For one person, living is cheaper in Fiji: $709 a month against $2,410 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
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 Fiji actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Noumea versus $709 in Fiji.
Noumea $2,410
Fiji $709
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Noumea versus $1,144 in Fiji.
Noumea $3,800
Fiji $1,144
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,190 in Noumea versus $1,578 in Fiji.
Noumea $5,190
Fiji $1,578
🌍
Living in Noumea is roughly 240% more expensive than in Fiji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Noumea is 80% above, Fiji is 47% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.86CFPF 2,222
$4.32FJD 9.68
382.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$114CFPF 12.1K
$31.65FJD 70.9
259.21%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.85CFPF 1,475
$6.54FJD 14.65
111.77%
Cappuccino
$4.68CFPF 499
$2.50FJD 5.59
87.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01CFPF 214
$1.35FJD 3.01
48.89%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27CFPF 136
$1.05FJD 2.34
20.95%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$9.50CFPF 1,012
$4.08FJD 9.14
132.84%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.26CFPF 774
$4.04FJD 9.06
79.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.17CFPF 125
$1.25FJD 2.80
-6.40%
White Bread(500g)
$3.58CFPF 381
$0.26FJD 0.59
1276.92%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.16CFPF 230
$0.85FJD 1.90
154.12%
Eggs
$6.13CFPF 653
$3.08FJD 6.91
99.03%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$30.21CFPF 3,218
$10.64FJD 23.83
183.93%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$27.65CFPF 2,945
$5.30FJD 11.87
421.70%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$28.19CFPF 3,002
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$4.58CFPF 488
$1.30FJD 2.92
252.31%
Banana(1kg)
$7.29CFPF 776
$0.86FJD 1.94
747.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$6.27CFPF 668
$1.83FJD 4.10
242.62%
Tomato(1kg)
$7.98CFPF 850
$1.31FJD 2.93
509.16%
Potato(1kg)
$5.55CFPF 591
$0.70FJD 1.56
692.86%
Onion(1kg)
$3.86CFPF 411
$0.74FJD 1.65
421.62%
Lettuce(1 head)
$4.04CFPF 431
$0.88FJD 1.96
359.09%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50CFPF 160
$0.52FJD 1.16
188.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$19.46CFPF 2,072
$10.95FJD 24.52
77.72%
Wine(Bottle)
$17.03CFPF 1,814
$6.19FJD 13.87
175.12%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$5.54CFPF 590
$3.97FJD 8.90
39.55%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.12FJD 9.22
-
🚌 Getting Around
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.62CFPF 492
$0.93FJD 2.08
396.77%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$6.96CFPF 741
$1.12FJD 2.52
521.43%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.11CFPF 119
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$21.46CFPF 2,286
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.63CFPF 174
$1.25FJD 2.81
30.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.5KCFPF 3.5M
$46.1KFJD 103.2K
-29.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.3KCFPF 4.0M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$205CFPF 21.8K
$53.5FJD 120
282.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.24CFPF 4,711
$13.37FJD 29.96
230.89%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.09CFPF 5,122
$17.80FJD 39.88
170.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$48.48CFPF 5,163
$21.89FJD 49.04
121.47%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.25CFPF 879
$4.42FJD 9.89
86.65%
Cinema Ticket
$14.26CFPF 1,518
$4.10FJD 9.18
247.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$759CFPF 80.8K
$44.79FJD 100
1594.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,318CFPF 992.3K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111CFPF 11.9K
$19.42FJD 43.50
473.69%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.0CFPF 6,918
-
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$100CFPF 10.7K
$30.25FJD 67.8
230.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$247CFPF 26.3K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$761CFPF 81.0K
$680FJD 1,524
11.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$761CFPF 81.0K
$270FJD 605
181.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,520CFPF 161.9K
$1,095FJD 2,453
38.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,349CFPF 143.7K
$610FJD 1,367
121.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,777CFPF 508.8K
$1,289FJD 2,887
270.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,453CFPF 367.7K
$1,293FJD 2,897
166.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Noumea
Fiji
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,726CFPF 290.3K
$538FJD 1,205
406.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.13
6
-47.83%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026
Last update for Fiji: October 4, 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
Noumea
$761 31.9%
Fiji
$270 38.4% ↓ 64.5%$491
🛒Groceries & Markets
Noumea
$646 * 27.1%
Fiji
$169 * 24% ↓ 73.9%$478
🍽Eating Out
Noumea
$340 14.2%
Fiji
$122 17.4% ↓ 64%$218
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Noumea
$297 12.4%
Fiji
$85 12% ↓ 71.5%$212
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Noumea
$236 9.9%
Fiji
$22 * 3.2% ↓ 90.5%$213
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Noumea
$77 3.2%
Fiji
$30 4.3% ↓ 60.9%$47
🚌Getting Around
Noumea
$31 * 1.3%
Fiji
$4.8 * 0.7% ↓ 84.4%$26
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Noumea
$1.3K 25.9%
Fiji
$610 38.3% ↓ 54.8%$739
🛒Groceries & Markets
Noumea
$1.5K * 29%
Fiji
$369 * 23.2% ↓ 75.6%$1.1K
🍽Eating Out
Noumea
$1.3K 24%
Fiji
$392 24.6% ↓ 68.7%$859
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Noumea
$341 6.6%
Fiji
$98 6.1% ↓ 71.3%$243
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Noumea
$523 10.1%
Fiji
$50 * 3.1% ↓ 90.5%$474
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Noumea
$162 3.1%
Fiji
$65 4.1% ↓ 60.2%$98
🚌Getting Around
Noumea
$71 * 1.4%
Fiji
$12 * 0.7% ↓ 83.8%$60
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 $680 in Fiji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Noumea pays 407% 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 $32.00 in Fiji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $169 per month, with Fiji cheaper across the board.
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 Fiji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fiji cheaper than Noumea?
Fiji is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 240% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Noumea or Fiji?
Average pay runs 407% higher in Noumea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Noumea and Fiji?
Rent for a central apartment: $761 in Noumea versus $680 in Fiji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Noumea and in Fiji?
Supermarket bills run roughly 283% higher in Noumea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Noumea and in Fiji?
All in, you'll spend $2,410 per month in Noumea versus $709 in Fiji – a 240% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Noumea or in Fiji?
At $709 in Fiji versus $2,410 in Noumea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fiji but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Fiji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Noumea or Fiji more family-friendly?
For families, Fiji 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.
Which city is safer, Noumea or Fiji?
Safety-wise, Noumea and Fiji are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Fiji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 240% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.