Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Ba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba: $92.7 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Ba
Learn more

Ba Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

🇫🇯 Fiji

$92.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Ba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $92.7 in Ba.

Noumea $2,391
Ba $92.7

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $207 in Ba.

Noumea $3,791
Ba $207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $321 in Ba.

Noumea $5,191
Ba $321

Living in Noumea is roughly 2479% more expensive than in Ba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Noumea is 77% above, Ba is 93% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,189

$2.05 FJD 4.59

905.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$29.78 FJD 66.7

273.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,518

$6.10 FJD 13.66

134.26%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 478

$1.96 FJD 4.39

129.59%

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

$1.92 CFPF 204

$0.98 FJD 2.20

95.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$0.98 FJD 2.19

29.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 986

$3.95 FJD 8.84

134.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 748

$3.45 FJD 7.72

104.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 130

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 372

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 234

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 640

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,140

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,018

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,019

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 499

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 762

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 642

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 869

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 574

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 386

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 432

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 159

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,031

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,798

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 616

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 488

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 729

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 118

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,278

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,561

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,204

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,300

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 913

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,477

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

$762 CFPF 80.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 982.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,869

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 82.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 144.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 490.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 370.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 282.8K

$385 FJD 863

590.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

-21.75%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

$93 100% 72.3% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

Noumea pays 591% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $111 in Noumea vs $30.00 in Ba for two.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇫🇯 Ba

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

12:23 12:23 PM

1 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

15,000

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.42 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.42 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.4 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Noumea Ba 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Ba

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

Noumea vs Ba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 2479% lower than in Noumea. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 591% higher in Noumea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,391 per month in Noumea versus $92.7 in Ba – a 2479% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $92.7 in Ba versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Ba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $92.7 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2479% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.