Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Tonga Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,643 in United States versus $343 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $626 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $908 in Tonga.

Living in United States is roughly 671% more expensive than Tonga on average.

United States (97% above) and Tonga (74% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$8.23 TOP 19.22

143.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$62.0 TOP 145

22.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$10.57 TOP 24.68

8.04%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.97 TOP 6.94

81.48%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$2.88 TOP 6.72

-11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.41 TOP 5.62

-15.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.30 TOP 7.71

86.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$5.12 TOP 11.95

40.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.57 TOP 3.67

-33.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.03 TOP 2.40

254.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.07 TOP 4.83

128.50%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$5.11 TOP 11.94

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$9.27 TOP 21.64

37.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$5.73 TOP 13.39

116.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$7.46 TOP 17.41

119.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.85 TOP 6.66

90.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.69 TOP 6.27

-38.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.89 TOP 6.75

58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.64 TOP 8.50

34.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.20 TOP 7.48

-8.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.70 TOP 6.29

15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.25 TOP 5.26

0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.40 TOP 3.28

64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$10.35 TOP 24.16

-4.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$17.27 TOP 40.32

-12.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$3.16 TOP 7.38

-39.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$3.36 TOP 7.84

8.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.06 TOP 4.82

20.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$41.28 TOP 96.4

57.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.13 TOP 4.97

80.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$41.20 TOP 96.2

-25.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.47 TOP 3.43

-34.69%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$5,828 TOP 13.6K

423.00%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$8,185 TOP 19.1K

222.26%

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

$204 $204

$186 TOP 433

10.04%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$22.05 TOP 51.5

159.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$122 TOP 285

-41.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$30.91 TOP 72.2

50.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$41.91 TOP 97.8

-47.22%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$41.37 TOP 96.6

-66.55%

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

$1,384 $1,384

$156 TOP 365

786.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

$253 TOP 591

8872.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$14.73 TOP 34.39

259.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$17.74 TOP 41.42

143.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$20.94 TOP 48.89

332.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$28.59 TOP 66.7

299.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$621 TOP 1,449

184.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$50.4 TOP 118

2793.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$838 TOP 1,956

238.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$566 TOP 1,321

326.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$409 TOP 956

703.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$250 TOP 583

962.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$669 TOP 1,562

554.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

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

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Last update for Tonga: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,637 in United States, $205 in Tonga. Capital cities: $2,591 in Washington, DC vs $614 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $674 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 699% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 248% more in United States.

Public transport is 79% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 568% higher in United States, 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

United States vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $514 per month in Tonga and $3,212 in United States, there's a 525% 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 United States 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 United States, 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.