Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Levin

For one person, living is cheaper in Levin: $1,859 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. The total is higher in Noumea despite lower rent and utilities.

Noumea
🇳🇨 New Caledonia
$2,391
/mo nomad
Levin
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,859
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Levin

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

A single person spends $2,391 per month in Noumea vs $1,859 in Levin, rent included.

  • Noumea $2,391
  • Levin $1,859

A couple spends around $3,791 per month in Noumea vs $2,784 in Levin, rent included.

  • Noumea $3,791
  • Levin $2,784

A family of three spends $5,191 per month in Noumea vs $3,710 in Levin, rent included.

  • Noumea $5,191
  • Levin $3,710

Noumea costs about 29% more than Levin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Noumea and Levin sit above the global median – Noumea by 77%, Levin by 38%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Noumea
Levin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.61 CFPF 2,180
$13.55 NZ$23.97
52.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$111 CFPF 11.8K
$64.9 NZ$115
71.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.29 CFPF 1,512
$8.89 NZ$15.72
60.74%
Cappuccino
$4.50 CFPF 477
$2.87 NZ$5.08
56.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CFPF 203
$2.46 NZ$4.35
-21.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 CFPF 135
$1.66 NZ$2.93
-23.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.28 CFPF 982
$7.09 NZ$12.54
30.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.04 CFPF 745
$6.58 NZ$11.63
6.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Noumea
Levin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 CFPF 129
$1.85 NZ$3.28
-34.05%
White Bread (500g)
$3.50 CFPF 370
$0.90 NZ$1.60
288.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 CFPF 233
$1.72 NZ$3.05
27.91%
Eggs
$6.02 CFPF 637
$6.99 NZ$12.37
-13.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$29.56 CFPF 3,128
$6.37 NZ$11.27
364.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$28.42 CFPF 3,007
$7.00 NZ$12.38
306.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$28.43 CFPF 3,007
$9.46 NZ$16.73
200.53%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 CFPF 497
$1.67 NZ$2.95
181.44%
Banana (1kg)
$7.18 CFPF 759
$2.14 NZ$3.78
235.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.04 CFPF 639
$2.99 NZ$5.29
102.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$8.19 CFPF 866
$1.75 NZ$3.09
368.00%
Potato (1kg)
$5.41 CFPF 572
$1.90 NZ$3.36
184.74%
Onion (1kg)
$3.63 CFPF 384
$1.23 NZ$2.17
195.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.07 CFPF 430
$1.86 NZ$3.30
118.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 CFPF 158
$0.53 NZ$0.94
183.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.12 CFPF 2,023
$17.98 NZ$31.80
6.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.93 CFPF 1,792
$11.36 NZ$20.10
49.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.80 CFPF 614
$3.22 NZ$5.69
80.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.78 NZ$4.91
-
🚌 Getting Around
Noumea
Levin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.59 CFPF 486
$1.72 NZ$3.04
166.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$81.0 NZ$143
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.87 CFPF 726
$1.85 NZ$3.28
271.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.11 CFPF 117
$1.76 NZ$3.11
-36.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.45 CFPF 2,269
$33.04 NZ$58.4
-35.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.58 CFPF 167
$1.60 NZ$2.82
-1.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.2K CFPF 3.4M
$25.5K NZ$45.1K
26.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.1K CFPF 3.9M
$24.9K NZ$44.1K
48.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Noumea
Levin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 CFPF 21.3K
$198 NZ$349
1.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.95 CFPF 4,544
$21.86 NZ$38.65
96.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.00 CFPF 5,185
$52.4 NZ$92.6
-6.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Noumea
Levin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.91 CFPF 5,280
$38.09 NZ$67.4
31.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.60 CFPF 910
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.91 CFPF 1,472
$10.01 NZ$17.70
38.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Noumea
Levin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$762 CFPF 80.6K
$1,036 NZ$1,832
-26.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,253 CFPF 978.9K
$13.0K NZ$23.1K
-29.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Noumea
Levin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 CFPF 11.4K
$76.7 NZ$136
39.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$64.7 CFPF 6,844
$21.97 NZ$38.85
194.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.9 CFPF 10.3K
$51.0 NZ$90.2
90.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$249 CFPF 26.3K
$113 NZ$200
119.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Noumea
Levin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$751 CFPF 79.4K
$993 NZ$1,756
-24.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$773 CFPF 81.8K
$824 NZ$1,457
-6.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,494 CFPF 158.1K
$1,192 NZ$2,109
25.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,359 CFPF 143.7K
$1,463 NZ$2,587
-7.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,622 CFPF 489.0K
$4,974 NZ$8,796
-7.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,488 CFPF 369.1K
$3,415 NZ$6,039
2.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Noumea
Levin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,663 CFPF 281.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.13
5.39
-41.93%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Levin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Noumea
$773
Levin
$824 6.6% $51
Groceries & Markets
Noumea
$648 *
Levin
$253 60.9% $395
Eating Out
Noumea
$335
Levin
$235 30% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Noumea
$293
Levin
$272 7.2% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Noumea
$233
Levin
$118 49.2% $115
Sport & Entertainment
Noumea
$78
Levin
$58 25.3% $20
Getting Around
Noumea
$31 *
Levin
$99 220% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $751 in Noumea versus $993 in Levin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Noumea versus $65.0 in Levin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $648 vs $253 – making Levin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇨 Noumea
🇳🇿 Levin
🕒 Local time
05:52 5:52 AM
07:52 7:52 AM
2 h ahead of Noumea
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
91,386 Capital
18,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Noumea Levin 2,200 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Noumea
  • Levin

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 Levin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Noumea and in Levin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,391 in Noumea, $1,859 in Levin – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Noumea compared to Levin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,587 per month in Noumea and $2,788 in Levin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Noumea and Levin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Levin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Noumea and $65.0 in Levin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 156% more in Noumea, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Levin, where all-in costs run around $1,859, than in Noumea at $2,391. In Levin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noumea it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Noumea and Levin?
It depends on your priorities. Noumea has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,859 in Levin to $2,391 in Noumea. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Noumea or Levin safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Noumea and Levin?
If budget matters most, go with Levin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Noumea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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