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: $3,223 in Vanuatu versus $336 in Tonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,121 in Vanuatu versus $623 in Tonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,019 in Vanuatu versus $909 in Tonga.

Living in Vanuatu is roughly 859% more expensive than Tonga on average.

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

Internal cost variation is higher in Tonga: monthly costs span $0 to $1,007, compared to $3,025–$3,420 in Vanuatu. City choice carries more weight in Tonga.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.22 VUV 1,323

$8.15 TOP 19.48

37.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.6 VUV 7,732

$62.3 TOP 149

5.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 VUV 1,107

$10.22 TOP 24.43

-8.12%

Cappuccino

$5.03 VUV 592

$2.92 TOP 6.99

72.26%

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

$2.12 VUV 250

$2.77 TOP 6.61

-23.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 VUV 204

$2.48 TOP 5.93

-30.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 VUV 540

$3.23 TOP 7.71

41.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 VUV 488

$4.92 TOP 11.75

-15.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 VUV 279

$1.52 TOP 3.64

55.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 VUV 339

$1.03 TOP 2.45

178.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 VUV 448

$2.08 TOP 4.97

82.69%

Eggs

$5.27 VUV 621

$4.98 TOP 11.91

5.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.27 VUV 2,389

$9.03 TOP 21.59

124.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 VUV 1,958

$5.76 TOP 13.76

188.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 VUV 1,983

$7.74 TOP 18.50

117.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 VUV 576

$2.82 TOP 6.73

73.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 VUV 339

$2.82 TOP 6.75

1.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 VUV 626

$2.86 TOP 6.82

86.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 VUV 402

$3.66 TOP 8.76

-6.83%

Potato (1kg)

$5.09 VUV 599

$3.09 TOP 7.39

64.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 VUV 333

$2.60 TOP 6.21

8.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 VUV 292

$2.25 TOP 5.37

9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 VUV 159

$1.40 TOP 3.34

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.42 VUV 1,110

$9.99 TOP 23.87

-5.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 VUV 1,941

$17.18 TOP 41.06

-4.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 VUV 372

$3.14 TOP 7.49

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 VUV 342

$3.33 TOP 7.96

-12.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 VUV 202

$2.04 TOP 4.88

-16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 VUV 7,996

$41.20 TOP 98.5

64.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 VUV 252

$2.11 TOP 5.03

0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 VUV 96.2

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 VUV 607

$41.98 TOP 100

-87.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 VUV 222

$1.49 TOP 3.57

26.17%

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

$23.6K VUV 2.8M

$5,702 TOP 13.6K

314.34%

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

$37.7K VUV 4.4M

$8,225 TOP 19.7K

358.09%

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

$531 VUV 62.5K

$184 TOP 441

187.93%

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

$25.34 VUV 2,986

$22.08 TOP 52.8

14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$225 VUV 26.5K

$125 TOP 298

80.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 TOP 75.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 VUV 2,010

$41.32 TOP 98.7

-58.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 VUV 1,508

$41.41 TOP 99.0

-69.09%

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

$622 VUV 73.3K

$157 TOP 375

296.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,923 VUV 815.7K

$250 TOP 599

2663.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 VUV 5,474

$14.32 TOP 34.23

224.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 VUV 7,868

$17.51 TOP 41.85

281.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.86 TOP 49.86

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.53 TOP 70.6

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 VUV 219.7K

$614 TOP 1,468

203.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 VUV 207.6K

$50.8 TOP 122

3365.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,343 VUV 393.9K

$842 TOP 2,012

297.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 VUV 239.8K

$573 TOP 1,369

255.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,456 VUV 996.3K

$411 TOP 983

1956.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,346 VUV 394.2K

$249 TOP 596

1241.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$456 VUV 53.8K

$680 TOP 1,625

-32.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Vanuatu: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tonga: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $940 in Vanuatu, $204 in Tonga. Capital cities: $1,879 in Port Vila vs $611 in Nuku'alofa.

National salary averages: $578 in Vanuatu, $674 in Tonga. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 361% higher in Vanuatu.

Dining out costs 57% more in Vanuatu.

Public transport is 143% more expensive in Vanuatu.

Salaries are 17% higher in Tonga, 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

Vanuatu vs Tonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $504 per month in Tonga and $3,223 in Vanuatu, there's a 540% 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 Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu, 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; Vanuatu may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.