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: $343 in Tonga versus $999 in Samoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $626 in Tonga versus $2,576 in Samoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $908 in Tonga versus $4,152 in Samoa.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Tonga 74% lower, Samoa 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 TOP 19.28

$53.7 WST 146

-84.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 TOP 145

$36.26 WST 98.8

70.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 TOP 24.76

$14.08 WST 38.35

-24.93%

Cappuccino

$2.97 TOP 6.96

$2.51 WST 6.83

18.33%

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

$2.88 TOP 6.74

$2.10 WST 5.73

37.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 TOP 5.64

$1.27 WST 3.47

89.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.73

$4.25 WST 11.59

-22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 TOP 11.99

$3.50 WST 9.54

46.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.68

$1.84 WST 5.00

-14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.41

$0.77 WST 2.10

33.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 TOP 4.85

$1.75 WST 4.76

18.29%

Eggs

$5.11 TOP 11.98

$4.11 WST 11.20

24.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 TOP 21.70

$0.92 WST 2.49

907.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 TOP 13.43

$3.60 WST 9.81

59.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 TOP 17.47

$8.22 WST 22.41

-9.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 TOP 6.68

$4.94 WST 13.45

-42.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 TOP 6.29

$1.83 WST 4.97

46.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 TOP 6.77

$1.82 WST 4.95

58.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.52

$4.31 WST 11.74

-15.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 TOP 7.50

$3.48 WST 9.49

-8.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 TOP 6.31

$1.10 WST 2.99

145.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.28

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.29

$1.19 WST 3.25

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 TOP 24.24

$6.04 WST 16.46

71.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 TOP 40.44

$16.29 WST 44.39

6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 TOP 7.40

$1.80 WST 4.91

75.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 TOP 7.86

$3.49 WST 9.51

-3.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 TOP 4.84

$3.49 WST 9.52

-40.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.28 TOP 96.7

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 4.98

$5.47 WST 14.91

-61.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 TOP 96.5

$21.53 WST 58.7

91.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.44

$1.04 WST 2.84

41.35%

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

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

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

$8,185 TOP 19.2K

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

$186 TOP 434

$17.93 WST 48.84

934.86%

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

$22.05 TOP 51.6

$17.66 WST 48.10

24.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 TOP 286

$35.75 WST 97.4

241.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 TOP 72.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.91 TOP 98.1

Cinema Ticket

$41.37 TOP 96.9

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

$156 TOP 366

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 593

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.73 TOP 34.49

$50.9 WST 139

-71.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 TOP 41.54

$39.63 WST 108

-55.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.94 TOP 49.04

$76.0 WST 207

-72.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.59 TOP 66.9

$99.4 WST 271

-71.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 TOP 1,453

$352 WST 958

76.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.4 TOP 118

$150 WST 408

-66.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 TOP 1,962

$707 WST 1,925

18.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 TOP 1,325

$1,134 WST 3,091

-50.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 959

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 TOP 584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 TOP 1,567

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

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Last update for Samoa: June 1, 2026

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 67% 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 $999 per month in Samoa and $514 in Tonga, there's a 94% 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.