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 $473 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $624 per month in Tonga vs $747 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $904 per month in Tonga vs $1,021 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

The cost of living in Tonga is roughly 27% 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 75% lower, Papua New Guinea 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.37 TOP 19.74

$7.12 PGK 30.82

17.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 TOP 148

$45.01 PGK 195

39.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 TOP 24.84

$5.80 PGK 25.09

81.72%

Cappuccino

$2.88 TOP 6.78

$2.39 PGK 10.36

20.50%

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

$2.76 TOP 6.51

$0.80 PGK 3.46

245.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 TOP 5.91

$0.68 PGK 2.94

269.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 TOP 7.92

$2.77 PGK 11.98

21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 TOP 11.59

$4.15 PGK 17.97

18.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 TOP 3.58

$1.85 PGK 7.99

-17.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 TOP 2.50

$1.54 PGK 6.66

-31.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 TOP 4.75

$1.40 PGK 6.07

43.57%

Eggs

$5.02 TOP 11.83

$3.70 PGK 16.00

35.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 TOP 21.66

$6.41 PGK 27.74

43.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.78 TOP 13.64

$5.76 PGK 24.95

0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 TOP 18.32

$9.06 PGK 39.23

-14.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 TOP 6.58

$3.96 PGK 17.14

-29.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 TOP 6.45

$3.42 PGK 14.80

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 TOP 6.91

$6.23 PGK 26.97

-52.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 TOP 8.75

$4.90 PGK 21.19

-24.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 TOP 7.57

$3.59 PGK 15.53

-10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 TOP 6.26

$2.47 PGK 10.68

7.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 TOP 5.34

$1.79 PGK 7.74

26.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 TOP 3.17

$1.07 PGK 4.62

25.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.22 TOP 24.09

$6.23 PGK 26.96

64.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.26 TOP 40.70

$11.04 PGK 47.78

56.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 TOP 7.39

$2.82 PGK 12.22

10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 TOP 7.86

$3.80 PGK 16.45

-12.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 TOP 5.01

$0.44 PGK 1.90

381.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.92 TOP 98.8

$25.99 PGK 112

61.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 5.01

$5.11 PGK 22.10

-58.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 TOP 4.81

$2.23 PGK 9.67

-8.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.88 TOP 98.8

$14.45 PGK 62.6

189.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.46

$0.99 PGK 4.29

48.48%

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

$5,746 TOP 13.5K

$22.3K PGK 96.4K

-74.20%

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

$8,208 TOP 19.4K

$23.5K PGK 101.7K

-65.07%

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

$186 TOP 439

$94.1 PGK 407

97.79%

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

$22.04 TOP 52.0

$28.27 PGK 122

-22.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$126 TOP 297

$120 PGK 520

4.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.74 TOP 72.5

$64.8 PGK 280

-52.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 TOP 99.8

$20.94 PGK 90.7

102.10%

Cinema Ticket

$41.23 TOP 97.2

$9.21 PGK 39.87

347.67%

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

$159 TOP 374

$534 PGK 2,313

-70.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$251 TOP 592

$5,656 PGK 24.5K

-95.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.35 TOP 33.84

$35.36 PGK 153

-59.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.50 TOP 41.27

$31.17 PGK 135

-43.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.74 TOP 48.91

$69.2 PGK 299

-70.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.69 TOP 67.6

$93.4 PGK 404

-69.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 TOP 1,455

$1,654 PGK 7,161

-62.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.2 TOP 118

$456 PGK 1,972

-88.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 TOP 1,940

$2,599 PGK 11.2K

-68.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 TOP 1,379

$1,058 PGK 4,580

-44.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$422 TOP 995

$2,049 PGK 8,867

-79.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$247 TOP 583

$3,872 PGK 16.8K

-93.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 TOP 1,576

$416 PGK 1,799

60.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.67

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

Last update for Tonga: September 1, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $208 in Tonga vs $780 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $624 in Nuku'alofa and $1,657 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $682 in Tonga vs $317 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 275% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 11% more in Tonga.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 115% 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 51% 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 51% 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.