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: $3,224 in Vanuatu versus $332 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,154 in Vanuatu versus $611 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,083 in Vanuatu versus $890 in Tonga.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 871% more expensive than in Tonga on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 VUV 1,325

$8.26 TOP 19.48

37.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 VUV 7,490

$62.8 TOP 148

2.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 VUV 1,115

$10.43 TOP 24.58

-8.15%

Cappuccino

$5.10 VUV 594

$2.94 TOP 6.94

73.47%

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

$2.13 VUV 248

$2.90 TOP 6.85

-26.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 VUV 199

$2.39 TOP 5.64

-28.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 VUV 525

$3.25 TOP 7.67

38.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 VUV 478

$4.89 TOP 11.53

-15.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 VUV 285

$1.60 TOP 3.78

53.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 VUV 318

$1.01 TOP 2.39

170.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 VUV 435

$2.01 TOP 4.73

85.57%

Eggs

$5.14 VUV 598

$4.96 TOP 11.70

3.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 VUV 2,329

$9.17 TOP 21.61

118.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.59 VUV 1,932

$5.86 TOP 13.81

183.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 VUV 1,951

$7.69 TOP 18.14

117.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 VUV 549

$2.70 TOP 6.37

74.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 VUV 323

$2.85 TOP 6.72

-2.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.50 VUV 641

$2.83 TOP 6.66

94.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.33 VUV 388

$3.63 TOP 8.55

-8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$5.17 VUV 602

$3.11 TOP 7.32

66.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 VUV 328

$2.64 TOP 6.23

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 VUV 292

$2.17 TOP 5.13

15.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 VUV 154

$1.34 TOP 3.17

-1.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 VUV 1,113

$10.29 TOP 24.27

-7.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 VUV 1,725

$16.71 TOP 39.39

-11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 VUV 382

$3.16 TOP 7.46

3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 VUV 341

$3.23 TOP 7.62

-9.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 VUV 199

$2.09 TOP 4.93

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 VUV 7,929

$40.83 TOP 96.3

66.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 VUV 250

$2.09 TOP 4.94

2.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 VUV 94.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 VUV 581

$42.21 TOP 99.5

-88.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 VUV 226

$1.47 TOP 3.47

31.97%

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

$23.0K VUV 2.7M

$5,872 TOP 13.8K

292.40%

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

$38.5K VUV 4.5M

$8,160 TOP 19.2K

372.38%

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

$545 VUV 63.5K

$188 TOP 443

190.15%

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

$25.05 VUV 2,916

$21.84 TOP 51.5

14.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$232 VUV 27.0K

$127 TOP 299

83.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.87 TOP 72.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 VUV 1,992

$42.29 TOP 99.7

-59.54%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 VUV 1,486

$40.85 TOP 96.3

-68.74%

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

$626 VUV 72.8K

$156 TOP 369

299.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,974 VUV 811.8K

$247 TOP 581

2727.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.39 VUV 5,400

$14.66 TOP 34.57

216.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.0 VUV 7,910

$17.94 TOP 42.29

278.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.72 TOP 48.85

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.94 TOP 68.2

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 VUV 220.7K

$614 TOP 1,448

208.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 VUV 210.4K

$50.6 TOP 119

3472.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,414 VUV 397.4K

$834 TOP 1,967

309.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 VUV 244.0K

$578 TOP 1,363

262.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,075 VUV 707.2K

$417 TOP 983

1356.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,207 VUV 256.9K

$251 TOP 591

780.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 VUV 39.1K

$690 TOP 1,627

-51.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Vanuatu: July 20, 2026

Last update for Tonga: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $942 in Vanuatu, $210 in Tonga. Capital cities: $1,885 in Port Vila vs $629 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $490 in Vanuatu, $669 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 349% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 52% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 136% 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 $499 per month in Tonga and $3,224 in Vanuatu, there's a 547% 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, $800 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.