Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and Samoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and Samoa

Name: Samoa
Address: WS

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $336 in Tonga versus $1,000 in Samoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $623 in Tonga versus $2,533 in Samoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $909 in Tonga versus $4,066 in Samoa.

Living in Tonga costs about 66% less than in Samoa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Tonga 75% lower, Samoa 25% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Tonga: monthly costs span $0 to $1,007, compared to $1,000–$1,000 in Samoa. City choice carries more weight in Tonga.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.15 TOP 19.48

$53.8 WST 145

-84.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 TOP 149

$35.26 WST 95.2

76.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 TOP 24.43

$13.62 WST 36.78

-24.96%

Cappuccino

$2.92 TOP 6.99

$2.43 WST 6.57

20.16%

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

$2.77 TOP 6.61

$2.07 WST 5.59

33.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 TOP 5.93

$1.31 WST 3.54

89.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 TOP 7.71

$4.18 WST 11.30

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 TOP 11.75

$3.56 WST 9.62

38.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 TOP 3.64

$1.76 WST 4.76

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.45

$0.82 WST 2.20

25.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 TOP 4.97

$1.82 WST 4.92

14.29%

Eggs

$4.98 TOP 11.91

$4.31 WST 11.64

15.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 TOP 21.59

$0.86 WST 2.32

950.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 TOP 13.76

$3.53 WST 9.52

63.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.74 TOP 18.50

$7.99 WST 21.58

-3.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 TOP 6.73

$4.87 WST 13.15

-42.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 TOP 6.75

$1.77 WST 4.77

59.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 TOP 6.82

$1.75 WST 4.74

63.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 TOP 8.76

$4.24 WST 11.45

-13.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 TOP 7.39

$3.50 WST 9.46

-11.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 TOP 6.21

$1.04 WST 2.82

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.34

$1.15 WST 3.10

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 TOP 23.87

$5.98 WST 16.15

67.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.18 TOP 41.06

$16.22 WST 43.78

5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 TOP 7.49

$1.82 WST 4.92

72.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 TOP 7.96

$3.53 WST 9.54

-5.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 TOP 4.88

$3.49 WST 9.42

-41.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.20 TOP 98.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 TOP 5.03

$5.24 WST 14.15

-59.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.98 TOP 100

$21.25 WST 57.4

97.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 TOP 3.57

$1.05 WST 2.83

41.90%

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

$5,702 TOP 13.6K

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

$8,225 TOP 19.7K

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

$184 TOP 441

$18.17 WST 49.07

914.42%

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

$22.08 TOP 52.8

$18.10 WST 48.87

21.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 TOP 298

$35.32 WST 95.4

253.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 TOP 75.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.32 TOP 98.7

Cinema Ticket

$41.41 TOP 99.0

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

$157 TOP 375

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$250 TOP 599

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.32 TOP 34.23

$49.88 WST 135

-71.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.51 TOP 41.85

$40.32 WST 109

-56.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.86 TOP 49.86

$73.9 WST 199

-71.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.53 TOP 70.6

$101 WST 273

-70.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 TOP 1,468

$345 WST 933

77.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.8 TOP 122

$147 WST 398

-65.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 TOP 2,012

$706 WST 1,907

19.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 TOP 1,369

$1,155 WST 3,120

-50.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$411 TOP 983

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$249 TOP 596

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 TOP 1,625

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

Last update for Tonga: April 21, 2026

Last update for Samoa: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $204 in Tonga, $0 in Samoa. Capital cities: $611 in Nuku'alofa vs $0 in Apia.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 71% more in Samoa.

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 Samoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,000 per month in Samoa and $504 in Tonga, there's a 99% 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 Samoa 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 Samoa, 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; Samoa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.