Daily Spending Money for Tonga
Accommodation is booked, flights are sorted and you might have opted for some travel insurance. The remainder of your travel budget is the money you’ll be spending in Tonga. This typically includes food and drink, activities and transport. Figure out how much spending money you need for Tonga with our list of Tonga prices! The daily budgets we recommend are an approximate figure, but with the specific price listings we share, you should be able to make your own travel budget based on your tastes, needs and travel style.
While most book accommodation before arriving in Tonga, some prefer to travel spontaneously. If you need an idea of accommodation prices for on-the-go, check out What is the Cost of Accommodation in Tonga? or a full budget guide in Tonga Travel Budget: How Much Does a Trip to Tonga Cost?
Average Daily Spending Budget for Tonga
Here are a few averages for a daily budget for Tonga. This includes food, transport and takes into account that you might do one activity each day. Each price is per person per day.
- Budget daily budget: TOP$115
- Mid-range daily budget: TOP$290
- Luxury daily budget: TOP$470+
(c) tongapocketguide.comHow Much Money Do You Need for Food and Drink in Tonga?
Daily budget for food and drink for the:
- Budget traveller: TOP$20
- Mid-range traveller: TOP$90
- Luxury traveller: TOP$130
When it comes to food, we all have our preferences. Some of us like to keep the costs low by making our own meals using local produce, while others like to splurge on meals and cocktails every night. Get a better idea for your personal Tonga food budget by checking out the prices of the food/drink in the list below.
Restaurant Meal Prices
- Main breakfast meal – TOP$10-$20
- Main lunch meal – TOP$14-$30
- Main dinner meal – TOP$20-$40
- Pint of beer – TOP$8-$10
- Small coffee – TOP$5
- Cocktail – TOP$13-$19
- Non-alcoholic drink – TOP$5
- Resort meal plan/day – TOP$90-$150
Supermarket Food Prices
- 1.5l (50 fluid ounces) box of milk – TOP$3.80
- 30 tray eggs – TOP$16
- 1kg (2.2 pounds) of rice – TOP$2.90
- 500g (1.1 pounds) pasta – TOP$2.10
- A loaf of sliced bread – TOP$1.80
- 1kg (2.2 pounds) cheese – TOP$16-$17
- 100g (3 ounces) dry freeze coffee – TOP$8
- Bag of chips – TOP$5.80
- Can of coke – TOP$2.50
- Box of cereal – TOP$13-$14
- 1kg (2.2 pounds) of chicken – TOP$4.50
- 1kg (2.2 pounds) of beef mince – TOP$10
- 1kg (2.2 pounds) of pork – TOP$10
- 1kg (2.2 pounds) of mutton – TOP$13-$14
- Bag of fish (6-8 fish) – TOP$40-$50
- 300g (12 ounces) of corned beef – TOP$10.30
Produce Market Prices
- 4 apples – TOP$5
- Bunch of bananas – TOP$5-$10
- 4 tomatoes – TOP$3-4
- 3 persimmons – TOP$10
- 3 cucumbers – TOP$3
- A pile of chillis – TOP$3-$4
- A basket of coconuts – TOP$10
- 1 cabbage – TOP$2
- A bag of onions – TOP$3
For more food prices and advice, see What is the Cost of Food in Tonga?
(c) tongapocketguide.comHow Much Money Do You Need for Activities in Tonga?
Daily budget for activities for the:
- Budget traveller: TOP$65
- Mid-range traveller: TOP$130
- Luxury traveller: TOP$200+
This is where you find traveller’s budgets for Tonga differ the most. Everyone has their own bucket list of activities they want to do. While there are a whole array of free ways to spend your time in Tonga, the activity costs can easily climb with whale swims, scuba diving, boat tours and fishing. Doing a mix of paid activities and free activities is a good way to keep control of your travel budget.
Water Activity Prices
- Whale swimming tour – TOP$350-$690
- Scuba diving/two-tank – TOP$300 -$420
- Game fishing/half-day – TOP$455-$600
- Guided boat sightseeing/snorkel tour – TOP$120-$355
- Kayak hire/day – TOP$0-$140
- Snorkel hire/day – TOP$0-$25
- Sailing charter 2 guests/day– TOP$200-$690
- Guided kayak tour/day – TOP$230-$350
Land Activity Prices
- Guided land sightseeing tour – TOP$75-$100
- Guided hike – TOP$70
- Culture tour/3 hours – TOP$75
- Botanical gardens tour – TOP$35-$50
- Cultural show & buffet – TOP$35-$55
- ‘Anahulu Cave entry – TOP$15
- Massage/60 minutes – TOP$90-$235
(c) tongapocketguide.comHow Much Do You Need for Transport in Tonga?
Daily budget for transport for the:
- Budget traveller: TOP$30
- Mid-range traveller: TOP$70
- Luxury traveller: TOP$140+
Of course, your transport budget all depends on where you’re going. If you’re just sticking to Tongatapu, perhaps making a short trip to ‘Eua, you will see your travel costs a lot lower than travelling to Ha’apai or Vava’u. Budget travellers may find themselves opting for ferry transport or even the local buses, while mid-range to luxury travellers will find more comfort in flights. In addition, island resort transfers may be little pricier than staying on the main islands.
Check out the average prices for the transport you will be taking in Tonga to get a better ballpark figure for your transport budget.
Land Transport Prices
- Bicycle rental/day – TOP$0-$30
- Visitor’s Driving Licence – TOP$40
- Scooter rental/day – TOP$50
- Car rental/day – TOP$40-$150
- Public bus/trip – TOP$0.70-$3
- Taxi/30 minutes – TOP$30-$50
- Guided land tour/6 hours – TOP$100
- Accommodation/airport transfers – TOP$4-$60
Boat/Ferry Transport Prices
- Ferry/Tongatapu to Vava’u – TOP$80-$150
- Ferry/Tongatapu to ‘Eua – TOP$25-$30
- Ferry/Tongatapu to Ha’apai – TOP$65-$100
- Ferry/Vava’u to Ha’apai – TOP$70-$100
- Ferry/Vava’u to The Niuas – TOP$215-$250
- Island resort airport transfer – TOP$60-$230
Flight Prices
- Tongatapu to Vava’u – Around TOP$350
- Tongatapu to Ha’apai – Around TOP$230
- Tongatapu to ‘Eua – Around TOP$110
- Ha’apai to Vava’u – Around TOP$220
- Vava’u to Niuatoputapu – Around TOP$300
- Vava’u to Niuafo’ou – Around TOP$350
More About Spending Money for Tonga and Other Budgeting Tips
