Cost of Living Comparison Between New Caledonia and United States Cost of Living Comparison Between New Caledonia and United States

Name: United States
Address: US

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in New Caledonia versus $2,643 in United States.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,462 in New Caledonia versus $3,857 in United States.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,981 in New Caledonia versus $5,070 in United States.

Living in New Caledonia costs about 64% less than in United States on average.

New Caledonia (30% below) and United States (97% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.73 CFPF 1,504

$20.04 $20.04

-26.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.2 CFPF 9,931

$76.0 $76.0

27.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.46 CFPF 1,477

$11.42 $11.42

26.62%

Cappuccino

$5.82 CFPF 594

$5.39 $5.39

7.98%

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

$2.40 CFPF 245

$2.55 $2.55

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 CFPF 113

$2.04 $2.04

-45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.21 CFPF 1,145

$6.14 $6.14

82.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 CFPF 757

$7.18 $7.18

3.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 CFPF 127

$1.04 $1.04

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 CFPF 315

$3.65 $3.65

-15.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 CFPF 196

$4.73 $4.73

-59.41%

Eggs

$5.72 CFPF 585

$4.38 $4.38

30.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 CFPF 1,940

$12.76 $12.76

48.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.36 CFPF 2,284

$12.42 $12.42

80.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 CFPF 2,609

$16.41 $16.41

55.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CFPF 430

$5.42 $5.42

-22.32%

Banana (1kg)

$7.19 CFPF 734

$1.65 $1.65

335.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.84 CFPF 698

$4.59 $4.59

49.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.37 CFPF 753

$4.91 $4.91

50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 CFPF 397

$2.92 $2.92

33.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 CFPF 332

$3.13 $3.13

3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 CFPF 305

$2.26 $2.26

32.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CFPF 155

$2.30 $2.30

-33.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.29 CFPF 1,970

$9.89 $9.89

95.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.34 CFPF 1,567

$15.10 $15.10

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 CFPF 552

$1.91 $1.91

183.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CFPF 612

$3.66 $3.66

63.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 CFPF 300

$2.48 $2.48

18.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 CFPF 6,355

$64.8 $64.8

-4.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 CFPF 547

$3.84 $3.84

39.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 CFPF 103

$1.76 $1.76

-42.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.33 CFPF 2,587

$30.58 $30.58

-17.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 CFPF 173

$0.96 $0.96

76.04%

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

$34.2K CFPF 3.5M

$30.5K $30.5K

12.14%

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

$39.3K CFPF 4.0M

$26.4K $26.4K

49.14%

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

$203 CFPF 20.7K

$204 $204

-0.60%

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

$40.52 CFPF 4,139

$57.3 $57.3

-29.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 CFPF 5,801

$71.2 $71.2

-20.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 CFPF 6,261

$46.67 $46.67

31.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 CFPF 806

$22.12 $22.12

-64.33%

Cinema Ticket

$12.90 CFPF 1,318

$13.84 $13.84

-6.79%

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

$786 CFPF 80.3K

$1,384 $1,384

-43.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.3K

$53.0 $53.0

108.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 CFPF 5,837

$43.17 $43.17

32.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 CFPF 9,485

$90.6 $90.6

2.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$243 CFPF 24.8K

$114 $114

112.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 CFPF 77.8K

$1,766 $1,766

-56.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 CFPF 80.2K

$1,459 $1,459

-46.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CFPF 165.0K

$2,832 $2,832

-42.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 CFPF 134.2K

$2,411 $2,411

-45.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,845 CFPF 495.0K

$3,287 $3,287

47.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,596 CFPF 367.3K

$2,650 $2,650

35.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,822 CFPF 288.2K

$4,379 $4,379

-35.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.33

6.51

-64.21%

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

Last update for New Caledonia: June 2, 2026

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $458 in New Caledonia, $1,637 in United States. Capital cities: $785 in Noumea vs $2,591 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $2,889 in New Caledonia, $4,500 in United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 257% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 43% more in United States.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 56% higher in United States, giving New Caledonia stronger purchasing power.

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,181 per month in New Caledonia and $3,212 in United States, there's a 172% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

New Caledonia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 United States beats New Caledonia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In New Caledonia, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In United States, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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