Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Tonga

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

For one person, living is cheaper in Tonga: $1,070 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Tonga
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Tonga Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇹🇴 Tonga

$1,070

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Tonga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Tonga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,727 in the United States versus $1,070 in Tonga.

United States $2,727
Tonga $1,070

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,009 in the United States versus $1,905 in Tonga.

United States $4,009
Tonga $1,905

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,291 in the United States versus $2,739 in Tonga.

United States $5,291
Tonga $2,739

Living in the United States is roughly 155% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

The United States (101% above) and Tonga (21% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$8.40 TOP 20.23

134.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$61.3 TOP 148

32.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.58 TOP 25.48

13.23%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.86 TOP 6.89

95.45%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.90 TOP 6.99

-4.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.52 TOP 6.07

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.39 TOP 8.17

76.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$4.88 TOP 11.76

62.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.60 TOP 3.86

-35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.05 TOP 2.53

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.12 TOP 5.10

110.38%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.94 TOP 11.91

-12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.76 TOP 21.11

45.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$5.95 TOP 14.34

106.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$7.61 TOP 18.32

127.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.73 TOP 6.57

94.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.75 TOP 6.62

-39.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.95 TOP 7.11

46.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.75 TOP 9.04

34.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.20 TOP 7.70

-12.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.61 TOP 6.29

16.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.23 TOP 5.37

-0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.40 TOP 3.36

67.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$10.16 TOP 24.48

7.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$17.20 TOP 41.44

-13.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.09 TOP 7.45

-32.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.40 TOP 8.19

6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.06 TOP 4.96

19.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$41.49 TOP 100.0

58.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.12 TOP 5.11

68.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.06 TOP 4.96

-7.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$41.51 TOP 100

-28.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.47 TOP 3.54

-30.61%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$5,897 TOP 14.2K

379.96%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$8,405 TOP 20.2K

208.91%

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

$221 $221

$188 TOP 453

17.38%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$22.53 TOP 54.3

171.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$122 TOP 295

-40.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$31.75 TOP 76.5

41.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$41.46 TOP 99.9

-45.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$41.90 TOP 101

-63.82%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$158 TOP 381

831.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$253 TOP 610

9780.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$14.63 TOP 35.23

265.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$17.80 TOP 42.88

145.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$20.73 TOP 49.93

343.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$28.54 TOP 68.8

300.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$628 TOP 1,512

163.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$49.33 TOP 119

2600.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$827 TOP 1,992

222.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$587 TOP 1,413

276.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$408 TOP 982

648.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$244 TOP 588

932.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$682 TOP 1,642

544.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for Tonga: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Tonga

$49 4.6% 96.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Tonga

$291 27.2% 29.4% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Tonga

$333 31.1% 6.3% $22

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Tonga

$182 17% 44.3% $145

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Tonga

$37 3.4% 73.1% $100

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Tonga

$62 5.8% 29.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Tonga

$116 10.8% 53.7% $40

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,612 in the United States, $206 in Tonga. Capital cities: $2,743 in Washington, DC vs $619 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $4,548 in the United States, $672 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 683% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 257% more in the United States.

Public transport is 93% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 577% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇹🇴 Tonga

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

17 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

108,020

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 TOP = 0.415 USD

1 TOP = 0.369 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TOP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇴 Tongan Paʻanga (T$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.41 TOP (1 TOP = 0.415 USD). 1 EUR = 2.71 TOP (1 TOP = 0.369 EUR).

TOP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Tonga 11,200 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 $1,070 per month in Tonga and $2,727 in the United States, there's a 155% 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 cheaper in Tonga: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 in the United States and $206 in Tonga. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Tonga, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.