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: $2,622 in United States versus $343 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $624 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,038 in United States versus $904 in Tonga.

Living in United States is roughly 664% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

United States (91% above) and Tonga (75% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$8.37 TOP 19.74

136.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$62.8 TOP 148

29.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$10.54 TOP 24.84

14.90%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$2.88 TOP 6.78

88.89%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.76 TOP 6.51

-3.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.51 TOP 5.91

-17.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.36 TOP 7.92

80.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$4.92 TOP 11.59

65.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.52 TOP 3.58

-30.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.06 TOP 2.50

244.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.01 TOP 4.75

121.39%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$5.02 TOP 11.83

-13.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$9.19 TOP 21.66

38.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$5.78 TOP 13.64

115.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$7.77 TOP 18.32

118.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.79 TOP 6.58

89.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.74 TOP 6.45

-37.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.93 TOP 6.91

50.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.71 TOP 8.75

35.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.21 TOP 7.57

-10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.65 TOP 6.26

18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.26 TOP 5.34

2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.34 TOP 3.17

74.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 $10.55

$10.22 TOP 24.09

3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$17.26 TOP 40.70

-13.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.13 TOP 7.39

-32.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.33 TOP 7.86

10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.12 TOP 5.01

11.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 $65.1

$41.92 TOP 98.8

55.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.13 TOP 5.01

60.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.04 TOP 4.81

-7.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.16 $30.16

$41.88 TOP 98.8

-27.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.47 TOP 3.46

-33.33%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$5,746 TOP 13.5K

525.66%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$8,208 TOP 19.4K

215.94%

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

$218 $218

$186 TOP 439

16.92%

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

$61.0 $61.0

$22.04 TOP 52.0

176.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.8 $74.8

$126 TOP 297

-40.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.42 $44.42

$30.74 TOP 72.5

44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.53 $22.53

$42.32 TOP 99.8

-46.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$41.23 TOP 97.2

-64.10%

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

$1,476 $1,476

$159 TOP 374

830.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$251 TOP 592

10223.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 $54.4

$14.35 TOP 33.84

278.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.59 $43.59

$17.50 TOP 41.27

149.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 $92.9

$20.74 TOP 48.91

348.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$28.69 TOP 67.6

297.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 $1,639

$617 TOP 1,455

165.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$50.2 TOP 118

2607.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 $2,699

$823 TOP 1,940

227.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 $2,199

$585 TOP 1,379

275.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 $3,269

$422 TOP 995

674.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,589 $2,589

$247 TOP 583

947.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,357 $4,357

$668 TOP 1,576

551.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

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

Last update for United States: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tonga: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,606 in United States, $208 in Tonga. Capital cities: $1,373 in Columbia, TN vs $624 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $4,519 in United States, $682 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 672% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 257% more in United States.

Public transport is 93% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 563% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Tonga.

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 $515 per month in Tonga and $3,080 in United States, there's a 499% 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 simply cheaper in Tonga: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.