Moving to Tonga from Papua New Guinea

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Papua New Guinea to Tonga — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Papua New Guinea to Tonga.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Papua New Guinea and Tonga stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

per 100,000 people per year

PG
9.4
TO
0.9
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PG
14.9
TO
8.5

Tonga performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

PG
$133
TO
$512
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PG
0.6
TO
10.1

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tonga leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PG
38.0
TO
24.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PG
0.5t
TO
1.6t

Papua New Guinea generally does better on environment, though Tonga leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PG
0.2
TO
8.0
Internet access The World Factbook, 2021

share of households with internet

PG
32.0%
TO
67.0%

Tonga performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PG
2.6%
TO
2.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PG
$4,200
TO
$6,600

Tonga performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PG
69.4 yrs
TO
77.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PG
33.6
TO
12.4

Tonga performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Papua New Guinea and Tonga. To live, work, or study long-term in Tonga, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Tonga's immigration authority.

Papua New Guinea passport

Papua New Guinea passport holder visiting Tonga

Visa on Arrival
Papua New Guinea passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Tonga.
Tonga passport

Tonga passport holder visiting Papua New Guinea

Visa on Arrival
Tonga passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Papua New Guinea.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Tonga?

With 8.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Tonga can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Papua New Guinea and Tonga.

Is Tonga safe for expats?

Tonga performs significantly better than Papua New Guinea across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Tonga is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Papua New Guinea.

How is healthcare in Tonga compared to Papua New Guinea?

Papua New Guinea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tonga leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Tonga, compared to 0.6 in Papua New Guinea. Tonga scores 57 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Papua New Guinea: 30).

What language do they speak in Tonga?

The official languages in Tonga are English and Tongan. In Papua New Guinea, the official languages are English, Hiri Motu and Tok Pisin.

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At a Glance

PG TO
Population 9,593,498 105,517
Currency Papua New Guinean Kina (PGK) Tongan Paʻanga (TOP)
Languages English, Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin English, Tongan
Driving side Left Left
Calling code +675 +676
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 000