For one person, living is cheaper in Italy: $1,804 a month against $2,372 in New Caledonia, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in New Caledonia and in Italy
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 Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,372 in New Caledonia versus $1,804 in Italy.
New Caledonia $2,372
Italy $1,804
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,753 in New Caledonia versus $2,778 in Italy.
New Caledonia $3,753
Italy $2,778
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,134 in New Caledonia versus $3,752 in Italy.
New Caledonia $5,134
Italy $3,752
🌍
Living in New Caledonia is roughly 31% more expensive than in Italy on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: New Caledonia 76% above, Italy 34% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.88CFPF 2,210
$19.89€17.70
4.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$114CFPF 12.1K
$77.0€68.5
48.62%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.78CFPF 1,458
$11.00€9.78
25.27%
Cappuccino
$4.62CFPF 488
$1.99€1.77
132.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02CFPF 213
$2.96€2.63
-31.76%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26CFPF 134
$1.41€1.25
-10.64%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$9.52CFPF 1,007
$5.60€4.98
70.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.40CFPF 783
$5.67€5.05
30.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.19CFPF 125
$1.61€1.43
-26.09%
White Bread(500g)
$3.41CFPF 361
$2.30€2.05
48.26%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.23CFPF 235
$2.99€2.66
-25.42%
Eggs
$6.00CFPF 635
$4.06€3.61
47.78%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$29.42CFPF 3,112
$17.23€15.33
70.75%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$27.64CFPF 2,924
$12.68€11.28
117.98%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$28.21CFPF 2,985
$20.36€18.11
38.56%
Apples(1kg)
$4.63CFPF 490
$2.54€2.26
82.28%
Banana(1kg)
$6.93CFPF 733
$2.15€1.91
222.33%
Oranges(1kg)
$5.97CFPF 631
$2.56€2.28
133.20%
Tomato(1kg)
$8.00CFPF 846
$3.22€2.86
148.45%
Potato(1kg)
$5.34CFPF 565
$1.92€1.70
178.13%
Onion(1kg)
$3.72CFPF 394
$1.84€1.64
102.17%
Lettuce(1 head)
$4.00CFPF 423
$1.51€1.34
164.90%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45CFPF 153
$0.55€0.49
163.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$18.80CFPF 1,989
$6.81€6.06
176.06%
Wine(Bottle)
$15.13CFPF 1,601
$8.03€7.15
88.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$5.71CFPF 604
$1.72€1.53
231.98%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.37€2.11
-
🚌 Getting Around
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.77CFPF 505
$1.88€1.67
153.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$43.31€38.52
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$6.83CFPF 722
$5.57€4.95
22.62%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.08CFPF 114
$1.63€1.45
-33.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$21.06CFPF 2,228
$33.78€30.04
-37.66%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.57CFPF 166
$2.04€1.81
-23.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.2KCFPF 3.4M
$35.6K€31.7K
-9.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0KCFPF 3.9M
$35.4K€31.5K
4.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$193CFPF 20.4K
$222€198
-13.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.24CFPF 4,680
$11.43€10.17
287.05%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.6CFPF 5,460
$30.65€27.26
68.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.2CFPF 5,419
$52.7€46.89
-2.85%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.49CFPF 898
$23.82€21.19
-64.36%
Cinema Ticket
$13.87CFPF 1,468
$10.51€9.35
31.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$751CFPF 79.5K
$541€481
38.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,263CFPF 980.0K
$11.7K€10.4K
-20.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111CFPF 11.7K
$90.0€80.0
22.93%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.4CFPF 6,918
$39.08€34.76
67.32%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$94.6CFPF 10.0K
$101€90.2
-6.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$245CFPF 25.9K
$132€117
85.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$710CFPF 75.1K
$805€716
-11.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$768CFPF 81.2K
$619€550
24.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,503CFPF 159.1K
$1,388€1,235
8.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,308CFPF 138.4K
$1,050€934
24.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,696CFPF 496.9K
$3,623€3,223
29.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,433CFPF 363.3K
$2,229€1,983
54.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New Caledonia
Italy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,751CFPF 291.0K
$1,889€1,680
45.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.13
3.56
-12.08%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for New Caledonia: October 11, 2026
Last update for Italy: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
New Caledonia
$768 32.4%
Italy
$619 34.3% ↓ 19.4%$149
🛒Groceries & Markets
New Caledonia
$634 * 26.7%
Italy
$347 19.2% ↓ 45.3%$287
🍽Eating Out
New Caledonia
$339 14.3%
Italy
$273 15.1% ↓ 19.6%$66
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Caledonia
$289 12.2%
Italy
$265 14.7% ↓ 8.5%$24
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
New Caledonia
$232 9.8%
Italy
$163 9% ↓ 29.7%$69
🎉Sport & Entertainment
New Caledonia
$79 3.3%
Italy
$74 4.1% ↓ 6.6%$5.2
🚌Getting Around
New Caledonia
$31 * 1.3%
Italy
$65 3.6% ↑ 106%$33
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
New Caledonia
$1.3K 25.5%
Italy
$1K 28% ↓ 19.8%$258
🛒Groceries & Markets
New Caledonia
$1.5K * 28.9%
Italy
$821 21.9% ↓ 44.7%$665
🍽Eating Out
New Caledonia
$1.3K 24.4%
Italy
$939 25% ↓ 25%$314
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Caledonia
$333 6.5%
Italy
$276 7.4% ↓ 17.2%$57
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
New Caledonia
$515 10%
Italy
$362 9.7% ↓ 29.7%$153
🎉Sport & Entertainment
New Caledonia
$166 3.2%
Italy
$171 4.6% ↑ 2.9%$4.9
🚌Getting Around
New Caledonia
$72 * 1.4%
Italy
$133 3.5% ↑ 84.2%$61
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $436 in New Caledonia, $721 in Italy. Capital cities: $751 in Noumea vs $1,222 in Rome.
💰National salary averages: $2,744 in New Caledonia, $1,888 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 65% higher in Italy.
⭐Dining out costs 35% more in Italy.
⭐Salaries are 45% higher in New Caledonia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.
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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and New Caledonia?
At $1,804 per month in Italy and $2,372 in New Caledonia, there's a 31% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Italy is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Italy or in New Caledonia?
In Italy, $2,500 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.
Should I move to Italy or to New Caledonia?
It depends on what you're after: Italy wins on affordability; New Caledonia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.
New Caledonia vs other spots: cost of living compared