Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and New Caledonia Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and New Caledonia

Name: New Caledonia
Address: NC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $796 in French Polynesia versus $950 in New Caledonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in French Polynesia versus $1,466 in New Caledonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,609 in French Polynesia versus $1,982 in New Caledonia.

Living in French Polynesia costs about 16% less than in New Caledonia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: French Polynesia 40% lower, New Caledonia 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.70 CFPF 1,634

$14.42 CFPF 1,501

8.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 CFPF 8,438

$96.3 CFPF 10.0K

-15.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 CFPF 1,251

$14.50 CFPF 1,509

-17.10%

Cappuccino

$4.45 CFPF 463

$5.87 CFPF 611

-24.19%

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

$2.65 CFPF 276

$2.49 CFPF 259

6.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CFPF 219

$1.06 CFPF 111

98.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 CFPF 504

$11.02 CFPF 1,147

-55.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 CFPF 512

$7.63 CFPF 793

-35.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 CFPF 149

$1.17 CFPF 122

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CFPF 297

$3.09 CFPF 321

-7.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 CFPF 174

$1.90 CFPF 198

-12.11%

Eggs

$7.16 CFPF 745

$5.53 CFPF 576

29.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$39.04 CFPF 4,062

$19.07 CFPF 1,985

104.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.82 CFPF 1,751

$22.43 CFPF 2,334

-25.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.69 CFPF 2,881

$26.35 CFPF 2,741

5.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.56 CFPF 579

$4.20 CFPF 437

32.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 CFPF 250

$7.33 CFPF 763

-67.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 CFPF 705

$6.68 CFPF 695

1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.73 CFPF 804

$7.37 CFPF 767

4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CFPF 305

$3.73 CFPF 388

-21.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CFPF 273

$3.30 CFPF 343

-20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 CFPF 395

$2.88 CFPF 299

31.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 116

$1.53 CFPF 160

-27.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 CFPF 1,231

$19.61 CFPF 2,041

-39.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 CFPF 2,471

$15.02 CFPF 1,563

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CFPF 265

$5.19 CFPF 540

-50.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CFPF 498

$6.08 CFPF 632

-21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CFPF 206

$2.89 CFPF 301

-31.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 CFPF 6,598

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 CFPF 988

$5.40 CFPF 562

75.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 CFPF 104

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.07 CFPF 2,608

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 165

$1.69 CFPF 176

-6.51%

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

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

$34.0K CFPF 3.5M

-43.08%

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

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

$40.2K CFPF 4.2M

-28.65%

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

$180 CFPF 18.7K

$206 CFPF 21.5K

-12.85%

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

$17.28 CFPF 1,798

$40.45 CFPF 4,208

-57.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 CFPF 10.6K

$58.2 CFPF 6,054

75.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 CFPF 7,585

$61.1 CFPF 6,352

19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.59 CFPF 1,831

$7.55 CFPF 785

132.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 CFPF 1,538

$12.80 CFPF 1,331

15.47%

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

$483 CFPF 50.3K

$793 CFPF 82.5K

-39.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,795 CFPF 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.8 CFPF 10.2K

$111 CFPF 11.6K

-12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.5 CFPF 9,002

$57.7 CFPF 6,005

49.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 CFPF 11.3K

$92.7 CFPF 9,645

16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CFPF 11.0K

$243 CFPF 25.2K

-56.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 CFPF 136.5K

$752 CFPF 78.2K

74.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 CFPF 115.0K

$777 CFPF 80.9K

42.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 CFPF 223.5K

$1,576 CFPF 163.9K

36.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 CFPF 193.5K

$1,359 CFPF 141.4K

36.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,319 CFPF 865.6K

$4,769 CFPF 496.2K

74.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,635 CFPF 794.5K

$3,528 CFPF 367.1K

116.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,899 CFPF 197.5K

$2,756 CFPF 286.8K

-31.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

2.33

131.76%

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

Last update for French Polynesia: July 13, 2026

Last update for New Caledonia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $534 in French Polynesia, $459 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $1,219 in Papeete vs $805 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $2,050 in French Polynesia, $2,814 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 163% more in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 37% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

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

French Polynesia vs New Caledonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,148 per month in French Polynesia and $1,195 in New Caledonia, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in French Polynesia: 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 New Caledonia is consistently higher than in French Polynesia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In French Polynesia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in New Caledonia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: French Polynesia wins on affordability; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.