Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Dunedin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dunedin: $1,821 a month against $2,410 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
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Dunedin Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Dunedin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Noumea versus $1,821 in Dunedin.

Noumea $2,410
Dunedin $1,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Noumea versus $2,717 in Dunedin.

Noumea $3,800
Dunedin $2,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,190 in Noumea versus $3,613 in Dunedin.

Noumea $5,190
Dunedin $3,613

Living in Noumea is roughly 32% more expensive than in Dunedin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noumea 80% above, Dunedin 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.86 CFPF 2,222

$13.73 NZ$24.47

51.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 CFPF 12.1K

$61.8 NZ$110

84.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 CFPF 1,475

$11.42 NZ$20.35

21.28%

Cappuccino

$4.68 CFPF 499

$3.23 NZ$5.75

44.89%

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

$2.01 CFPF 214

$2.08 NZ$3.71

-3.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 136

$2.09 NZ$3.72

-39.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 CFPF 1,012

$6.85 NZ$12.21

38.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CFPF 774

$6.02 NZ$10.72

20.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 125

$2.18 NZ$3.88

-46.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 CFPF 381

$1.94 NZ$3.46

84.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CFPF 230

$1.75 NZ$3.12

23.43%

Eggs

$6.13 CFPF 653

$5.83 NZ$10.39

5.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.21 CFPF 3,218

$8.15 NZ$14.52

270.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CFPF 2,945

$9.43 NZ$16.80

193.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.19 CFPF 3,002

$16.55 NZ$29.49

70.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 CFPF 488

$2.87 NZ$5.12

59.58%

Banana (1kg)

$7.29 CFPF 776

$2.34 NZ$4.17

211.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 CFPF 668

$3.10 NZ$5.52

102.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 CFPF 850

$5.04 NZ$8.99

58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 CFPF 591

$1.83 NZ$3.26

203.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CFPF 411

$1.84 NZ$3.28

109.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.04 CFPF 431

$2.38 NZ$4.24

69.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 160

$0.55 NZ$0.99

172.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.46 CFPF 2,072

$20.93 NZ$37.29

-7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 CFPF 1,814

$8.87 NZ$15.81

92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 CFPF 590

$3.17 NZ$5.64

74.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.22

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CFPF 492

$1.09 NZ$1.94

323.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 NZ$121

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 CFPF 741

$5.65 NZ$10.08

23.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 119

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.46 CFPF 2,286

$27.97 NZ$49.83

-23.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 CFPF 174

$1.71 NZ$3.05

-4.68%

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

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

$25.1K NZ$44.8K

29.39%

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

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

$25.0K NZ$44.6K

48.88%

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

$205 CFPF 21.8K

$111 NZ$197

84.85%

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

$44.24 CFPF 4,711

$28.28 NZ$50.4

56.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.09 CFPF 5,122

$51.1 NZ$91.0

-5.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 CFPF 5,163

$48.05 NZ$85.6

0.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.25 CFPF 879

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 CFPF 1,518

$10.43 NZ$18.58

36.72%

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

$759 CFPF 80.8K

$591 NZ$1,053

28.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,318 CFPF 992.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.9K

$57.5 NZ$102

93.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 CFPF 6,918

$34.52 NZ$61.5

88.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CFPF 10.7K

$92.9 NZ$165

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$247 CFPF 26.3K

$132 NZ$236

86.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

$876 NZ$1,561

-13.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

$751 NZ$1,338

1.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CFPF 161.9K

$1,474 NZ$2,627

3.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 CFPF 143.7K

$1,150 NZ$2,049

17.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,777 CFPF 508.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,453 CFPF 367.7K

$2,256 NZ$4,019

53.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 CFPF 290.3K

$2,455 NZ$4,375

11.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

7.07

-55.73%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$761 31.9%

Dunedin

$751 41.8% 1.3% $10

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$646 * 27.1%

Dunedin

$320 17.8% 50.5% $326

Eating Out

Noumea

$340 14.2%

Dunedin

$246 13.7% 27.7% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$297 12.4%

Dunedin

$190 10.6% 36% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$236 9.9%

Dunedin

$143 7.9% 39.4% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$77 3.2%

Dunedin

$69 3.8% 10.5% $8.1

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Dunedin

$78 * 4.4% 152% $47

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 $761 in Noumea and $876 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 11% 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: $114 in Noumea vs $62.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $320 per month, with Dunedin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

22:20 10:20 PM

00:20 12:20 AM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

105,000

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Noumea Dunedin 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Dunedin

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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Noumea and Dunedin differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,410 vs $1,821 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $761 in Noumea versus $876 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Noumea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,410 per month in Noumea versus $1,821 in Dunedin – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,821 in Dunedin versus $2,410 in Noumea, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Noumea and Dunedin 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 Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.