Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manukau and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Manukau: $1,753 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Manukau
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Manukau Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

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Manukau

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,753

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,753 per month in Manukau vs $2,391 in Noumea, rent included.

Manukau $1,753
Noumea $2,391

A couple spends around $2,707 per month in Manukau vs $3,791 in Noumea, rent included.

Manukau $2,707
Noumea $3,791

A family of three spends $3,661 per month in Manukau vs $5,191 in Noumea, rent included.

Manukau $3,661
Noumea $5,191

Manukau is about 27% cheaper than Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manukau and Noumea sit above the global median – Manukau by 30%, Noumea by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 NZ$21.04

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

-42.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 NZ$119

$111 CFPF 11.8K

-39.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 NZ$14.77

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

-41.57%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$6.00

$4.50 CFPF 477

-24.67%

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

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$1.92 CFPF 203

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.27 CFPF 135

37.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 NZ$10.80

$9.28 CFPF 982

-34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 NZ$9.83

$7.04 CFPF 745

-21.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 NZ$2.50

$1.22 CFPF 129

15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 NZ$2.28

$3.50 CFPF 370

-63.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$2.20 CFPF 233

-18.18%

Eggs

$5.19 NZ$9.18

$6.02 CFPF 637

-13.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.64 NZ$9.97

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

-80.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 NZ$12.79

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

-74.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.66 NZ$20.63

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

-58.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$4.70 CFPF 497

-45.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.61

$7.18 CFPF 759

-71.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.16

$6.04 CFPF 639

-51.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 NZ$9.99

$8.19 CFPF 866

-31.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.45

$5.41 CFPF 572

-63.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$3.63 CFPF 384

-62.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NZ$3.51

$4.07 CFPF 430

-51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NZ$1.60

$1.50 CFPF 158

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.28 NZ$44.71

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

32.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 NZ$17.91

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

-40.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 NZ$5.00

$5.80 CFPF 614

-51.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 NZ$5.89

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 NZ$3.14

$4.59 CFPF 486

-61.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 NZ$161

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$6.87 CFPF 726

-66.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 NZ$3.50

$1.11 CFPF 117

78.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.55 NZ$55.8

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

47.09%

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)

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

-23.00%

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

$22.3K NZ$39.4K

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

-39.88%

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

$56.2 NZ$99.3

$201 CFPF 21.3K

-72.05%

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

$26.35 NZ$46.60

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

-38.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.91 NZ$88.3

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.03 NZ$67.3

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

-23.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

Cinema Ticket

$12.81 NZ$22.65

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

-7.91%

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

$675 NZ$1,194

$762 CFPF 80.6K

-11.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K NZ$34.8K

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

112.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 NZ$109

$107 CFPF 11.4K

-42.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.04 NZ$65.5

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

-42.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 NZ$165

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

-3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 NZ$194

$249 CFPF 26.3K

-55.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 NZ$1,690

$751 CFPF 79.4K

27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$817 NZ$1,444

$773 CFPF 81.8K

5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NZ$2,821

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

6.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NZ$2,552

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

6.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,910 NZ$8,683

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

6.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,309 NZ$5,852

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

-5.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,744 NZ$3,085

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

-34.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.13

88.50%

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

Last update for Manukau: 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

Manukau

$817 46.6%

Noumea

$773 32.3% 5.3% $43

Groceries & Markets

Manukau

$276 15.8%

Noumea

$648 * 27.1% 135% $372

Eating Out

Manukau

$218 12.4%

Noumea

$335 14% 54% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Manukau

$136 7.8%

Noumea

$233 9.7% 71.4% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manukau

$132 7.6%

Noumea

$293 12.3% 121% $160

Getting Around

Manukau

$110 6.3%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 72.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Manukau

$64 3.6%

Noumea

$78 3.3% 22.1% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Manukau 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.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Noumea, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Manukau versus $111 in Noumea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $648 – making Manukau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Manukau

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

2 h behind Manukau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,000

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

Manukau Noumea 1,830 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Manukau
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

Manukau vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,753 in Manukau, $2,391 in Noumea – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,629 per month in Manukau and $3,587 in Noumea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manukau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,753 in Manukau and $2,391 in Noumea. That's a gap of about 36%.

Kindergarten costs $675 per month in Manukau and $762 in Noumea. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Manukau, where all-in costs run around $1,753, than in Noumea at $2,391. In Manukau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noumea it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Noumea has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,753 in Manukau to $2,391 in Noumea. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Manukau. 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.