 PGK 11.44

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 TOP 8.02

$3.45 PGK 15.20

-2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 TOP 4.91

$0.50 PGK 2.19

314.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.91 TOP 99.4

$28.57 PGK 126

46.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 TOP 4.89

$5.48 PGK 24.13

-62.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 PGK 10.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 TOP 100

$16.47 PGK 72.5

157.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 TOP 3.47

$1.08 PGK 4.76

35.19%

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

$5,729 TOP 13.6K

$23.7K PGK 104.3K

-75.84%

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

$8,279 TOP 19.6K

$31.7K PGK 139.4K

-73.87%

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

$185 TOP 439

$101 PGK 445

82.89%

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

$22.06 TOP 52.3

$48.55 PGK 214

-54.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 TOP 297

$209 PGK 919

-40.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.72 TOP 72.9

$63.4 PGK 279

-51.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.12 TOP 99.9

$12.39 PGK 54.5

239.95%

Cinema Ticket

$41.02 TOP 97.3

$9.39 PGK 41.30

336.85%

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

$160 TOP 380

$439 PGK 1,931

-63.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$252 TOP 599

$4,095 PGK 18.0K

-93.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.69 TOP 34.84

$34.78 PGK 153

-57.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.91 TOP 42.48

$36.12 PGK 159

-50.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.81 TOP 49.37

$67.2 PGK 296

-69.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.61 TOP 70.2

$65.3 PGK 287

-54.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 TOP 1,460

$3,107 PGK 13.7K

-80.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$49.51 TOP 117

$480 PGK 2,110

-89.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 TOP 1,980

$3,175 PGK 14.0K

-73.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 TOP 1,360

$712 PGK 3,132

-19.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$410 TOP 973

$2,131 PGK 9,377

-80.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$248 TOP 587

$3,874 PGK 17.0K

-93.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 TOP 1,638

$432 PGK 1,899

59.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.75

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

Last update for Tonga: July 13, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $208 in Tonga vs $1,962 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $624 in Nuku'alofa and $2,203 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $668 in Tonga vs $319 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 843% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 43% more in Papua New Guinea.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 109% higher in Tonga, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Tonga.

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 Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonga is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 66% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Papua New Guinea, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Papua New Guinea consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Tonga, contributing to the overall 66% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Tonga, but in Papua New Guinea it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Tonga is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.