Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Cambridge

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge: $2,044 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. The total is higher in Noumea despite lower rent and utilities.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Cambridge

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Cambridge

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 Cambridge actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $2,044 in Cambridge.

Noumea $2,391
Cambridge $2,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $2,830 in Cambridge.

Noumea $3,791
Cambridge $2,830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $3,617 in Cambridge.

Noumea $5,191
Cambridge $3,617

Living in Noumea is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cambridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noumea 77% above, Cambridge 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$13.75 NZ$24.32

49.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$68.4 NZ$121

62.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$8.74 NZ$15.45

63.50%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$3.45 NZ$6.10

30.43%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$1.93 NZ$3.41

-0.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$1.99 NZ$3.52

-36.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$6.08 NZ$10.75

52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$6.63 NZ$11.73

6.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.51 NZ$2.67

-19.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$2.23 NZ$3.94

56.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.89 NZ$3.34

16.40%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$5.95 NZ$10.53

1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$8.33 NZ$14.73

254.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$9.43 NZ$16.68

201.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$13.01 NZ$23.01

118.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.55 NZ$4.50

84.31%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$2.28 NZ$4.04

214.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$3.02 NZ$5.34

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$5.65 NZ$9.99

44.96%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$2.11 NZ$3.73

156.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.56 NZ$2.76

132.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$2.27 NZ$4.02

79.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$1.08 NZ$1.92

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$25.11 NZ$44.41

-23.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$10.40 NZ$18.39

62.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$3.44 NZ$6.08

68.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 NZ$6.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$2.72 NZ$4.81

68.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$2.18 NZ$3.85

215.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-42.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

$31.37 NZ$55.5

-31.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.70 NZ$3.00

-7.06%

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$25.1K NZ$44.4K

28.14%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$22.1K NZ$39.1K

67.57%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$99.4 NZ$176

102.17%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$26.44 NZ$46.77

62.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$50.8 NZ$89.8

-3.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$13.51 NZ$23.90

2.96%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$673 NZ$1,190

13.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$19.3K NZ$34.1K

-52.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$62.0 NZ$110

73.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$37.37 NZ$66.1

73.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$93.1 NZ$165

4.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$105 NZ$186

136.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

$584 NZ$1,033

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

$1,122 NZ$1,985

-31.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$1,158 NZ$2,048

28.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

$1,449 NZ$2,563

-6.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

$4,539 NZ$8,027

1.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

$3,931 NZ$6,953

-11.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

$2,585 NZ$4,571

3.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

-47.83%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Cambridge

$1.1K 54.9% 45.1% $349

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Cambridge

$324 15.9% 50% $325

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Cambridge

$237 11.6% 29.3% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Cambridge

$177 8.6% 39.7% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Cambridge

$134 6.6% 42.5% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Cambridge

$27 * 1.3% 65.2% $51

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Cambridge

$23 * 1.1% 26% $8

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $751 in Noumea and $584 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 3% 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: $111 in Noumea vs $68.0 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $324 per month, with Cambridge cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Cambridge

🕒 Local time

08:51 8:51 AM

10:51 10:51 AM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

21,400

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Noumea Cambridge 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Cambridge

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Noumea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $751 in Noumea versus $584 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $762 in Noumea versus $673 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,044 in Cambridge versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cambridge but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Cambridge the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cambridge is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Noumea, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Noumea and Cambridge are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cambridge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.