Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Levin and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Levin: $1,859 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. The total is higher in Noumea despite lower rent and utilities.

Levin
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,859
/mo nomad
Noumea
🇳🇨 New Caledonia
$2,391
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,859 per month in Levin vs $2,391 in Noumea, rent included.

  • Levin $1,859
  • Noumea $2,391

A couple spends around $2,784 per month in Levin vs $3,791 in Noumea, rent included.

  • Levin $2,784
  • Noumea $3,791

A family of three spends $3,710 per month in Levin vs $5,191 in Noumea, rent included.

  • Levin $3,710
  • Noumea $5,191

Levin is about 22% cheaper than Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Levin and Noumea sit above the global median – Levin by 38%, Noumea by 77%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Levin
Noumea
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.55 NZ$23.97
$20.61 CFPF 2,180
-34.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.9 NZ$115
$111 CFPF 11.8K
-41.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.89 NZ$15.72
$14.29 CFPF 1,512
-37.79%
Cappuccino
$2.87 NZ$5.08
$4.50 CFPF 477
-36.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 NZ$4.35
$1.92 CFPF 203
28.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 NZ$2.93
$1.27 CFPF 135
30.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.09 NZ$12.54
$9.28 CFPF 982
-23.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.58 NZ$11.63
$7.04 CFPF 745
-6.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Levin
Noumea
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 NZ$3.28
$1.22 CFPF 129
51.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.90 NZ$1.60
$3.50 CFPF 370
-74.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 NZ$3.05
$2.20 CFPF 233
-21.82%
Eggs
$6.99 NZ$12.37
$6.02 CFPF 637
16.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.37 NZ$11.27
$29.56 CFPF 3,128
-78.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.00 NZ$12.38
$28.42 CFPF 3,007
-75.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.46 NZ$16.73
$28.43 CFPF 3,007
-66.73%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 NZ$2.95
$4.70 CFPF 497
-64.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 NZ$3.78
$7.18 CFPF 759
-70.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.99 NZ$5.29
$6.04 CFPF 639
-50.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.75 NZ$3.09
$8.19 CFPF 866
-78.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 NZ$3.36
$5.41 CFPF 572
-64.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 NZ$2.17
$3.63 CFPF 384
-66.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 NZ$3.30
$4.07 CFPF 430
-54.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 NZ$0.94
$1.50 CFPF 158
-64.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.98 NZ$31.80
$19.12 CFPF 2,023
-5.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.36 NZ$20.10
$16.93 CFPF 1,792
-32.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.22 NZ$5.69
$5.80 CFPF 614
-44.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 NZ$4.91
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Levin
Noumea
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.72 NZ$3.04
$4.59 CFPF 486
-62.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$81.0 NZ$143
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 NZ$3.28
$6.87 CFPF 726
-73.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.76 NZ$3.11
$1.11 CFPF 117
58.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.04 NZ$58.4
$21.45 CFPF 2,269
54.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.60 NZ$2.82
$1.58 CFPF 167
1.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.5K NZ$45.1K
$32.2K CFPF 3.4M
-20.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K NZ$44.1K
$37.1K CFPF 3.9M
-32.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Levin
Noumea
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$198 NZ$349
$201 CFPF 21.3K
-1.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.86 NZ$38.65
$42.95 CFPF 4,544
-49.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.4 NZ$92.6
$49.00 CFPF 5,185
6.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Levin
Noumea
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.09 NZ$67.4
$49.91 CFPF 5,280
-23.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$8.60 CFPF 910
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.01 NZ$17.70
$13.91 CFPF 1,472
-28.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Levin
Noumea
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,036 NZ$1,832
$762 CFPF 80.6K
36.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K NZ$23.1K
$9,253 CFPF 978.9K
40.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Levin
Noumea
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.7 NZ$136
$107 CFPF 11.4K
-28.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.97 NZ$38.85
$64.7 CFPF 6,844
-66.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.0 NZ$90.2
$96.9 CFPF 10.3K
-47.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 NZ$200
$249 CFPF 26.3K
-54.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Levin
Noumea
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$993 NZ$1,756
$751 CFPF 79.4K
32.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$824 NZ$1,457
$773 CFPF 81.8K
6.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,192 NZ$2,109
$1,494 CFPF 158.1K
-20.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,463 NZ$2,587
$1,359 CFPF 143.7K
7.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,974 NZ$8,796
$4,622 CFPF 489.0K
7.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,415 NZ$6,039
$3,488 CFPF 369.1K
-2.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Levin
Noumea
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,663 CFPF 281.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
3.13
72.20%

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

Last update for Levin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Levin
$824
Noumea
$773 6.2% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Levin
$272
Noumea
$293 7.8% $21
Groceries & Markets
Levin
$253
Noumea
$648 * 156% $395
Eating Out
Levin
$235
Noumea
$335 42.8% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Levin
$118
Noumea
$233 96.9% $115
Getting Around
Levin
$99
Noumea
$31 * 68.8% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Levin
$58
Noumea
$78 33.8% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $993 in Levin versus $751 in Noumea. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Levin versus $111 in Noumea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $648 – making Levin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Levin
🇳🇨 Noumea
🕒 Local time
07:02 7:02 AM
05:02 5:02 AM
2 h behind Levin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,800
91,386 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Levin Noumea 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Levin
  • 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
Levin vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Levin and in Noumea compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,859 in Levin, $2,391 in Noumea – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Levin compared to Noumea?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,788 per month in Levin and $3,587 in Noumea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Levin and Noumea?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Levin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Levin and $111 in Noumea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 156% more in Noumea, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Levin, where all-in costs run around $1,859, than in Noumea at $2,391. In Levin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noumea it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Levin and Noumea?
It depends on your priorities. Noumea has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,859 in Levin to $2,391 in Noumea. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Levin or Noumea safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Levin and Noumea?
If budget matters most, go with Levin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Noumea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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