Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Noumea: $2,410 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Noumea

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Noumea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,410 in Noumea.

Austin, TX $2,704
Noumea $2,410

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,800 in Noumea.

Austin, TX $4,133
Noumea $3,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $5,190 in Noumea.

Austin, TX $5,562
Noumea $5,190

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 12% more expensive than in Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Noumea 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$20.86 CFPF 2,220

-3.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$114 CFPF 12.1K

-25.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$13.85 CFPF 1,474

-10.83%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.68 CFPF 498

16.88%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.01 CFPF 214

90.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.27 CFPF 135

96.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$9.50 CFPF 1,011

-15.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$7.26 CFPF 773

23.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.17 CFPF 125

-3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.58 CFPF 381

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.16 CFPF 230

50.46%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$6.13 CFPF 653

-32.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$30.21 CFPF 3,215

-56.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$27.65 CFPF 2,942

-48.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$28.19 CFPF 3,000

-43.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.58 CFPF 487

-4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$7.29 CFPF 776

-80.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$6.27 CFPF 668

-27.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$7.98 CFPF 849

-47.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$5.55 CFPF 591

-52.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.86 CFPF 411

-38.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$4.04 CFPF 430

-56.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.50 CFPF 160

44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$19.46 CFPF 2,070

-49.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$17.03 CFPF 1,812

-13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.54 CFPF 590

-49.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.62 CFPF 491

-67.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.96 CFPF 741

-61.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.11 CFPF 119

42.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$21.46 CFPF 2,284

64.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.63 CFPF 174

-39.26%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

10.10%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

-27.09%

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

$219 $219

$205 CFPF 21.8K

7.20%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$44.24 CFPF 4,707

31.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$48.09 CFPF 5,117

42.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$48.48 CFPF 5,158

19.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$8.25 CFPF 878

79.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$14.26 CFPF 1,517

-0.91%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$759 CFPF 80.8K

98.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,318 CFPF 991.4K

130.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$111 CFPF 11.9K

-53.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$65.0 CFPF 6,912

-32.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$100 CFPF 10.7K

-15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$247 CFPF 26.3K

-57.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$761 CFPF 80.9K

154.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$761 CFPF 81.0K

67.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,520 CFPF 161.7K

141.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,349 CFPF 143.6K

87.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,777 CFPF 508.3K

59.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,453 CFPF 367.4K

-7.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,726 CFPF 290.1K

87.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.13

116.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Noumea

$761 31.9% 40.2% $511

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Noumea

$646 * 27.1% 60.4% $243

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Noumea

$340 14.2% 2.4% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Noumea

$297 12.4% 14.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Noumea

$236 9.9% 82.9% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Noumea

$77 3.2% 10.6% $9.2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 45.6% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $761 in Noumea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 87% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $114 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $646 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

14:42 2:42 PM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

91,386 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

XPF to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Noumea 11,760 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Noumea

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Austin, TX vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Noumea wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Noumea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $761 in Noumea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,509 in Austin, TX versus $759 in Noumea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Noumea – a meal for two runs $114 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,410 in Noumea versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Noumea but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Noumea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Noumea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,410 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Noumea hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Noumea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.