Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $1,647 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
Learn more

Noumea Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
Learn more

Hamilton Living Index

Jump to prices

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Hamilton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $1,647 in Hamilton.

Noumea $2,391
Hamilton $1,647

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $2,571 in Hamilton.

Noumea $3,791
Hamilton $2,571

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $3,496 in Hamilton.

Noumea $5,191
Hamilton $3,496

Living in Noumea is roughly 45% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noumea 77% above, Hamilton 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$11.78 NZ$20.83

74.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$73.6 NZ$130

51.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$8.47 NZ$14.98

68.71%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$3.32 NZ$5.86

35.54%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$2.26 NZ$3.99

-15.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$2.38 NZ$4.20

-46.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$6.24 NZ$11.04

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$5.44 NZ$9.63

29.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.46 NZ$2.59

-16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$1.25 NZ$2.20

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.96 NZ$3.46

12.24%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$5.25 NZ$9.29

14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$5.56 NZ$9.84

431.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$7.32 NZ$12.95

288.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$11.83 NZ$20.92

140.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.64 NZ$4.68

78.03%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$2.29 NZ$4.05

213.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$3.22 NZ$5.70

87.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$6.30 NZ$11.14

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$1.97 NZ$3.48

174.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.39 NZ$2.46

161.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$2.56 NZ$4.52

58.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$0.96 NZ$1.70

56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$24.97 NZ$44.16

-23.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$10.71 NZ$18.95

58.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$3.88 NZ$6.87

49.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$1.42 NZ$2.52

223.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 NZ$71.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$3.52 NZ$6.22

95.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.70 NZ$3.01

-7.06%

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$26.4K NZ$46.6K

22.16%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$23.1K NZ$40.9K

60.37%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$56.1 NZ$99.2

258.37%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$35.89 NZ$63.5

19.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$54.2 NZ$95.8

-9.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

$25.00 NZ$44.21

99.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

$28.03 NZ$49.58

-69.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$13.86 NZ$24.52

0.36%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$666 NZ$1,178

14.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

-58.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$60.8 NZ$108

76.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$37.29 NZ$65.9

73.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$92.0 NZ$163

5.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$104 NZ$183

139.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

$1,082 NZ$1,913

-30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

$751 NZ$1,327

3.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$1,488 NZ$2,632

0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

$1,309 NZ$2,314

3.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

$3,890 NZ$6,880

18.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

$4,506 NZ$7,969

-22.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

$2,634 NZ$4,658

1.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

6.83

-54.17%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Hamilton

$751 45.6% 2.9% $23

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Hamilton

$295 17.9% 54.5% $353

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Hamilton

$220 13.4% 34.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Hamilton

$146 8.9% 50.1% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Hamilton

$132 8% 43.2% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Hamilton

$53 3.2% 32.2% $25

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Hamilton

$50 * 3% 61.1% $19

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 $1,082 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 1% 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 $74.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $295 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

169,500

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Noumea Hamilton 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% 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 $1,082 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $762 in Noumea versus $666 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,647 in Hamilton versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.