Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between French Polynesia and New Caledonia

Name: New Caledonia
Address: NC

For one person, living costs are similar in French Polynesia and in New Caledonia: $2,339 and $2,396 a month, rent and utilities included.

113

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
Learn more

French Polynesia Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in New Caledonia
Learn more

New Caledonia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,339

/mo nomad

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in French Polynesia and in New Caledonia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,328 in French Polynesia versus $2,396 in New Caledonia.

French Polynesia $2,328
New Caledonia $2,396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,472 in French Polynesia versus $3,796 in New Caledonia.

French Polynesia $3,472
New Caledonia $3,796

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,615 in French Polynesia versus $5,196 in New Caledonia.

French Polynesia $4,615
New Caledonia $5,196

Living in French Polynesia costs about 3% less than in New Caledonia on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: French Polynesia 72% above, New Caledonia 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 CFPF 1,809

$20.67 CFPF 2,187

-17.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 CFPF 8,021

$113 CFPF 12.0K

-32.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 CFPF 1,505

$14.06 CFPF 1,487

1.21%

Cappuccino

$4.20 CFPF 444

$4.49 CFPF 475

-6.46%

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

$2.55 CFPF 270

$1.92 CFPF 203

32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 CFPF 268

$1.26 CFPF 134

100.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 CFPF 496

$9.65 CFPF 1,021

-51.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CFPF 591

$7.36 CFPF 779

-24.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CFPF 152

$1.23 CFPF 130

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 CFPF 447

$3.56 CFPF 377

18.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 CFPF 173

$2.23 CFPF 236

-26.46%

Eggs

$6.91 CFPF 731

$6.31 CFPF 668

9.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.89 CFPF 3,692

$30.30 CFPF 3,206

15.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.64 CFPF 1,654

$28.72 CFPF 3,038

-45.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.52 CFPF 2,594

$28.51 CFPF 3,017

-14.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 CFPF 535

$4.74 CFPF 502

6.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 CFPF 302

$7.20 CFPF 762

-60.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.53 CFPF 691

$6.02 CFPF 637

8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.63 CFPF 807

$7.82 CFPF 827

-2.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 CFPF 321

$5.67 CFPF 600

-46.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 CFPF 259

$3.73 CFPF 395

-34.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 CFPF 381

$4.17 CFPF 442

-13.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CFPF 124

$1.46 CFPF 155

-19.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.05 CFPF 1,380

$19.28 CFPF 2,040

-32.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.65 CFPF 2,503

$15.10 CFPF 1,597

56.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CFPF 300

$5.72 CFPF 605

-50.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CFPF 388

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 CFPF 195

$4.80 CFPF 508

-61.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.22 CFPF 1,505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 CFPF 999

$6.89 CFPF 729

37.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 CFPF 256

$1.12 CFPF 118

116.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.23 CFPF 2,458

$20.90 CFPF 2,211

11.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CFPF 158

$1.56 CFPF 165

-4.49%

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

$18.2K CFPF 1.9M

$32.8K CFPF 3.5M

-44.50%

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

$30.6K CFPF 3.2M

$37.3K CFPF 3.9M

-18.12%

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

$172 CFPF 18.2K

$196 CFPF 20.7K

-11.84%

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

$18.99 CFPF 2,009

$43.44 CFPF 4,596

-56.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 CFPF 7,639

$52.4 CFPF 5,546

37.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 CFPF 7,916

$49.92 CFPF 5,282

49.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.45 CFPF 894

Cinema Ticket

$14.36 CFPF 1,519

$14.17 CFPF 1,499

1.34%

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

$478 CFPF 50.6K

$754 CFPF 79.8K

-36.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,401 CFPF 994.6K

$9,419 CFPF 996.5K

-0.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 CFPF 7,150

$108 CFPF 11.5K

-37.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.3 CFPF 7,542

$65.7 CFPF 6,952

8.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 CFPF 8,409

$95.1 CFPF 10.1K

-16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 CFPF 9,598

$249 CFPF 26.3K

-63.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 CFPF 130.6K

$735 CFPF 77.7K

67.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 CFPF 99.4K

$775 CFPF 82.0K

21.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 CFPF 195.5K

$1,503 CFPF 159.0K

22.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CFPF 161.7K

$1,341 CFPF 141.9K

13.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,976 CFPF 738.1K

$4,646 CFPF 491.6K

50.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,993 CFPF 951.4K

$3,395 CFPF 359.2K

164.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,885 CFPF 199.4K

$2,766 CFPF 292.6K

-31.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

3.13

46.96%

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

Last update for French Polynesia: October 20, 2026

Last update for New Caledonia: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

French Polynesia

$940 40.2%

New Caledonia

$775 32.3% 17.6% $165

Groceries & Markets

French Polynesia

$565 24.2%

New Caledonia

$650 * 27.1% 15% $85

Eating Out

French Polynesia

$285 12.2%

New Caledonia

$337 14.1% 18.4% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

French Polynesia

$264 11.3%

New Caledonia

$291 12.2% 10.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

French Polynesia

$139 6%

New Caledonia

$233 9.7% 67.6% $94

Sport & Entertainment

French Polynesia

$104 4.4%

New Caledonia

$78 3.3% 24.4% $25

Getting Around

French Polynesia

$43 1.8%

New Caledonia

$32 * 1.3% 26.6% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $331 in French Polynesia, $434 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $1,310 in Papeete vs $739 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $1,990 in French Polynesia, $2,798 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 31% higher in New Caledonia.

Dining out costs 150% more in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 41% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

Good to know

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

20:59 8:59 PM

21 h ahead of French Polynesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,786

278,500

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

French Polynesia New Caledonia 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

French Polynesia
New Caledonia

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

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

At $2,328 per month in French Polynesia and $2,396 in New Caledonia, there's a 3% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $434 in New Caledonia and $331 in French Polynesia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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.