Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $1,647 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
Learn more

Hamilton Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
Learn more

Noumea Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,647

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton 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 Hamilton and in Noumea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Hamilton versus $2,391 in Noumea.

Hamilton $1,647
Noumea $2,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,571 in Hamilton versus $3,791 in Noumea.

Hamilton $2,571
Noumea $3,791

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Hamilton versus $5,191 in Noumea.

Hamilton $3,496
Noumea $5,191

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 31% less than in Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 22% above, Noumea 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 NZ$20.83

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

-42.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 NZ$130

$111 CFPF 11.8K

-33.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$14.98

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

-40.73%

Cappuccino

$3.32 NZ$5.86

$4.50 CFPF 477

-26.22%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.99

$1.92 CFPF 203

17.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 NZ$4.20

$1.27 CFPF 135

87.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NZ$11.04

$9.28 CFPF 982

-32.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.63

$7.04 CFPF 745

-22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$1.22 CFPF 129

19.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.20

$3.50 CFPF 370

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.46

$2.20 CFPF 233

-10.91%

Eggs

$5.25 NZ$9.29

$6.02 CFPF 637

-12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.56 NZ$9.84

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

-81.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 NZ$12.95

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

-74.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 NZ$20.92

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

-58.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 NZ$4.68

$4.70 CFPF 497

-43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$7.18 CFPF 759

-68.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.70

$6.04 CFPF 639

-46.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 NZ$11.14

$8.19 CFPF 866

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$5.41 CFPF 572

-63.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 NZ$2.46

$3.63 CFPF 384

-61.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$4.07 CFPF 430

-37.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 NZ$1.70

$1.50 CFPF 158

-36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.97 NZ$44.16

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

30.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 NZ$18.95

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

-36.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 NZ$6.87

$5.80 CFPF 614

-33.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 NZ$2.52

$4.59 CFPF 486

-69.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 NZ$71.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 NZ$6.22

$6.87 CFPF 726

-48.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$1.58 CFPF 167

7.59%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.6K

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

-18.14%

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

$23.1K NZ$40.9K

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

-37.64%

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

$56.1 NZ$99.2

$201 CFPF 21.3K

-72.10%

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

$35.89 NZ$63.5

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

-16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 NZ$95.8

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

10.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.00 NZ$44.21

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

-49.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 NZ$49.58

$8.60 CFPF 910

225.93%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 NZ$24.52

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

-0.36%

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

$666 NZ$1,178

$762 CFPF 80.6K

-12.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

142.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 NZ$108

$107 CFPF 11.4K

-43.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 NZ$65.9

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

-42.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NZ$163

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

-5.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NZ$183

$249 CFPF 26.3K

-58.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NZ$1,913

$751 CFPF 79.4K

44.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 NZ$1,327

$773 CFPF 81.8K

-2.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 NZ$2,632

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

-0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 NZ$2,314

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

-3.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,890 NZ$6,880

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

-15.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,506 NZ$7,969

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

29.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,634 NZ$4,658

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

-1.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

3.13

118.21%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$751 45.6%

Noumea

$773 32.3% 3% $23

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$295 17.9%

Noumea

$648 * 27.1% 120% $353

Eating Out

Hamilton

$220 13.4%

Noumea

$335 14% 52.2% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$146 8.9%

Noumea

$293 12.3% 100% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$132 8%

Noumea

$233 9.7% 76.2% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$53 3.2%

Noumea

$78 3.3% 47.4% $25

Getting Around

Hamilton

$50 * 3%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 37.9% $19

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 $1,082 in Hamilton and $751 in Noumea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 1% 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: $74.0 in Hamilton vs $111 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $648 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

05:19 5:19 AM

2 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,500

91,386 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamilton Noumea 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Noumea. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,082 in Hamilton versus $751 in Noumea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $666 in Hamilton versus $762 in Noumea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,647 in Hamilton versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamilton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Noumea, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamilton and Noumea are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.