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: $332 in Tonga versus $1,002 in Samoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $611 in Tonga versus $2,533 in Samoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $890 in Tonga versus $4,063 in Samoa.

Living in Tonga costs about 67% less than in Samoa on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.26 TOP 19.54

$53.0 WST 145

-84.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 TOP 148

$35.49 WST 97.3

76.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 TOP 24.66

$13.82 WST 37.92

-24.53%

Cappuccino

$2.94 TOP 6.96

$2.54 WST 6.97

15.75%

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

$2.90 TOP 6.87

$1.99 WST 5.46

45.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 TOP 5.66

$1.26 WST 3.46

89.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 TOP 7.69

$4.42 WST 12.12

-26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 TOP 11.57

$3.45 WST 9.47

41.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 TOP 3.79

$1.80 WST 4.95

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 TOP 2.40

$0.76 WST 2.10

32.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 TOP 4.75

$1.84 WST 5.05

9.24%

Eggs

$4.96 TOP 11.74

$4.22 WST 11.58

17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 TOP 21.68

$0.85 WST 2.33

978.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 TOP 13.85

$3.64 WST 9.98

60.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 TOP 18.19

$8.39 WST 23.02

-8.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 TOP 6.39

$5.15 WST 14.12

-47.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 TOP 6.74

$1.83 WST 5.01

55.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 TOP 6.68

$1.83 WST 5.01

54.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 TOP 8.58

$4.39 WST 12.04

-17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 TOP 7.34

$3.61 WST 9.90

-13.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 TOP 6.25

$1.05 WST 2.87

151.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 TOP 5.14

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 TOP 3.18

$1.20 WST 3.29

11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.29 TOP 24.34

$6.15 WST 16.86

67.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.71 TOP 39.51

$16.25 WST 44.57

2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 TOP 7.48

$1.84 WST 5.04

71.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 TOP 7.65

$3.61 WST 9.92

-10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 TOP 4.94

$3.63 WST 9.97

-42.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 TOP 96.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 TOP 4.95

$5.30 WST 14.54

-60.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.21 TOP 99.8

$21.05 WST 57.8

100.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.48

$1.05 WST 2.87

40.00%

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

$5,872 TOP 13.9K

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

$8,160 TOP 19.3K

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

$188 TOP 445

$18.13 WST 49.73

936.85%

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

$21.84 TOP 51.6

$17.80 WST 48.83

22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$127 TOP 300

$36.42 WST 99.9

248.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.87 TOP 73.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.29 TOP 100

Cinema Ticket

$40.85 TOP 96.6

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

$156 TOP 370

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$247 TOP 583

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.66 TOP 34.67

$49.65 WST 136

-70.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.94 TOP 42.42

$40.72 WST 112

-55.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.72 TOP 49.00

$75.2 WST 206

-72.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.94 TOP 68.5

$99.4 WST 273

-70.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 TOP 1,453

$348 WST 954

76.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.6 TOP 120

$150 WST 412

-66.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 TOP 1,973

$710 WST 1,948

17.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 TOP 1,367

$1,177 WST 3,229

-50.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$417 TOP 986

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$251 TOP 592

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 TOP 1,632

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

Last update for Tonga: July 22, 2026

Last update for Samoa: July 20, 2026

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 $1,002 per month in Samoa and $499 in Tonga, there's a 101% 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 Samoa 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, $800 covers most cities easily; in Samoa 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; Samoa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.