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

Name: Tonga
Address: TO

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $343 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $624 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,269 in Vanuatu versus $904 in Tonga.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 853% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

Vanuatu (138% above) and Tonga (75% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 VUV 1,437

$8.37 TOP 19.74

49.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 VUV 6,581

$62.8 TOP 148

-8.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.55 VUV 1,673

$10.54 TOP 24.84

38.05%

Cappuccino

$4.09 VUV 471

$2.88 TOP 6.78

42.01%

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

$2.32 VUV 266

$2.76 TOP 6.51

-15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 VUV 268

$2.51 TOP 5.91

-6.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 VUV 596

$3.36 TOP 7.92

54.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 VUV 804

$4.92 TOP 11.59

42.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 VUV 354

$1.52 TOP 3.58

102.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 VUV 292

$1.06 TOP 2.50

139.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 VUV 434

$2.01 TOP 4.75

88.06%

Eggs

$5.93 VUV 681

$5.02 TOP 11.83

18.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 VUV 1,855

$9.19 TOP 21.66

75.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.01 VUV 1,841

$5.78 TOP 13.64

176.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 VUV 1,541

$7.77 TOP 18.32

72.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.77 VUV 778

$2.79 TOP 6.58

142.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 VUV 236

$2.74 TOP 6.45

-25.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 VUV 454

$2.93 TOP 6.91

34.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.86 VUV 1,134

$3.71 TOP 8.75

165.77%

Potato (1kg)

$8.96 VUV 1,030

$3.21 TOP 7.57

179.13%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 VUV 499

$2.65 TOP 6.26

63.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 VUV 289

$2.26 TOP 5.34

11.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 VUV 135

$1.34 TOP 3.17

-12.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 VUV 1,160

$10.22 TOP 24.09

-1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.56 VUV 1,444

$17.26 TOP 40.70

-27.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 VUV 332

$3.13 TOP 7.39

-7.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 VUV 349

$3.33 TOP 7.86

-8.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 VUV 143

$2.12 TOP 5.01

-41.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 VUV 7,733

$41.92 TOP 98.8

60.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 VUV 294

$2.13 TOP 5.01

20.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 VUV 98.5

$2.04 TOP 4.81

-57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 VUV 572

$41.88 TOP 98.8

-88.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 VUV 212

$1.47 TOP 3.46

25.17%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.6M

$5,746 TOP 13.5K

300.92%

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

$37.8K VUV 4.3M

$8,208 TOP 19.4K

360.11%

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

$637 VUV 73.2K

$186 TOP 439

242.26%

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

$22.66 VUV 2,605

$22.04 TOP 52.0

2.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$366 VUV 42.1K

$126 TOP 297

190.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 VUV 7,839

$30.74 TOP 72.5

121.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 VUV 1,930

$42.32 TOP 99.8

-60.33%

Cinema Ticket

$41.23 TOP 97.2

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

$630 VUV 72.4K

$159 TOP 374

297.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,900 VUV 793.2K

$251 TOP 592

2649.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.61 VUV 4,783

$14.35 TOP 33.84

189.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.5 VUV 7,644

$17.50 TOP 41.27

280.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 VUV 9,573

$20.74 TOP 48.91

301.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 VUV 11.5K

$28.69 TOP 67.6

250.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 VUV 184.4K

$617 TOP 1,455

159.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 VUV 138.6K

$50.2 TOP 118

2304.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,352 VUV 385.4K

$823 TOP 1,940

307.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 VUV 217.7K

$585 TOP 1,379

223.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,133 VUV 705.0K

$422 TOP 995

1353.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,314 VUV 266.1K

$247 TOP 583

836.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 VUV 39.4K

$668 TOP 1,576

-48.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

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

Last update for Vanuatu: September 1, 2026

Last update for Tonga: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $778 in Vanuatu, $208 in Tonga. Capital cities: $1,556 in Port Vila vs $624 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $497 in Vanuatu, $682 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 274% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 38% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 37% higher in Tonga, 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

Vanuatu vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $515 per month in Tonga and $3,269 in Vanuatu, there's a 535% 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 Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu 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; Vanuatu may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.