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: $950 in New Caledonia versus $796 in French Polynesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,466 in New Caledonia versus $1,203 in French Polynesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,982 in New Caledonia versus $1,609 in French Polynesia.

Living in New Caledonia is roughly 19% more expensive than in French Polynesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: New Caledonia 29% lower, French Polynesia 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 CFPF 1,501

$15.70 CFPF 1,634

-8.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.3 CFPF 10.0K

$81.1 CFPF 8,438

18.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.50 CFPF 1,509

$12.02 CFPF 1,251

20.63%

Cappuccino

$5.87 CFPF 611

$4.45 CFPF 463

31.91%

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

$2.49 CFPF 259

$2.65 CFPF 276

-6.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CFPF 111

$2.10 CFPF 219

-49.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.02 CFPF 1,147

$4.85 CFPF 504

127.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 CFPF 793

$4.93 CFPF 512

54.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 122

$1.43 CFPF 149

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CFPF 321

$2.85 CFPF 297

8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 CFPF 198

$1.67 CFPF 174

13.77%

Eggs

$5.53 CFPF 576

$7.16 CFPF 745

-22.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 CFPF 1,985

$39.04 CFPF 4,062

-51.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.43 CFPF 2,334

$16.82 CFPF 1,751

33.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.35 CFPF 2,741

$27.69 CFPF 2,881

-4.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 CFPF 437

$5.56 CFPF 579

-24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$7.33 CFPF 763

$2.41 CFPF 250

204.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.68 CFPF 695

$6.77 CFPF 705

-1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.37 CFPF 767

$7.73 CFPF 804

-4.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 CFPF 388

$2.93 CFPF 305

27.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 CFPF 343

$2.62 CFPF 273

25.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 CFPF 299

$3.80 CFPF 395

-24.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CFPF 160

$1.11 CFPF 116

37.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.61 CFPF 2,041

$11.83 CFPF 1,231

65.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 CFPF 1,563

$23.74 CFPF 2,471

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.19 CFPF 540

$2.55 CFPF 265

103.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 CFPF 632

$4.78 CFPF 498

27.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 CFPF 301

$1.98 CFPF 206

45.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 CFPF 6,598

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 CFPF 562

$9.50 CFPF 988

-43.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 CFPF 104

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.07 CFPF 2,608

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 CFPF 176

$1.58 CFPF 165

6.96%

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

$34.0K CFPF 3.5M

$19.3K CFPF 2.0M

75.68%

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

$40.2K CFPF 4.2M

$28.7K CFPF 3.0M

40.16%

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

$206 CFPF 21.5K

$180 CFPF 18.7K

14.74%

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

$40.45 CFPF 4,208

$17.28 CFPF 1,798

134.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 CFPF 6,054

$102 CFPF 10.6K

-42.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 CFPF 6,352

$72.9 CFPF 7,585

-16.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.55 CFPF 785

$17.59 CFPF 1,831

-57.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 CFPF 1,331

$14.78 CFPF 1,538

-13.40%

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

$793 CFPF 82.5K

$483 CFPF 50.3K

64.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,795 CFPF 1.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.6K

$97.8 CFPF 10.2K

13.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 CFPF 6,005

$86.5 CFPF 9,002

-33.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CFPF 9,645

$108 CFPF 11.3K

-14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$243 CFPF 25.2K

$106 CFPF 11.0K

129.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 CFPF 78.2K

$1,312 CFPF 136.5K

-42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 CFPF 80.9K

$1,105 CFPF 115.0K

-29.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CFPF 163.9K

$2,148 CFPF 223.5K

-26.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 141.4K

$1,860 CFPF 193.5K

-26.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CFPF 496.2K

$8,319 CFPF 865.6K

-42.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 CFPF 367.1K

$7,635 CFPF 794.5K

-53.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,756 CFPF 286.8K

$1,899 CFPF 197.5K

45.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.33

5.4

-56.85%

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

Last update for New Caledonia: July 12, 2026

Last update for French Polynesia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $459 in New Caledonia, $534 in French Polynesia. Capital cities: $805 in Noumea vs $1,219 in Papeete.

National salary averages: $2,814 in New Caledonia, $2,050 in French Polynesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in French Polynesia.

Dining out costs 163% more in New Caledonia.

Salaries are 37% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

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 $1,148 per month in French Polynesia and $1,195 in New Caledonia, there's a 4% 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.