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: $336 in Tonga versus $3,223 in Vanuatu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $623 in Tonga versus $3,121 in Vanuatu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $909 in Tonga versus $3,019 in Vanuatu.

Living in Tonga costs about 90% less than in Vanuatu on average.

Tonga (75% below) and Vanuatu (141% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Tonga: monthly costs span $0 to $1,007, compared to $3,025–$3,420 in Vanuatu. City choice carries more weight in Tonga.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.15 TOP 19.40

$11.22 VUV 1,327

-27.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 TOP 148

$65.6 VUV 7,760

-5.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 TOP 24.33

$9.39 VUV 1,111

8.84%

Cappuccino

$2.92 TOP 6.96

$5.03 VUV 595

-41.95%

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

$2.77 TOP 6.58

$2.12 VUV 251

30.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 TOP 5.91

$1.73 VUV 205

43.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 TOP 7.68

$4.58 VUV 542

-29.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 TOP 11.70

$4.14 VUV 490

18.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 TOP 3.63

$2.37 VUV 280

-35.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 TOP 2.44

$2.87 VUV 340

-64.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 TOP 4.95

$3.80 VUV 450

-45.26%

Eggs

$4.98 TOP 11.86

$5.27 VUV 624

-5.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 TOP 21.50

$20.27 VUV 2,397

-55.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 TOP 13.70

$16.62 VUV 1,965

-65.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.74 TOP 18.42

$16.83 VUV 1,990

-54.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 TOP 6.70

$4.89 VUV 578

-42.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 TOP 6.72

$2.87 VUV 340

-1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 TOP 6.80

$5.32 VUV 629

-46.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 TOP 8.72

$3.41 VUV 404

7.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 TOP 7.36

$5.09 VUV 602

-39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 TOP 6.18

$2.83 VUV 334

-8.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 TOP 5.35

$2.47 VUV 293

-8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TOP 3.32

$1.35 VUV 159

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 TOP 23.77

$9.42 VUV 1,114

6.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.18 TOP 40.89

$16.47 VUV 1,948

4.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 TOP 7.46

$3.16 VUV 374

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 TOP 7.93

$2.91 VUV 344

14.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 TOP 4.86

$1.71 VUV 202

19.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.20 TOP 98.1

$67.9 VUV 8,024

-39.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 TOP 5.01

$2.13 VUV 252

-0.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 VUV 96.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.98 TOP 99.9

$5.15 VUV 609

715.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 TOP 3.55

$1.88 VUV 223

-20.74%

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

$5,702 TOP 13.6K

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

-75.87%

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

$8,225 TOP 19.6K

$37.7K VUV 4.5M

-78.17%

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

$184 TOP 439

$531 VUV 62.8K

-65.27%

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

$22.08 TOP 52.6

$25.34 VUV 2,997

-12.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$125 TOP 297

$225 VUV 26.6K

-44.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 TOP 74.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.32 TOP 98.3

$17.06 VUV 2,018

142.20%

Cinema Ticket

$41.41 TOP 98.6

$12.80 VUV 1,513

223.52%

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

$157 TOP 374

$622 VUV 73.5K

-74.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$250 TOP 596

$6,923 VUV 818.6K

-96.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.32 TOP 34.09

$46.46 VUV 5,494

-69.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.51 TOP 41.68

$66.8 VUV 7,896

-73.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.86 TOP 49.66

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.53 TOP 70.3

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 TOP 1,462

$1,864 VUV 220.5K

-67.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.8 TOP 121

$1,762 VUV 208.3K

-97.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 TOP 2,004

$3,343 VUV 395.3K

-74.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 TOP 1,363

$2,035 VUV 240.6K

-71.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$411 TOP 979

$8,456 VUV 999.9K

-95.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$249 TOP 593

$3,346 VUV 395.6K

-92.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$680 TOP 1,619

$456 VUV 54.0K

48.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Tonga: April 21, 2026

Last update for Vanuatu: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $204 in Tonga, $940 in Vanuatu. Capital cities: $611 in Nuku'alofa vs $1,879 in Port Vila.

National salary averages: $674 in Tonga, $578 in Vanuatu. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 361% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 57% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 17% 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 $504 per month in Tonga and $3,223 in Vanuatu, there's a 540% 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.