Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and Vanuatu Cost of Living Comparison Between Tonga and Vanuatu

Name: Vanuatu
Address: VU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $343 in Tonga versus $3,227 in Vanuatu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $626 in Tonga versus $3,156 in Vanuatu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $908 in Tonga versus $3,085 in Vanuatu.

Living in Tonga costs about 89% less than in Vanuatu on average.

Tonga (74% below) and Vanuatu (141% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 TOP 19.42

$11.00 VUV 1,270

-25.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 TOP 146

$63.7 VUV 7,350

-2.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 TOP 24.93

$9.42 VUV 1,087

12.21%

Cappuccino

$2.97 TOP 7.01

$5.04 VUV 582

-41.07%

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

$2.88 TOP 6.79

$2.22 VUV 256

29.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 TOP 5.68

$1.75 VUV 202

37.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 TOP 7.79

$4.45 VUV 513

-25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 TOP 12.07

$4.25 VUV 490

20.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 TOP 3.71

$2.40 VUV 277

-34.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.43

$2.73 VUV 315

-62.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 TOP 4.88

$3.83 VUV 442

-45.95%

Eggs

$5.11 TOP 12.06

$5.25 VUV 606

-2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 TOP 21.86

$20.37 VUV 2,351

-54.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 TOP 13.52

$16.76 VUV 1,934

-65.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 TOP 17.59

$16.78 VUV 1,937

-55.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 TOP 6.73

$4.79 VUV 553

-40.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 TOP 6.34

$2.79 VUV 322

-3.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 TOP 6.81

$5.47 VUV 631

-47.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 TOP 8.58

$3.45 VUV 398

5.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 TOP 7.55

$5.12 VUV 591

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 TOP 6.36

$2.86 VUV 330

-5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.32

$2.46 VUV 283

-8.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.31

$1.33 VUV 154

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 TOP 24.41

$9.46 VUV 1,092

9.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 TOP 40.73

$14.39 VUV 1,661

20.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 TOP 7.46

$3.16 VUV 364

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 TOP 7.92

$2.94 VUV 339

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 TOP 4.87

$1.73 VUV 199

19.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.28 TOP 97.4

$68.0 VUV 7,843

-39.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 TOP 5.02

$2.05 VUV 236

3.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 VUV 101

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.20 TOP 97.2

$5.12 VUV 591

704.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 TOP 3.47

$1.87 VUV 215

-21.39%

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

$5,828 TOP 13.7K

$23.2K VUV 2.7M

-74.86%

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

$8,185 TOP 19.3K

$38.1K VUV 4.4M

-78.53%

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

$186 TOP 438

$544 VUV 62.8K

-65.91%

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

$22.05 TOP 52.0

$25.63 VUV 2,958

-13.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 TOP 288

$228 VUV 26.3K

-46.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.91 TOP 72.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.91 TOP 98.8

$16.78 VUV 1,936

149.76%

Cinema Ticket

$41.37 TOP 97.6

$12.41 VUV 1,432

233.36%

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

$156 TOP 368

$611 VUV 70.5K

-74.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$253 TOP 597

$6,863 VUV 792.1K

-96.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.73 TOP 34.74

$46.56 VUV 5,373

-68.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.74 TOP 41.84

$67.5 VUV 7,788

-73.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.94 TOP 49.39

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.59 TOP 67.4

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 TOP 1,464

$1,845 VUV 212.9K

-66.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.4 TOP 119

$1,758 VUV 202.8K

-97.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 TOP 1,975

$3,380 VUV 390.1K

-75.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 TOP 1,335

$2,037 VUV 235.1K

-72.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$409 TOP 965

$6,133 VUV 707.8K

-93.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 TOP 588

$2,231 VUV 257.4K

-88.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 TOP 1,578

$338 VUV 39.1K

97.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $205 in Tonga, $941 in Vanuatu. Capital cities: $614 in Nuku'alofa vs $1,882 in Port Vila.

National salary averages: $674 in Tonga, $496 in Vanuatu. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 359% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 57% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 36% 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 Vanuatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $514 per month in Tonga and $3,227 in Vanuatu, there's a 528% 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 Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu, 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; Vanuatu may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.