Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Locarno

For one person, living is cheaper in Noumea: $2,676 a month against $2,935 in Locarno, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Locarno outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Locarno
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Locarno Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,676

/mo nomad

Locarno

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Locarno

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

A single person spends $2,676 per month in Noumea vs $2,935 in Locarno, rent included.

Noumea $2,676
Locarno $2,935

A couple spends around $4,200 per month in Noumea vs $4,633 in Locarno, rent included.

Noumea $4,200
Locarno $4,633

A family of three spends $5,724 per month in Noumea vs $6,332 in Locarno, rent included.

Noumea $5,724
Locarno $6,332

Noumea is about 9% cheaper than Locarno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Noumea and Locarno sit above the global median – Noumea by 97%, Locarno by 116%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 CFPF 2,216

$27.17 CHF 22.50

-23.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 CFPF 12.0K

$121 CHF 100

-7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 CFPF 1,503

$18.38 CHF 15.22

-23.45%

Cappuccino

$4.48 CFPF 479

$5.07 CHF 4.20

-11.64%

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

$1.96 CFPF 209

$5.26 CHF 4.36

-62.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CFPF 132

$4.35 CHF 3.60

-71.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.59 CFPF 1,025

$8.48 CHF 7.02

13.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 CFPF 763

$6.06 CHF 5.02

17.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 CFPF 127

$2.20 CHF 1.82

-45.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CFPF 365

$3.67 CHF 3.04

-6.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CFPF 240

$3.17 CHF 2.62

-29.34%

Eggs

$6.21 CFPF 664

$7.07 CHF 5.86

-12.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.94 CFPF 3,199

$26.74 CHF 22.14

11.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.58 CFPF 3,054

$16.64 CHF 13.78

71.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.62 CFPF 2,951

$36.18 CHF 29.95

-23.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 CFPF 504

$3.08 CHF 2.55

52.92%

Banana (1kg)

$6.93 CFPF 741

$1.62 CHF 1.34

327.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.18 CFPF 661

$2.13 CHF 1.76

190.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.08 CFPF 864

$3.69 CHF 3.06

118.97%

Potato (1kg)

$5.65 CFPF 604

$1.23 CHF 1.02

359.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 CFPF 409

$1.83 CHF 1.51

109.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.09 CFPF 437

$1.97 CHF 1.63

107.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 CFPF 155

$1.11 CHF 0.92

30.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 CFPF 2,045

$10.92 CHF 9.04

75.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.58 CFPF 1,772

$12.16 CHF 10.07

36.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.56 CFPF 594

$2.83 CHF 2.34

96.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CHF 2.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.75 CFPF 507

$2.70 CHF 2.24

75.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$285 CFPF 30.5K

$95.7 CHF 79.2

198.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 CFPF 756

$4.64 CHF 3.84

52.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 CFPF 120

$2.46 CHF 2.03

-54.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.24 CFPF 2,270

$60.7 CHF 50.2

-64.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 CFPF 165

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-30.80%

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

$32.8K CFPF 3.5M

$38.8K CHF 32.1K

-15.47%

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

$38.0K CFPF 4.1M

$39.3K CHF 32.6K

-3.36%

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

$196 CFPF 21.0K

$486 CHF 402

-59.59%

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

$44.13 CFPF 4,715

$27.41 CHF 22.69

61.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.00 CFPF 5,129

$58.1 CHF 48.09

-17.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 CFPF 5,348

$72.2 CHF 59.8

-30.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.54 CFPF 913

$30.51 CHF 25.26

-72.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 CFPF 1,523

$19.60 CHF 16.23

-27.30%

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

$740 CFPF 79.1K

$1,472 CHF 1,219

-49.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,264 CFPF 989.9K

$19.0K CHF 15.7K

-51.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 CFPF 11.6K

$96.4 CHF 79.8

13.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 CFPF 6,984

$56.3 CHF 46.60

16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 CFPF 10.4K

$98.2 CHF 81.3

-1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 CFPF 27.1K

$120 CHF 99.0

112.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 CFPF 80.0K

$1,031 CHF 853

-27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 CFPF 82.7K

$1,038 CHF 860

-25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CFPF 161.2K

$2,410 CHF 1,995

-37.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 CFPF 140.1K

$2,223 CHF 1,841

-41.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,760 CFPF 508.6K

$9,402 CHF 7,785

-49.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,387 CFPF 361.9K

$7,564 CHF 6,263

-55.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,657 CFPF 283.9K

$5,878 CHF 4,866

-54.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

1.97

58.88%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 24, 2026

Last update for Locarno: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$774 28.9%

Locarno

$1K 35.4% 34.2% $265

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$645 * 24.1%

Locarno

$497 16.9% 23% $148

Eating Out

Noumea

$337 12.6%

Locarno

$426 14.5% 26.5% $89

Getting Around

Noumea

$317 11.8%

Locarno

$123 4.2% 61% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$289 10.8%

Locarno

$572 19.5% 98.1% $283

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$236 8.8%

Locarno

$167 5.7% 29.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$79 2.9%

Locarno

$111 3.8% 41.8% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $749 in Noumea versus $1,031 in Locarno. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Locarno are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $112 in Noumea versus $121 in Locarno. Groceries tell a different story – $645 in Noumea vs $497 in Locarno – so Locarno wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇨🇭 Locarno

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

10 h behind Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

16,000

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.36 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.39 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.36 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.39 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Noumea Locarno 16,680 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Locarno

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 Locarno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Locarno is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,014 per month in Noumea and $4,402 in Locarno. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Noumea, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $749 there versus $1,031 in Locarno.

Public transport costs about 66% less in Locarno. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $740 per month in Noumea and $1,472 in Locarno. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,676 in Noumea and $2,935 in Locarno. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Noumea – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Noumea. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Locarno makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.