Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masterton and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $832 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

Jump to prices

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $832 in Masterton versus $2,391 in Noumea.

Masterton $832
Noumea $2,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,432 in Masterton versus $3,791 in Noumea.

Masterton $1,432
Noumea $3,791

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,032 in Masterton versus $5,191 in Noumea.

Masterton $2,032
Noumea $5,191

Living in Masterton costs roughly 65% less than in Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Masterton is 38% below, Noumea is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.54 NZ$16.88

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

-53.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 NZ$115

$111 CFPF 11.8K

-41.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 NZ$15.14

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

-40.10%

Cappuccino

$3.18 NZ$5.62

$4.50 CFPF 477

-29.33%

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

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$1.92 CFPF 203

5.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$1.27 CFPF 135

-14.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 NZ$6.88

$9.28 CFPF 982

-58.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NZ$5.79

$7.04 CFPF 745

-53.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 NZ$2.51

$1.22 CFPF 129

16.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NZ$3.91

$3.50 CFPF 370

-36.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 NZ$1.82

$2.20 CFPF 233

-53.18%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$11.17

$6.02 CFPF 637

4.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 NZ$14.65

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

-71.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 NZ$16.76

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

-66.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 NZ$26.85

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

-46.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.85

$4.70 CFPF 497

-53.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$7.18 CFPF 759

-76.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.27

$6.04 CFPF 639

-50.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 NZ$8.11

$8.19 CFPF 866

-44.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.71

$5.41 CFPF 572

-71.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 NZ$1.90

$3.63 CFPF 384

-70.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NZ$3.00

$4.07 CFPF 430

-58.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 NZ$0.92

$1.50 CFPF 158

-65.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.51 NZ$34.50

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

2.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 NZ$19.83

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

-33.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NZ$1.50

$5.80 CFPF 614

-85.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$2.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$4.59 CFPF 486

-51.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 NZ$3.20

$6.87 CFPF 726

-73.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$1.11 CFPF 117

57.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.16 NZ$60.4

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

59.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 NZ$3.12

$1.58 CFPF 167

12.03%

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

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

-31.53%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

-33.00%

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

$55.0 NZ$97.3

$201 CFPF 21.3K

-72.61%

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

$29.34 NZ$51.9

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

-31.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 NZ$93.3

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

7.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.79 NZ$73.9

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

-16.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 NZ$15.06

$8.60 CFPF 910

-1.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.68 NZ$17.12

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

-30.41%

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

$1,056 NZ$1,868

$762 CFPF 80.6K

38.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

37.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 NZ$98.3

$107 CFPF 11.4K

-48.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.59 NZ$48.79

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

-57.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$181

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$251

$249 CFPF 26.3K

-42.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 NZ$1,773

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

-32.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,327 NZ$4,115

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

-12.61%

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 Masterton: October 13, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Masterton

$288 34.7%

Noumea

$648 * 27.1% 125% $360

Eating Out

Masterton

$179 21.5%

Noumea

$335 14% 87.6% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Masterton

$147 17.7%

Noumea

$233 9.7% 58% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masterton

$137 16.5%

Noumea

$293 12.3% 114% $156

Sport & Entertainment

Masterton

$61 7.4%

Noumea

$78 3.3% 27.1% $17

Getting Around

Masterton

$19 * 2.3%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 58.1% $11

Accommodation & Living

Masterton

- * 0%

Noumea

$773 32.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Noumea pays 14% 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: $65.0 in Masterton vs $111 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $648 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Masterton

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

2 h behind Masterton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,800

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

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Between locations

Masterton Noumea 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Masterton
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

Masterton vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 187% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Noumea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $832 per month in Masterton versus $2,391 in Noumea – a 187% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $832 in Masterton versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Masterton 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, Masterton 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 Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.