Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Caledonia and French Polynesia

Name: French Polynesia
Address: PF

For one person, living costs are similar in New Caledonia and in French Polynesia: $2,396 and $2,339 a month, rent and utilities included.

116

Cost of Living Index in New Caledonia
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New Caledonia Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in French Polynesia
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French Polynesia Living Index

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🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,396

/mo nomad

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$2,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Caledonia and in French Polynesia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New Caledonia and in French Polynesia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,396 in New Caledonia versus $2,339 in French Polynesia.

New Caledonia $2,396
French Polynesia $2,339

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,796 in New Caledonia versus $3,508 in French Polynesia.

New Caledonia $3,796
French Polynesia $3,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,196 in New Caledonia versus $4,677 in French Polynesia.

New Caledonia $5,196
French Polynesia $4,677

Living in New Caledonia is roughly 2% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: New Caledonia 77% above, French Polynesia 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 CFPF 2,187

$17.10 CFPF 1,809

20.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 CFPF 12.0K

$75.8 CFPF 8,021

49.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 CFPF 1,487

$14.23 CFPF 1,505

-1.19%

Cappuccino

$4.49 CFPF 475

$4.20 CFPF 444

6.90%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$2.55 CFPF 270

-24.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 CFPF 134

$2.53 CFPF 268

-50.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.65 CFPF 1,021

$4.68 CFPF 496

106.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 CFPF 779

$5.59 CFPF 591

31.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 CFPF 130

$1.44 CFPF 152

-14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 CFPF 377

$4.23 CFPF 447

-15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CFPF 236

$1.64 CFPF 173

35.98%

Eggs

$6.31 CFPF 668

$6.91 CFPF 731

-8.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CFPF 3,206

$34.89 CFPF 3,692

-13.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.72 CFPF 3,038

$15.64 CFPF 1,654

83.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.51 CFPF 3,017

$24.52 CFPF 2,594

16.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 CFPF 502

$5.06 CFPF 535

-6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$7.20 CFPF 762

$2.85 CFPF 302

152.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.02 CFPF 637

$6.53 CFPF 691

-7.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.82 CFPF 827

$7.63 CFPF 807

2.49%

Potato (1kg)

$5.67 CFPF 600

$3.03 CFPF 321

87.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 CFPF 395

$2.45 CFPF 259

52.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.17 CFPF 442

$3.60 CFPF 381

15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CFPF 155

$1.17 CFPF 124

24.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.28 CFPF 2,040

$13.05 CFPF 1,380

47.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 CFPF 1,597

$23.65 CFPF 2,503

-36.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.72 CFPF 605

$2.83 CFPF 300

102.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CFPF 388

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 CFPF 508

$1.84 CFPF 195

160.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.22 CFPF 1,505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 CFPF 729

$9.44 CFPF 999

-27.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 CFPF 118

$2.42 CFPF 256

-53.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.90 CFPF 2,211

$23.23 CFPF 2,458

-10.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 CFPF 165

$1.49 CFPF 158

4.70%

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

$32.8K CFPF 3.5M

$18.2K CFPF 1.9M

80.19%

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

$37.3K CFPF 3.9M

$30.6K CFPF 3.2M

22.13%

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

$196 CFPF 20.7K

$172 CFPF 18.2K

13.42%

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

$43.44 CFPF 4,596

$18.99 CFPF 2,009

128.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 CFPF 5,546

$72.2 CFPF 7,639

-27.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.92 CFPF 5,282

$74.8 CFPF 7,916

-33.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.45 CFPF 894

Cinema Ticket

$14.17 CFPF 1,499

$14.36 CFPF 1,519

-1.32%

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

$754 CFPF 79.8K

$478 CFPF 50.6K

57.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,419 CFPF 996.5K

$9,401 CFPF 994.6K

0.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 CFPF 11.5K

$67.6 CFPF 7,150

60.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 CFPF 6,952

$71.3 CFPF 7,542

-7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 CFPF 10.1K

$79.5 CFPF 8,409

19.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$90.7 CFPF 9,598

174.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 CFPF 77.7K

$1,234 CFPF 130.6K

-40.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CFPF 82.0K

$940 CFPF 99.4K

-17.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 CFPF 159.0K

$1,848 CFPF 195.5K

-18.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 CFPF 141.9K

$1,528 CFPF 161.7K

-12.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,646 CFPF 491.6K

$6,976 CFPF 738.1K

-33.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,395 CFPF 359.2K

$8,993 CFPF 951.4K

-62.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,766 CFPF 292.6K

$1,885 CFPF 199.4K

46.73%

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: October 20, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Caledonia

$775 32.3%

French Polynesia

$940 40.2% 21.3% $165

Groceries & Markets

New Caledonia

$650 * 27.1%

French Polynesia

$565 24.2% 13% $85

Eating Out

New Caledonia

$337 14.1%

French Polynesia

$285 12.2% 15.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Caledonia

$291 12.2%

French Polynesia

$264 11.3% 9.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

New Caledonia

$233 9.7%

French Polynesia

$139 6% 40.3% $94

Sport & Entertainment

New Caledonia

$78 3.3%

French Polynesia

$104 4.4% 32.3% $25

Getting Around

New Caledonia

$32 * 1.3%

French Polynesia

$43 1.8% 36.2% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $434 in New Caledonia, $341 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $739 in Noumea vs $1,360 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $2,798 in New Caledonia, $1,976 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in New Caledonia.

Dining out costs 150% more in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 42% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

Good to know

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

01:39 1:39 AM

21 h behind New Caledonia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

278,500

278,786

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

New Caledonia French Polynesia 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New Caledonia
French Polynesia

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

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

At $2,339 per month in French Polynesia and $2,396 in New Caledonia, there's a 2% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $434 in New Caledonia and $341 in French Polynesia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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.