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 $682 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A couple spends around $626 per month in Tonga vs $984 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

A family of three spends $908 per month in Tonga vs $1,286 in Papua New Guinea, rent included.

Tonga is roughly 50% cheaper than 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

$8.23 TOP 19.22

$7.87 PGK 34.33

4.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 TOP 145

$47.75 PGK 208

29.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 TOP 24.68

$5.90 PGK 25.72

79.15%

Cappuccino

$2.97 TOP 6.94

$2.31 PGK 10.08

28.57%

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

$2.88 TOP 6.72

$0.89 PGK 3.90

223.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 TOP 5.62

$0.75 PGK 3.26

221.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.71

$2.84 PGK 12.40

16.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 TOP 11.95

$4.44 PGK 19.38

15.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.67

$1.97 PGK 8.61

-20.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.40

$1.58 PGK 6.88

-34.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 TOP 4.83

$1.48 PGK 6.44

39.86%

Eggs

$5.11 TOP 11.94

$3.89 PGK 16.95

31.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 TOP 21.64

$6.00 PGK 26.16

54.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 TOP 13.39

$6.63 PGK 28.92

-13.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 TOP 17.41

$9.04 PGK 39.43

-17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 TOP 6.66

$4.07 PGK 17.75

-29.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 TOP 6.27

$2.74 PGK 11.97

-1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 TOP 6.75

$4.91 PGK 21.42

-41.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.50

$4.00 PGK 17.46

-9.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 TOP 7.48

$3.44 PGK 14.99

-6.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 TOP 6.29

$2.49 PGK 10.86

8.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.26

$2.88 PGK 12.55

-21.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.28

$1.05 PGK 4.59

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 TOP 24.16

$6.54 PGK 28.52

58.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 TOP 40.32

$11.23 PGK 48.97

53.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 TOP 7.38

$2.52 PGK 10.98

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 TOP 7.84

$3.53 PGK 15.40

-4.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 TOP 4.82

$0.50 PGK 2.20

312.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.28 TOP 96.4

$27.86 PGK 122

48.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 4.97

$5.28 PGK 23.04

-59.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 PGK 10.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 TOP 96.2

$16.94 PGK 73.9

143.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.43

$1.11 PGK 4.84

32.43%

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

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

$24.0K PGK 104.7K

-75.72%

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

$8,185 TOP 19.1K

$31.3K PGK 136.3K

-73.81%

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

$186 TOP 433

$102 PGK 447

81.20%

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

$22.05 TOP 51.5

$48.00 PGK 209

-54.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 TOP 285

$213 PGK 928

-42.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 TOP 72.2

$62.0 PGK 270

-50.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.91 TOP 97.8

$12.34 PGK 53.8

239.63%

Cinema Ticket

$41.37 TOP 96.6

$9.78 PGK 42.65

323.01%

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

$156 TOP 365

$434 PGK 1,893

-64.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 591

$4,128 PGK 18.0K

-93.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.73 TOP 34.39

$35.81 PGK 156

-58.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 TOP 41.42

$35.50 PGK 155

-50.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.94 TOP 48.89

$68.5 PGK 299

-69.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.59 TOP 66.7

$66.6 PGK 291

-57.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 TOP 1,449

$3,043 PGK 13.3K

-79.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.4 TOP 118

$473 PGK 2,062

-89.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 TOP 1,956

$3,230 PGK 14.1K

-74.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 TOP 1,321

$731 PGK 3,189

-22.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 956

$2,143 PGK 9,348

-80.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 TOP 583

$3,963 PGK 17.3K

-93.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 TOP 1,562

$427 PGK 1,864

56.63%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Papua New Guinea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $205 in Tonga vs $1,958 in Papua New Guinea. For reference, capital cities sit at $614 in Nuku'alofa and $2,151 in Port Moresby.

Average salary: $674 in Tonga vs $325 in Papua New Guinea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 855% higher in Papua New Guinea.

Dining out costs 43% more in Papua New Guinea.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Tonga.

Salaries are 107% 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 Papua New Guinea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tonga is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 64% 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 64% 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.