Daily Spending Budget and Expenses 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, transport and miscellaneous costs like WiFi and perhaps credit card fees. In this guide on how much spending money you need for Tonga, we give recommended daily budgets depending on what type of holiday you’re having: budget, mid-range or luxury. This is just a ballpark figure, however, so we encourage you to look at the prices listed in our Tonga Cost Guide so you can make a personal budget for Tonga.
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 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 miscellaneous expenses and takes into account that you might do one paid activity each day. Each price is per person per day.
- Budget daily budget: TOP$150
- Mid-range daily budget: TOP$295
- Luxury daily budget: TOP$460+
We break down the budgets further in the Tonga spending expenses guide below!
© TongaPocketGuide.comHow Much Money Do You Need for Food and Drink in Tonga?
Daily budget for food and drink for the:
- Budget traveller: TOP$50
- Mid-range traveller: TOP$70
- Luxury traveller: TOP$110+
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 of your personal Tonga food budget by checking out the prices of the food/drink in our guide, What is the Cost of Food in Tonga?
The above food budgets take into account the following criteria:
Budget traveller: Treats themself to eating out but typically goes to affordable cafes and restaurants. This cost can be further reduced with self-catering.
Mid-range traveller: Breakfast is likely to be included in the accommodation, so this takes into consideration the average restaurant costs for lunch and dinner each day, as well as a couple of drinks per day.
Luxury traveller: Will treat themselves to a paid cooked breakfast and eat out at restaurants for lunch and dinner, choosing meals from the higher end of the price scale, and including at least three drinks a day.
(c) tongapocketguide.comHow Much Money Do You Need for Activities in Tonga?
Daily budget for activities for the:
- Budget traveller: TOP$60
- Mid-range traveller: TOP$115
- Luxury traveller: TOP$160+
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 is 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.
See a complete list of activity prices in How Much Does a Trip to Tonga Cost?
The above activities budget takes into account the following criteria:
Budget traveller: Does mostly free activities, as well as one higher-cost tour during their trip, such as a whale swim, scuba dive or fishing, but being mindful in choosing a more affordable operator.
Mid-range traveller: Does a mix of free natural attractions plus a couple of higher-cost activities, such as a whale tour, snorkel trip and/or a spa treatment.
Luxury traveller: Does paid activities most days, including a spa treatment, fishing charter, whale swim and guided sightseeing tours.
(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$90
- 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 are a lot lower than travelling to Ha’apai or Vava’u. Budget travellers may find themselves opting for ferry transport, while mid-range to luxury travellers will find more comfort in flights. In addition, island resort transfers may be a little pricier than staying on the main islands.
Check out the average prices for transport in How Much Does a Trip to Tonga Cost? to get a better ballpark figure for your transport budget.
Otherwise, we have full budget breakdowns in the following guides:
- The Cost of Renting a Car in Tonga
- Scooter Hire in Tonga: Where to Rent, Cost & More
- Taxi Fares in Tonga: How Much Does a Taxi Cost?
- Taking the Bus in Tonga: Bus Fares, Routes & More
- The Cheapest Airport Transfers in Tonga
- How Much Do Ferries Cost in Tonga?
- How Much Do Flights Cost in Tonga?
Any other transport methods can be found in Tonga Transport Guide: 15 Best Ways to Get Around Tonga.
The above transport budget takes into account the following criteria:
Budget traveller: Hires a cheap vehicle, takes a ferry to/from ‘Eua and uses accommodation airport transfers.
Mid-range traveller: Hires a mid-range vehicle, uses accommodation airport transfers and takes return a flight between Tongatapu and Vava’u.
Luxury traveller: Does a mix of tours and taxis, accommodation airport transfers over water, and takes return a flight between Tongatapu and Vava’u.
© TongaPocketGuide.comMiscellaneous Costs
Daily budget for miscellaneous expenses for the:
- Budget traveller – TOP$10
- Mid-range traveller – TOP$20
- Luxury traveller – TOP$50+
Finally, it’s always worth having a little bit extra in your daily spending budget for Tonga in case you have costs for WiFi, a travellers phone SIM, laundry or tipping. While tipping is not mandatory in Tonga, those staying in luxury accommodations might be inclined to tip – see Tonga Tipping & Tax Guide for Travellers. There are also likely to be odd expenses such as ATM withdrawal fees to take into consideration.
Again, check out some of these miscellaneous costs in How Much Does a Trip to Tonga Cost?
More About How Much Spending Money You Need for Tonga
That’s it for the guide to how much spending money to take to Tonga but by no means the end of our Tonga budget advice! Check out the following guides for more tips:
- 20 Ways to Save Money When Travelling in Tonga
- What is the Currency in Tonga?
- What is the Best Way to Pay in Tonga?
Finally, plan your whole trip on a budget using The Backpacking & Budget Travel Guide to Tonga.
