Cost of Living Comparison Between New Caledonia and French Polynesia Cost of Living Comparison Between New Caledonia and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $987 in New Caledonia versus $617 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,545 in New Caledonia versus $962 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,102 in New Caledonia versus $1,307 in French Polynesia.

Living in New Caledonia is roughly 60% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: New Caledonia 28% lower, French Polynesia 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.60 CFPF 2,220

$17.62 CFPF 1,810

22.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 CFPF 11.8K

$78.3 CFPF 8,044

47.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.40 CFPF 1,480

$14.82 CFPF 1,523

-2.83%

Cappuccino

$4.65 CFPF 478

$4.36 CFPF 448

6.65%

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

$2.07 CFPF 213

$2.65 CFPF 272

-21.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CFPF 131

$2.68 CFPF 276

-52.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.46 CFPF 972

$4.97 CFPF 510

90.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 CFPF 760

$5.97 CFPF 613

23.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 126

$1.45 CFPF 149

-15.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.63 CFPF 373

$4.41 CFPF 454

-17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 CFPF 239

$1.70 CFPF 174

37.06%

Eggs

$6.61 CFPF 679

$7.05 CFPF 724

-6.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.55 CFPF 3,139

$36.25 CFPF 3,725

-15.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.27 CFPF 3,008

$16.21 CFPF 1,666

80.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.78 CFPF 2,957

$24.96 CFPF 2,565

15.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 CFPF 510

$5.26 CFPF 540

-5.51%

Banana (1kg)

$7.44 CFPF 765

$2.87 CFPF 295

159.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.22 CFPF 639

$6.88 CFPF 707

-9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.26 CFPF 849

$7.86 CFPF 808

5.09%

Potato (1kg)

$5.72 CFPF 588

$3.09 CFPF 318

85.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 CFPF 395

$2.47 CFPF 254

55.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.25 CFPF 436

$3.67 CFPF 377

15.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CFPF 155

$1.27 CFPF 130

18.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.42 CFPF 1,995

$13.47 CFPF 1,384

44.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 CFPF 1,613

$24.26 CFPF 2,493

-35.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.98 CFPF 615

$2.90 CFPF 298

106.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 CFPF 404

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.01 CFPF 515

$1.93 CFPF 198

159.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 CFPF 1,483

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 CFPF 728

$9.61 CFPF 987

-26.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 CFPF 120

$2.46 CFPF 253

-52.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.49 CFPF 2,208

$24.04 CFPF 2,470

-10.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 CFPF 174

$1.53 CFPF 157

10.46%

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

$34.1K CFPF 3.5M

$18.7K CFPF 1.9M

82.92%

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

$38.4K CFPF 3.9M

$30.8K CFPF 3.2M

24.57%

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

$199 CFPF 20.5K

$180 CFPF 18.5K

10.49%

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

$45.09 CFPF 4,633

$20.11 CFPF 2,067

124.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 CFPF 5,636

$72.9 CFPF 7,492

-24.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CFPF 5,476

$77.5 CFPF 7,960

-31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.83 CFPF 908

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 CFPF 1,526

$14.71 CFPF 1,511

0.95%

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

$782 CFPF 80.4K

$479 CFPF 49.2K

63.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,649 CFPF 991.5K

$9,901 CFPF 1.0M

-2.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 CFPF 11.9K

$72.3 CFPF 7,430

59.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.9 CFPF 6,979

$73.9 CFPF 7,593

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CFPF 10.1K

$80.3 CFPF 8,251

22.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$263 CFPF 27.1K

$93.4 CFPF 9,593

182.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 78.2K

$1,287 CFPF 132.3K

-40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 CFPF 81.7K

$989 CFPF 101.6K

-19.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 CFPF 163.1K

$1,910 CFPF 196.2K

-16.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 CFPF 144.7K

$1,553 CFPF 159.6K

-9.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,943 CFPF 507.9K

$7,378 CFPF 758.1K

-33.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 CFPF 364.8K

$9,236 CFPF 949.0K

-61.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,815 CFPF 289.3K

$1,950 CFPF 200.3K

44.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

4.6

-31.96%

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

Last update for New Caledonia: August 30, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $458 in New Caledonia, $353 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $785 in Noumea vs $1,389 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $2,896 in New Caledonia, $2,095 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in New Caledonia.

Dining out costs 155% more in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 38% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Polynesia.

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

New Caledonia vs French Polynesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,169 per month in French Polynesia and $1,251 in New Caledonia, there's a 7% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in French Polynesia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in New Caledonia is consistently higher than in French Polynesia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In French Polynesia, $2,000 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.

It depends on what you're after: French Polynesia wins on affordability; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.