For one person, living is cheaper in India: $395 a month against $2,396 in New Caledonia, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in India 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 India and in New Caledonia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $391 in India versus $2,396 in New Caledonia.
India $391
New Caledonia $2,396
Estimated couple costs with rent: $620 in India versus $3,796 in New Caledonia.
India $620
New Caledonia $3,796
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $849 in India versus $5,196 in New Caledonia.
India $849
New Caledonia $5,196
🌍
Living in India costs about 84% less than in New Caledonia on average.
📊
India (71% below) and New Caledonia (77% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
India
New Caledonia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.14₹203
$20.67CFPF 2,187
-89.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.57₹1,004
$113CFPF 12.0K
-90.66%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.77₹358
$14.06CFPF 1,487
-73.19%
Cappuccino
$1.76₹167
$4.49CFPF 475
-60.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.42₹39.67
$1.92CFPF 203
-78.13%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14₹13.45
$1.26CFPF 134
-88.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.95₹186
$9.65CFPF 1,021
-79.79%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11₹295
$7.36CFPF 779
-57.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
India
New Caledonia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.63₹59.6
$1.23CFPF 130
-48.78%
White Bread(500g)
$0.46₹43.45
$3.56CFPF 377
-87.08%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.68₹64.3
$2.23CFPF 236
-69.51%
Eggs
$0.93₹88.4
$6.31CFPF 668
-85.26%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.83₹458
$30.30CFPF 3,206
-84.06%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.91₹276
$28.72CFPF 3,038
-89.87%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$28.51CFPF 3,017
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.00₹190
$4.74CFPF 502
-57.81%
Banana(1kg)
$0.63₹59.6
$7.20CFPF 762
-91.25%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.98₹92.8
$6.02CFPF 637
-83.72%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.51₹48.04
$7.82CFPF 827
-93.48%
Potato(1kg)
$0.36₹34.28
$5.67CFPF 600
-93.65%
Onion(1kg)
$0.39₹36.72
$3.73CFPF 395
-89.54%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.43₹41.31
$4.17CFPF 442
-89.69%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.29₹27.53
$1.46CFPF 155
-80.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.14₹488
$19.28CFPF 2,040
-73.34%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.33₹696
$15.10CFPF 1,597
-51.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65₹157
$5.72CFPF 605
-71.15%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73₹259
-
-
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
$5.08₹483
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
India
New Caledonia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₹23.70
$4.80CFPF 508
-94.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$8.49₹806
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.03₹97.9
$6.89CFPF 729
-85.05%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.25₹23.69
$1.12CFPF 118
-77.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.61₹153
$20.90CFPF 2,211
-92.30%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.07₹101
$1.56CFPF 165
-31.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.3K₹1.1M
$32.8KCFPF 3.5M
-65.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.1K₹1.9M
$37.3KCFPF 3.9M
-46.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
New Caledonia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$37.73₹3,583
$196CFPF 20.7K
-80.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.58₹340
$43.44CFPF 4,596
-91.76%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.89₹655
$52.4CFPF 5,546
-86.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
India
New Caledonia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$14.63₹1,390
$49.92CFPF 5,282
-70.69%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.25₹688
$8.45CFPF 894
-14.20%
Cinema Ticket
$3.17₹301
$14.17CFPF 1,499
-77.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
India
New Caledonia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$56.5₹5,369
$754CFPF 79.8K
-92.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$1,646₹156.3K
$9,419CFPF 996.5K
-82.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
India
New Caledonia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.73₹2,158
$108CFPF 11.5K
-79.02%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.04₹2,283
$65.7CFPF 6,952
-63.42%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$41.04₹3,898
$95.1CFPF 10.1K
-56.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$30.60₹2,906
$249CFPF 26.3K
-87.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
India
New Caledonia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$144₹13.6K
$735CFPF 77.7K
-80.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$91.5₹8,691
$775CFPF 82.0K
-88.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$324₹30.8K
$1,503CFPF 159.0K
-78.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$214₹20.3K
$1,341CFPF 141.9K
-84.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,200₹114.0K
$4,646CFPF 491.6K
-74.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$619₹58.8K
$3,395CFPF 359.2K
-81.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
India
New Caledonia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$440₹41.8K
$2,766CFPF 292.6K
-84.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.92
3.13
184.98%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for India: October 19, 2026
Last update for New Caledonia: October 20, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
India
$102 25.8%
New Caledonia
$650 * 27.1% ↑ 537%$548
🏠Accommodation & Living
India
$92 23.1%
New Caledonia
$775 32.3% ↑ 746%$683
🍽Eating Out
India
$68 17.1%
New Caledonia
$337 14.1% ↑ 398%$269
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
India
$53 13.5%
New Caledonia
$233 9.7% ↑ 338%$180
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
$48 12.2%
New Caledonia
$291 12.2% ↑ 504%$243
🎉Sport & Entertainment
India
$21 5.3%
New Caledonia
$78 3.3% ↑ 273%$57
🚌Getting Around
India
$12 3%
New Caledonia
$32 * 1.3% ↑ 169%$20
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🛒Groceries & Markets
India
$220 25.5%
New Caledonia
$1.5K * 29.3% ↑ 593%$1.3K
🏠Accommodation & Living
India
$214 24.8%
New Caledonia
$1.3K 25.8% ↑ 528%$1.1K
🍽Eating Out
India
$184 21.4%
New Caledonia
$1.2K 23.9% ↑ 576%$1.1K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
India
$118 13.8%
New Caledonia
$518 10% ↑ 338%$400
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
$52 6%
New Caledonia
$335 6.4% ↑ 546%$283
🎉Sport & Entertainment
India
$49 5.7%
New Caledonia
$165 3.2% ↑ 235%$116
🚌Getting Around
India
$24 2.8%
New Caledonia
$73 * 1.4% ↑ 204%$49
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $119 in India, $434 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $267 in Delhi vs $739 in Noumea.
💰National salary averages: $411 in India, $2,798 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 265% higher in New Caledonia.
⭐Dining out costs 450% more in New Caledonia.
⭐Salaries are 581% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in 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
India vs New Caledonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between India and New Caledonia?
At $391 per month in India and $2,396 in New Caledonia, there's a 513% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $434 in New Caledonia and $119 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in India or in New Caledonia?
In India, $1,000 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.
Should I move to India or to New Caledonia?
It depends on what you're after: India wins on affordability; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.